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Cooleemee Presbyterian
Cooleemee Presbyterian Church Compiled Information from the Collection of the Martin-Wall History Room of the Davie County Public Library Mocksville,North Carolina 9 “CcCLt ei^sit))) ^M^ws--r 5 R?; uVrf.^5.'f.-fiVj,●>% ^ro|i'D^lfi^1'^Sls^i%i2^^?edf£i:d ■»4 'w'K-^'.?-;?3^»r-='la■J^*-*,7 ●pVts'^SHe ant.mmSfitfda’^ idsatlwork1?.w?S«:'r*r.3y^^■mzation Pi'V^r.m li1 tolace^POu^fteSmlie^^QTlflch^s^ear St^t^re^TXeC^MiWB#»a|)el-^n Oavie County PuDiic UDran Mocksvilie,NC '^5§P.-j“?V*!>;,.4 .Vl’n<m THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER —PAGE TEN ooleemee Minister Does vOutstanding Church Work Rev.J.W.Foster,Davidson Alumnus,Triples His Own Congregation and Builds a New Church In Neighboring Community —Lord's Acre Pian Works. BY REV.NORVIN C.DUNCAN. Coolcemc is a cottonmill village, one of the Edwin Cotton Mill group.It has a population of around 2.500people,and is the largest town inDaviecounty.It borders Rowancounty,and secures some of itsoperativesfrom"across the river."To this town the Rev.John W. Foster.Presbyterian minister,camein1931,finding a congregation offi5members,a Sunday school of almostahundredmembers,and a plain frame church building.Atthetimethecongregationwasstomewhatdiscouragedwiththeout look._.With faith,enthusiasm,and vigorouseffoi-t the Rev.Mr.Fo.sterandhiswifewenttowork,andthestoryisfardifferenttoday.There are 225 members of thechurch;more than 200 enrolled intheSundayschool;a handsomeandcommodiousmansehasbeenbuiltalongsidethechurchbuilding,and the church building Itselfhasundergoneextensiverepairs,and had several additions (nr Sundayschoolandrecreationpur- pose.s..But this physical growth is onlyanoutwardandvisiblesignoftheinnerlifeofthecongregationandcommunity.The i>cople in theparishareproudoftheirachievement.are full of encouragementanddeeperfaithenrichedbythesatisfactionsofsubstantialachievementandhealthygrowth.Not only has this congregationprofiledbytheministryofthisclergyman,but the entire communityhasbeenhelped.Mr,Fosterdoesnotbelongtothatgroupofministerswhoregard"ringingofdoorbellsasawasteoftime.He and his good wife arc on thegoallthetime,calling on theirmembers,and'visiting the sick,needy,and the unchurch^.Nor.has any charge'ever been lodgedagalnilMr.Foster that he-buildsuphiaowneongregallonattheex*pefise of other,communions.He Utnandoutofthesehomesasministerandfriend,blit not lor purposesofproselyting.The people in Coolecmee somehowfeel,wllhoutxegard to chucohaffiliation,that ftr.FosUr ●belongstothem...Such a feeling Is notalfangek.as.hU mlnistry ls devoted,to uniflfllh'sch/lco and the ?om-}mflnltjf htt'learntd IhaMtupbn^nimi'^lor the ^.I'Vlces bt.a,kindly 'paifcr,and warm,lympa-tIheticfriend. Cooleemee Presbyterian Church.. ■V.; REV.J.W.FOSTER,pastor of Cooleemee Presbyterian Church.I ●■SC la. i xS X)Davie County Public Lio(a,yMockswlle,NC £ Vj 9O 3 I' BDILOS new chubcb.^Shortly ptfiiiich’ift r ^"li^tog the peopleawsy.ap^dittoverW thatthireachurdiIntherewaa-O®people werethatcommimlW.Th«hirnpleaaedwithhima^^church'’He aid.and in the 5P«eforthem.He o»,^gg,^t-“r'^m^lAwd*dutslde.he hadanceiromJrienaachurchandbuiltahandsoMoricN^had ‘If*““Sy ^eBrcgatlon^T^»y than the onetherel»much >*"8®^.^en he first IinCooleemeewas f. ly'ili my good friend and his wifedroveoverthemountainstoseeme.It was a long trip,and I knewthatonlyasincereinterestandarealaneclioncouldhavebroughtthemacrossthemountains.Thatvisit"cheered and heartened memuch.This Incident will throwlightontheachievementsnotedaboviItwillservetohelpexplainwhyhehasbeenabletoaccomplishsomuchInarelativelyshorttime.●HEADS MUSIC CI.UB.A study of the sUtislics wi 1 confirmourstatementthathishasbeenanexceptionalandoutstandingpieceofchurchwork.Butstatisticscannotincludetheorostimportantpartofhiswork.In11everycivicmovementhehasbeeninterestedandactive;he has beenpresidentditheCooleemeeMusicclub,and in his personal contactswiththesdfTeringandsorrowfulhehasexercisedaministryofhelpandcomfort."Mr.fos*®*";said,one woman,"is a friend toeverybody."Said one of the millomcials:"Mr.Foster Is a real manthereisnoshamabouthmr,and heisahardworker.He has theloveandconfidenceofeverybodyinthevillage."It wouldn't do to close this articlewithoutmentionofMrs.Foster.She works along with her husbandinallofactivities,and is attimesvisiUngandministeringtothesickwhenherparsonhusbandisoccupiedelsewhere.The manseisalwaysopentovisitors,andthesimpleandcharminghosplall-ly of its occupants makes it anattractiveplaceforyoungandold—and many of the youngsters findtheirwaythere....u„And it would be leaving thewithsomethingofafalseimpressionifwedidnotMr.Foster has a keen sense of humor.The fact that he docs hisworkwithseriouspurpose,and1thcheraclerislicthoroughness,that he is one of It has^hn Introduction byland. Thomas Gibbons.At the time the book was printedtherewasnodiscernablelovelostbetweentheEnglishchurchandthePresbyterianchurchofScotland,and as we read together.some of the sharp language I wasimpresseddeeplybythefactthathere,at least,were two descendantsofthoseEpiscopalandPresbyterianfatherswhocouldsitdown,not only in good humor,butwithsincereaffection,and laughatIhclrsallies,though respecting their sincerity.■Whether or not.our respectivecommunionseveragreeupontheproposedConcordat,we seem tohavehatchedupaconcordatbetweenuswhichIs,workable.WAS my uood fortune to be InchargeofIhcEpiscopalchurchCooleemeewhenMr.Foster camethere,and our associations gavemesomethingtorememberandtocherish.It was with real JoythatIhadtheprivilegeof-yistUnghimafewweeksago.enjoying thehospitalityofhishome,and recall-of our experiences to- thc”?a"h year vacationhehasofhis here have p^n.WillinBntTheIOperationandpracticalwoP,j ^as madethePl'in ".’‘’contribution to the"T e community Is con^- Lord. ty- Mr.Foster is a !^.fmmenl5.andiXcstsandacco^i^hroen^,^-^^he will d^s^ercSs and his hob-to turn his ifibution to hishiesintosome.“"Addition to hischosenwork-*-and Unioneducationathasab-Thcological wisdom insorbedknowledgeJ>pusiness-a wide t of anal».man.and as Ministry have alsoConlaclsmJ’'®p^wlde^knowledgecontributedtohiswro^^^^i„gandsympatheticunupeople..imnle,io the„ia sermona are^^simP .point,and understandingtheinterest^"°are the kmdhistheirdaibwhichhelp4werenot»●lives.But even It ^^„uld gogoodPr®*®‘'oi,’!:on6l®nt visitinghearhim-H people mhiswhichare his church.iilSTOniES.1STUnlEShasawiderNomanmhiswcgaloglfVnowledgeof‘"®.*^adjoiningFamiliesinhobble*la ;i.r»v."nS showed Ine w ^'distinguished UmiSenatorsfrom.^*’®^Jecialion fortheyexpressedPP*jhcirinformationret»^vofthem pn?s®??'originally in Ing some eelher.As slated above,a new mansehasbeenbuiltsincehelookch«geoftheCooleemeechurch.The!church possesses almost a blockofgroundonwhichthechurchandmansearebuiltPartofthelandisshaded,but enough is open foralargegarden,and this meansanotherhobbyforth®Presbyteriangoodexampleforotherstofol-cood example for oflhcrs to follow,a good supply of vegetablesforthemansetable,and a gen--share for his neighbors.1haveneverfeltthatourhia‘®r‘®®‘background or theological differencescouldmakeanydificrcnceinourfriendship,but I confess thatattimesIhavebeenenviousoverthefactthathistomatoeswerer-mueh larger than mine.Another note must be addedpartexplanationforso-,A few of of to of the not erous readers so w does not meanthosesomber and sober parsonswhoconsideralongfaceandanupsetliverasprerequisitestoavalidandsuccessfulministry.HemainUlnsatalltimesaproperdignity,but he manages to makeitradiatesomesunshineinsteadolmakingitanemissaryofgloom.Mr Foster will never make rc- hcre as lmanypersonal references,years after Mr.Foster came toCooleemeeImovedtotheextremesouthwesternpartofthestate,andshortlythereaftersufferedaseverebreakdowninhealth,which confinedmetobedfortwoyears,andsincethenhaskeptmerestrictedinmovcmonlsAndeftork,But AtthetimewhenIwassodesperate-llgion unpopular. Ui u)Via from w family hisf°''\®,t,,tiem lag bli"collection. Neat Cooleoroe?u ^Bey ^lefl bSlBd ora^^'SJr one of hisImpiahejjtootIn-.which warfare.■,w-i.end'would..Hlstorlan^at he j,!*expect to find mw^library -social.One.innhedlately!of dhe books wrow ^^pyattractsonesofthe'-et Ctoo^an'^^^Sa Church'State and whlott "was ul wereed.o o » <c cd %*» Davie County Public LibraryMocksviiie,NC t U) X. 4X ●o First Presbyterian Church Cooleemee From Churches of Davie County,North Carolina A Photographic Study by Thomas L.Martin Heritage Printers,Charlotte,North Carolina,1957 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH COOLEEMEE This church was organized on October16th,1901,in the town of Cooleemee,where the Erwin Cotton Mills are located. The first -building was completed in thesummerof1904.New Sunday School rooms e added in 1955. c Hi at ●I ,-a -2 r >■ a. t Davie County Public Library Mocksville,North CarolinaI ej ))●-^t'rm,f iV'f"ri as■7 'Y;^,-^r «3i^a- iPn;| ;■?●f.fc^C'i'. ●t:-.?fK5^vi--t«V ●'t 1^;,●4z I V i^Jlev^FoSter;^_ leirtions :i'.JA .i.r>**'.-^'.tit\ icbl* i:s;.ago^-some^i\r < I r^rs.../●»^?p\v ●**● on»i^pi^tn-iS'^??^itleijpage,‘f ‘l-i r^“r»‘>t: jStiriyan’s»rV*vii-J "\*^J ●m●X 1 rtT56^_.„^.^,..j.^--..T^ncei-'^oK ^fa^p'-ysaidS^i^yrobably'-^wasE^vq-Jvnluable^than !tke^S’!?‘&.ts^efKKJk:j^6;^ed'-b^^11k .*●>>^^s''''c?5'f ●tt*'i.●rV'j'/..*Jwier^ibra^.A'rabnev/oY'ilia |ffe^has''-bneFbTWamuel'f Jbhii'^ ppn^^f^jtfas»^re":vphlyl25J^trt«rs'y”^^^^ ft -%'*v^-j :i ''ta\:. S> ●^Tv^’ 1! (60/'i 1 "^firstI i K i I i ©avie County PuDiit li ♦inrr''/r'v;i'P\l^i ●bf^^^^abney;:^Kich} I W, 4. :.u 'u^ZA miWfV ^>.V .1r>»*^4*j I *4v.j jv:£>»I;( ;.vajat:j:w^)|iW L<S»ESS;22MS.«t v;^^«^7wl V' tIPI^MrSv^iS'"!HS&Sr i I )) y.p H' P '■\ Pastpr:.C;om^;|f^'UlO Gobleeinee ^hufcKS ; The Rev.Samuel L.-McKay,';form-' ter '-pastor of ●:Kernersville’S;;;Flrst ^>resbyterian.Church,'began his ineiv ;work as pastor of ..Cdoleemee Pres- rby.terian Church in :Cooleemee,.Sep tember iMcKay;serves 'as-:Permanent Clerk of the 'Presbytery-aha is <iiair-' of 'ih.^’Pperations-Cabihet,^e-^[i^pnsiUe,^or ;.biV admihislTatictti 'of .^e^-Retreat'^erter.|f-The;;'MiKay s-::new'.honie^^;iiexl 'aobfptp 'the^C^leemee .ciuirhh';l|i^n:,,Watt'Street.:‘;iTheyJhaVe' ;3iying'at ’home,\.BilI,'who:was:an^.ex-; ;hh^ge..student ..this^past'surmiter^fn!●●●pucaramanga,;;C61umb'ia,';';.^f.;:-:i^f' U.COOLEEMEE—i)rrS&uel;L.“iMcKay --wiE be.installed as^^as-1 ^tor of the:Cooleemee Presby-●^erian Church at 11-a.m.Sun-;iday,Cct.'-i^l He";was'pastor;=at Kernersville ^..PrcsbjherianChurch.'for'vSix-^ears'^beforeleaving’Aug.'-;31i^';The obmmissipn..for -'his in-Jstallation will.bc oomposed of:i-The'Rev..JameshMonroe of:'Winston-Salem,-executive"'secretaryoftheWinston-Salem.Pres-bery;.'the Rev,.-Malcolm Ander-■ton,,minister of.Christian edu-tdationsat Highland PresbyterianChurch;0t ●;W.inston-Salejn;theRev.-■William A.●Lofquist,a^teacher for the school of social.^ork,-'University of North Caro-i'lina-at Chapel Hill,assigned asstudenttrainingsupervisor-for,Porsyth County Domestic'Rela-^Jtions Court;=Knox Johnstone,anolder-from First Preshyterian. sChurcb of ;MockS\-flle;Rf ’Marshall,.an older from Clem-.^mohs presbyterian Church;-:and;J:.'F..Ridcnhpur,'an elder fromjifideGooleemeeebufehV●-“r j^Tbe -Rev:vW./R.-Smith -Jr.,former pastor-of ReynbldarPres-;iby terian -at;Winston '-;Ralem.^nd.;now.living ot.iotiremcnt ●at;ihb Presbyterian-Home at Digh^Ppint,;wiU,bBf;ah Mterjaatei...;:; iv--f-V. ■A' ■--’s■I ●V'■ ■1;■-fV ■' f-p -IJLL vVtiyi,.-? cJ c u^firr' 9-L-?-/?C,b NCMocksviile. )))■●*. HI®erne®?rs!?“ '"■''-,«v.'j?^viijoai«arnw<m:hv."\'~ ; --'■'■■■■●■.●..-\vi«.'.a:.-..[t?-ir’-,1'-X<“.-*●'f.-:K* x4-'; ●'V^.'C.-v-',V;^j‘V.-«5.t.:.n- '●<v''‘■■■'-V.'->.'■●.-ri'J. ●‘.C5'---?i'Members of the Cooleemee:ReV-SJtf.AllCT.and Elder ^■Presbyte'iaii'Church will ob-Woodruff.There were serve the 7Wh.anniversary of--charter members.Thirteen.'jthe.church on Sunday,Sep^the charter members,came, jtember 26,during the morning^.from.the South 'Riverworshipserviceat11a.m.This-!-Presbyterian Church in ItowanisalsothedatescheduledfbrCounty.The.South ■River;vtheirannualhomecomingChurchwas,dissolved at this-, The-Reverend .Gurney P.-,time.' Whitley,executive secretary-ofi-—;the Winston Salem Presbytery, !will be in charge of the services. The Rev.Bonner..Knox .Statesville,,who served^thei??: Cooleemee church from ,4924- 1926,will also be among,the revisitingclergy.men..■' \\ m- ●Y 'yf\k -W-*-r i ... (,'J . V71!^^“ ?il[ERPRi^.RECOUPS .*::r. V 7 I a''i f ,●t'V '● Beginning with the specialhomecoming,service,the morning worship services,wfflbeheldeachweekat11auri.for the next six months:-' A.brief history of theCooleemeecongr^ation will be’,|;!presented during this service;’ The,Annual Rally Day programwill.be presented.during they:'f4i regular Sunday School,hour at ^I0'a.ra..'.●'4.,A picnic dinner will be served " ●^In the fellowship hall im-Ia^,p inediately ..following the":^mor-!-'.w^|iing worship,:’The Cooleemee PresbyterianChurchwasorganizedonOc-I'ober 16,1901 by the Concord●vJ^Presbytery under the leader-,c hip of the Rev.W.C.Brown, .V ●,v.v j '-...tta - '5kf i|15v&4 f 4"^‘"'V.'●●'.V'". cO ●;r "O'r-●V*'c y kV'. i r1 p^r.xX~r. S'.'/tV-.;-j-.vlii ■■>:!■■I.■cr -c ●s.-v , k,'jW4.i.NrS...if. -XV.* 'tZfS' ■i .y A ●j:.1.iT I (●*--v 'i :●V-.;-V„.4 .-..r:',jV.●:■-●.,-y--,●●.;......y..<●'■-fv ●●-;●>v .:● PuDUC Klocksviile. DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD,THURSDAY,JANUARY 20.1972 -!1 Minister And His Wife Leading A Double Life(Reprimed fiom the StUibury Poit)NEW MANSE ByHOSWdSfPostStsifWriter Boaeoe end Pauline PSsher have aTownMeuseendaCqtmtryHome.do^n‘t mean becomemembersoftheJetSetartheLanded but it muit make ifiem tque among Davie County reaidenti*And smongFreabyiorlan ministersthslriamiu^-Especially when the Town House Is in aetropolisthesiteofOooleem^.But die Ftih^love JL Whai eompany comes «as U did Indrov^over the Oirlatmaa holidays --thero^s space aplenty*When quUt is needed for Roscoe^swriting,it's there,.‘‘And if she ds^n'i treat me right,says,giving the lie to the thought in maffectionatesmileaimedathlawife,,‘'andIgetalitaepuffedJVegotaplacetogo.^'"Puffed'’or not,he's got a place to g&every since Eoseooe serves as min*Iftter of both Gooleemee PreabyterlenChurchandBixbyPresfjytK’iandInhablUbathth^rmanjsea* ail happened becSusecbuldn't choose bfetween ihOT.Eosc^had temporarily left the fuU^time minis ot go ba^td’ichool*MiswritingSociallytheBitsofLife'm\column is used in Hie ,Post and numerouB other papersthroupoutllieItoto“had become mere'and more important to him andhewant^some profesilonal study at tht Hnlvepal^gf Ncfdj Cardins alChhpel HilS,He thenSpentseveralyearsworkingwiththepovertyprogramInGreensboro.But then the challenge came from thePresbytciy*Someone was needed,Roscoe was told,to take two eongregatlons and make them ■"Bbcby,which Is located near Advance,had about 13$members ahd a com-, paratlvdy new ranch-style manse.Cool-©emee had sU^Uy overlQO memberfl and ●.a 4n-year-Qld large two-story brlckmanse.Both had beSi sdf^upporllng congre-.●gatlona for years,but Cooleemee had runintohardtlmeawhenErwinMill,whicheBiployedabout1,000 people,closed down.Some of them had to move,and that left.Cooieemee Presbyterian Church smaller congregaUon andless Inooine.His two churches are.12 miles apart,a■considerable distance for a charge,And●they didn't get together on where theministerwouldlive.In fact,both fust;AMumed that the new.preacher^tlnd'his’family would Ijve wil^Clljen},-'and.they●were so sureltHet both cbngrcgatlons xpainted the manses and put everything'.uitoproper order for thenew tenants,●''Ihat left the Fishers |n a considerable uni and with am ji>he bind, Arid the Preabyt^,would give no help:at all,,.r .,'"They really,put us on the spot right■oM,"RoBcoe says,‘leaving it up to us to .dfidda." j "And nobody^Would giye us anyh.elp/'r jPaullneadds...*^So they debated,and'debated,and"delated. And FauJineqjijme up wife efe solution.“We had a large family and plenty ofiftinUture,Why rloUIve in both matises?"The Fishers'four daughters are allmarriednowandlivingaway.The onlychildstillathomeisLuther,a a^or atDavieCountyHighSchool,Ihe fact that.Davie has only one high 64feool made efe.decision easier,'No matter which'house * they Uvein-''-or both—LuthersUU attendsr■the same school. The manse at Bixby had a built-in stove'and rcfdgeratof'with a freexer.so'the 'Fishers put Ihalr own stove and refrigeratoraiCooIeemee.Since the Cooleemee fc house was larger,they decided it wouldialsoberightforthedining-room set andthegoodchinaandglasawear.They’d doial^tertalnlng there.And therefecispotforefepiano.^Four bedroams were furnished l j by and two at Cooleemee,and there was an Churdi fee FishefsIt ●●j € I I vJ- t--I 3 I » a r 03 \jy one.iti ct o> a X kUCo\cs!^was a*>at Six- -11I3AVIECOUNTYENTERPRISERECORD^THURSDAY,JANUARY 20,tS 71 ) anB den and office Chrislmaa,for example,only one daughter,her husband,three children and motherandfaiherdndawhadarrivedbyChrlsl-90 they had Christmas Eve enough living room _furni ture for the living room at CooleemeeandalivingroomanddenatBixbyandstudies—lined with cfooKs at bolh dtdiiH take jQtig for them,,to be ,and In buBinessat boQi addfessei.It’s worked especially well fop'both *^'^^^oughtitwouIdtnak6UB feelmorelJke%pastor and family,”*and it’s doneexacUythat.Ortglnaiiy the plan was forRoicoetopreachthello’clock servl^atUtechurchhechosetolivenearandthe9530serviceattheother,whleh would be asatellitecongregation.But now that bothareTull^aedged congregations,theycid^they’d shift every six months,andthaCswhatthey've been doing for the pasttwoy^rs.^,,,The b^lnning and end of the we^isspentinBixby^nd the middle of the week,theFiahfirs pack a Small suitcase and go toCooleemee.Members of hath churchesknowwhenhe'll be around apd can go toseehim,and In the meantime,it makespasloralcallsamuchbetlersituation."As fa r apart aa the two chu rches are,i fwe’d iuat stayed at one and went to theotherfortheday,there would have been ng_ mas Eve dinn^In the smaller eating space at Blxby.But by Christmas Day all four daughtersandtheirfamilieswerethere,so theywenttothebigdiningroomtableIntioolecmee.And it’sgreal having two guestroomsandacompletehousereadyforovernightcompany.Two of the girls andtheirfamiliesstayedatCooleemeeduring theholidays. <4 ^looked a lUUe askanceatthewholeidea,Roseooe says,when theyfirstcameupwithIt,but no one’s com-Jlalnlng now,The Bixby congregationlaagrownbyismemberssinceRoscoegot’there,and 4&new members have beenaddedatCooieemee. The Pmb: And as for the Fishers themselves? We like it a lot better than at one9% place.After bIK It's not every PresbyterianpreacherwhohasaTownHouseanda,Country Home. place to go In to fix a bite to eat or anything. OTHER USES The Cooleemee.house_hBB also beenopenedtothecongregatioiTforthfelruseforcirclemeetingsfortheWomenwhodon’thaveenoughroamIntheirhomesandforai^other dh'urch meetings that can he /more conveniontJy held there.And Pauline hasn't found any problematallhousekeepingintwohouses.She doeshershoppinginCooleemBe,because shelikesthe■supermarket there,and herlaundryInBixbybecausethelmansehasawashingmachineanddrier.They keeptoothbrushesInbothhouses,but generally carry their dolhra back and forth as they 9$ dr ca -»o o 2: ●Q013 CD .41 >-C->to'CZ Jsi 7S O vjf ,a>i ●>go-1.13 The biggest problem Is kitchen utensils,just plain old pots and pans.1 reallydidn’t have two sets.Sometimes I have topickthemupandtakethembackand forth. (Id n c2 Hot only does living in both mansesmakeitbetterforministeringbothcongregations,but it also helps the family tremendouslywhencompanycomes.At Ki> a- v> <i} X Gl \b L H\Xft.CHt^)))●u* j rr*-"”n’-Y>^*f;^ -r---c-■>rb.'t'TA:jrsr9rx«%4<iv*'4aMv..^a,^0«r*gw?vj3sg;l»«<B.>3gQgaran^j ■^,52;-S';5>'g?S:ES^^£'cSvu xyWTttiiVb'5JH*w.-‘V: tfi*r,a;}** -t'V'●7^:ix;t:: .s -DAVm^CQUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD,.'THURSDAY^JANUARY ll,1973:-2 '-i* /'t:5 ●..●* ’.-:'<fr^;-Xs .*5 .S^v, S’ ri t Cooleemee Presbyterian Church resembled a .(}Chnstmas Greeting Card when covered by the<snow ~which fell in Davie County all day Sunday and most ofMonday;■'?-●●●■.●-● VI ue s( :|p > "3 \«/\ ..V »t ''●-■<S'.,-.wS Cv-'-ryj:' '.'-T,'r■'^:x'■'A'■t:■'.●●<●/:ri»●●-“(6 ,v- . f;;r;bi»sy>& DAVIE CO.PUBLiC LiBRARY MOCKSVILLE:,NC . )f ! ,16B -DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD,THURSDAY,OCTOBER 24,W4 :Cooleemee Church Has New Minister t^*'Rev.James Knight of,_He is married to the former !-Charlotte-has accepted the Helen Honea of Jonesboro ’,duties as pastor of the Georgia and they have two sons’'Cooleemee Presbyterian James Nathan,22 months of,Church,effective October l.He age,and Joel Andrew 7●recently moved his farnily into ths..the manse,located next door to,..Prior to being called'tothechurchonWatfStreet..Cooleemee,Rev.Knight servedAnativeofAtlanta,Georgia,as Assistant Minister of theRev.-Knight graduated from Thomasboro Presbyterian^rgiaTechinl970withaB.S.Church in Charlotte.'"He wasv,ur Industrial Management and,■■installed as Minister of the-.■eordomeonwell rheological'Cooleemee /f*reSbyterianj.Seminary,-.in .S..Hamilton,'Church by a ‘Commission «;..Massachusetts where he earned Concord Presbytery on Sundav'^Ws'Masf^of.Divftiity'degiw.'October 6.r ^ mon- V of tf ff ! minister of the Cooleemee Presbyterian church withJim^and Nathan,22 months.(Photo by ■t .uiuuM^eu)●/Missionary Named Cooleemee Pastor By Virtie Stroup stall Raporttr A Presbyterian missionary,on Nov.17 at Little Joe’sPresbyterianChurchatBariumSprings,a retreat for.to Brazil,recalled when thechurchcutbackitsstaffduetofinanceshasbeepnamed international missions for Oct.of Cooleemee 24-26 at Camp Grier youth rally ,at Highland PresbyterianChurchhereFeb.13,and a pastorPresbyterian Church.He is the Rev.J.D.Reyis,44.He will be examined by the weekend with missionaries atPresbyteryofConcordonCampHaneshereApril15-17.Tuesday when it meets at First A report will be receivedPresbyterianChurchofLex-'proposing guidelines for deal*Ington.ing with churches which desireThemeetingwillbeginat9towithdrawfromthea.m.and in addition to exarain-presbytery and the SouthernVingministersenteringthePresbyterianChurch.A sec-Tpre^bytery,the group will ex-tion of the paper also suggestsamineacandidateforthepreventivemeasurestoavoid- ministry,set goals for the next withdrawals,three years and elect com mittees and commissions. The presbytery will be askedtoendorseaproposalfrom Mount Holly PresbyterianChurchthatitschurchesbeen couraged to give more thanusual'to prevent further cut-:back in overseas missionary city work m Atlanta.A native of Weavenville,he is a graduate of Mars HillCollege,Kings College andColumbiaTheological The Mount Holly church has Seminary in Decatur,Ga.He pledged an additional $300 per also took a year of theologicalyearforthreeyearstowardastudyinGlasgow,Scotland..fund to restore missionaries to He and his wife,the former their stations and is asking Ruth Rostron of Houston,Tex., other churches within the a former teacher,have five Presbyterian Church in the children,including a BrazilianU.S.(South)to do likewise.they adopted.The presbytery also will Revis began his work inreceiveaproposalforbuildingCooleemeeinAugust.He willscaleofcomp>ensation and be installed at 7:30 p.m.next professional allowances for Us Sunday.Or.ministers,especially in con-Williamson ofnectionwiththecostofliving.Presbyterian Church in 'The study shows that the me-Salisbury will preach the ser-dian family income within the mon;the Rev.Malcolm26countiesofthepresbytery,Bullock,pastor of UnityadjustedtothecurrentrateofPresbyterianChurchdninflatiqn(5.7'per cent),Is Woodlief,will charge thepastor;the Rev.John HandleyThisamountisreducedby20ofBariupSprings,associatepercentifhousingisprovidedgeneral,presbyter fororincreasedby20percentifaministersofUiepresbytery,housing allowance is paid,and will preside,and Grierfurther'reduced if life and Wallace,Robert Creason and medical insurance and annuity Albert Boger,ruling elders atareprovided.This means that.Revis'church,will read thetheapproximatebasesalaryorscripture,charge the con-lowest allowable salary for a gregation and give the inseminarygraduateinhisfirsbijvocation,respectively,'year of ordination would be^$8,011.This figure would be ad-, justed'for the type work and jlengthofexperiencetheIn^inister has'gained since or-|dlnation.i Workshop on Worship T*he presbytery’s Coor-,dinating Council will announce |workshop on worship from 9 . nn ..A Evangelistic Work Revis was in evangelistic work in Goinia,Brazil,for three years.He went therefromapastorateinGreenville,S.C.He also has done inner- Pastor To Be Installed By Cooleemee Presbyterians staff.' Church Pledge ‘The Installation Service to install the Reverend James D.Revis,as pastor of the CooleemeePresbyterianChurch,was conducted Sunday eveningat7:30 p.m.The Reverend William W.WiUiamston,pastor 01 the First Presbyterian Church in Salisbury,Sreached the sermon.The Reverend John M.Hanley,Associate Executive Secretary of ConcordPresbytery,presided.The Reverend MalcolmBullocK,pastor of the Unity Presbyterian Church,delivered the charge to the pastor.Three elders fromtheCooleemeeChurch,Mr.Albert Boger,Mr.RobertCreason,and Mr.Grier Waller,also participated Intheservice.“The Believers”sang three songs:the Lord”,“Say I Do”,and “It Won’t Be Lrag.”Mr.Revis is a graduate of King College and CmumbiaSeminary.He has served churenes in Atlanta,Georgia,Greenville,South Carolina,and has served athreeyeartermasamissionaryinGoiania,Brazil.HeismarriedtotheformerRuthMerryRostronfromHouston,Texas.She is a graduate of Belhaven CollegeinJackson,Mississippi.They have five children,Christy,Holly.Julie,t'aul,and Peter. e/ V a William Fir^t IBless£ i/ 0 d $12,700.I /?7^ T 5 CQ O □_ CQ - 3 >a.(/>).£ .o ^o 2 o - w LU )o -/O I D...Oavia Co.Public Libiui) Mocksville,N.C.u a cL 1 O ^))) )A Cooleemee Presbyterian Church Has New Addition .Hie new edacatlooal boil<Ung of the Cooleemee Presbyterian Chorcb is well under construction and much of the wM-k has been donated by members intheirsparetime.Jack Athey,chairman of the bonding committee,says professional help was used in areas ,where they had no skilled or qualified I persons available.At this point,thechurchisnotindebt,however,the 40’x 70’buUding is yet to be completed inside.-I Upon completion,the first floor willIcontainakitchen,banquet room and restrooms.The second floor will provide.the much needed space for nine new classrooms and restrooms.The cost of ;the building thos far is approximately135,000,which was provided throngh -I fund raising projects and personal^contributions in I tie community.(PhotobyJimBarringcr) I V . £ ■i-'-hi Zi ‘a .-*4 .in4^-CIS3 hk X .rf.●r :5 -RVV 7RA 21 noj DAVIE CO,PUBLIC i mocksville,nc 1 library -DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD.THURSDAY,JUNE 26.1980 Always Helping Others While in Goias,Goinia in centralBrazilJ.D.was instrumental in helping‘We first held our meetings in a man’s yard...He was ataxidriver.We then rented a store front,right beside a beer joint,and had ser-ihere for a little over a year.” Whenever there is a need anywhere inthecommunity-J.D.is always there.Whether it be in case of sickness,death,an elderly person just needing aridetothedoctor,or a teenager in needofafriend.J.D.always finds time tovisitthehospitalorhomeanytimeday or night. Affectionately known throughout thecommunityas“J.D."by the young andoldalike,he is the Rev.J.D.Revis,pastor of the Cooleemee PresbyterianChurch...and he prefers to be called “just J.D." It's not at all unusual to see his stationwagonfilledtocapacitywithyoungstersandtheirdogstrailingalongbehind.If akidwantstogoskatingwithhischurchgroup,or attend “Joy Club”at thechurch,no matter where they live,hewUlinglygoesoutofthewaytopickthemupandtakethemhome. “He’s on the go eight days a week,"teased Ruth,his wife whom J.D.sayshaspatienceinlettinghimbegonefrom home so much. "A lot of wives would have packedtheirbagandleftbynow,"he added. Ruth has also made quite a contributiontothecommunityduringthefouryearstheyhavebeenhere.She is acubscoutleader,holds Joy Club,teaches a Sunday School class,leaM ayouthgrouponSundaynights,choirdirectoranduntilChristmasdidvolunteerworkattheschool. Not only does J.D.and Ruth give sofreelyoftheirtimetootherswhoneedthem,they also have five children oftheirownandtheyarenevernegect^.There’s Christy,13;Holly 12;Julie.II.Paul.9;and lilUe Peter who is sue.PeterwasadoptedwhenhewasonlytwodaysoldinBrazilandhascontinuedtobeablessingtotheentireRevisfamily,lonlywishwecouldadoptthreemore.J.D.quite sincerely. start a church. vices J.D.says building the actual churchbuildingconsistedof“knocking on doomforcontributions”and of course they didmuchofthelaborastheycould.Theactualconstructionworkwashiredout.as Since coming to Cooleemee.J.D.hasworkedtowardsaneweducationalbuildingandfellowshiphallandhasbeenverycooperative.everyoneThisbuilding is being put to good use now. "The Lord did it all.”says J.D....“HeIstheOnewhomadeitaUpossible.” J.D..Ruth and the entire Revis familyhavewillinglymadesacrificesforothersduringthefouryearstheyhavebeenapartoftheCooleemeecommunity.Ruth and the children by givingtheirtimeandsharingherhusbandandtheirfatherwithsomanyothers...AndJ.D.by always being willing and eagertohelpanyoneinneedorthoseless fortunate. The community doesn’t want the loveandsacrificesthisfamilyhasmadetogounnoticed.A group ,8°^together and decided to hold a J.D.Revis Family Day"on Saturday,June21attheRidenhourArboronCenterStreetExt.,in Cooleemee.It was wishesofthecitizensofCooleemeetoraiseenoughmoneytofinanceavacationfortheRevisfamily.They haven’t Uken avacationduringtheyearstheyhave been here. J.D.was very reluctant to accept,butsinceitwouldbeforhisentirefamily,he had little choice. % <5 1 ■ii Always in the past,if anyone tried tofinancialassistance,hesays Prior to accepting the pastorate inCooleemee,J.D.was a missionary toBrazilwhereheservedonetermofaboutthreeyears.The children all wenttoschoolinBrazilandJ.D.and RuthalsowenttolanguageschoolandcouldspeakenoughPortuguesetocom municate. give him anywouldputit into the church buildingfund.He has always trusted God toprovidethenecessitiesandneverasks for anything more. I L. He believes in ministering whereverthereisaneed.He takes his turn atholdingservicesattheprisoncampand <0 o% 0 David County Public Library MocKsvilie,NCOV c 15 -DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD,THURSDAY,JUNE 26,1980 MW: 'iK.yiSS Ol a C The Rev.J.D.Revis of Cooleemee-a busy man in the community who says the credit for allaccomplishmentsgoesto“the Lord.” id like him so much,He has a great relationship with his tamily,also.Sometimes they all gather around thepianoandsinceeachofthemhavehadmusiclessons,(except J.D.)they justabouthavetheirownband. The children all do their part aroundthehouseandchurch.And Christy is anexcellentbabysitter.In fact,most of thethingsthathappenintheRevishome,are considered to be a “family affair". makes regular visits to the beer jointsandplaceswherehefeelsthene^.Intheseplaces,,J.D.says he is treatedwithrespectand“the men are just asfriendlyaswhenIwalkthroughthe church doors." He is especially happy when workingwiththeyouthofthecommunity.Forquitesometime,he helped to keep the“Light House"open and he continuouslystrivestofindthingsthatwillcreateaninterestfortheyoungpeople.With sportsandotheractivitieshesaysitiseasierto relate to the youth. Whether in Brazil or here in Cooleemee.J.D.says young people are basically the same. studied Theology.He graduated fromMarsHill,Kings College and ColumbiaTheologicalSeminaryinAtlanta. He served as pastor of a church inGreenville,S.C.for five years prior tohismissionworktoBrazilandwasan associate pastor of George AvenuePresbyterianChurchinAtlantawhenhewasjustoutofseminary.This is wherehealsomethiswifeof14years.Ruth was teaching school. “It’s very rare,”said Ruth,“but ifyouhavetohavecancer,it’s very slow and the best kind to have."Chances of inheriting it are 50 per cent,which is apparently quite an accurate per centage. The family is accepting this just astheydoeveryotherproblemthatarises. J.D.is a vivacious and exciting person and Ruth says this is why the youngsters O o o 1 2 iC d Story by Marlene Benson Photos by James Barringer id J.D.and Ruth are always willing to veryhelpthoseinneed,but arereluctanttoaskforanything.Ruth has just recuperated from undergoingsurgeryforthyroidcancer,which ishereditary.A sister and brother also underwent the same surgery...And two of their children,Julie and Paul,are scheduled to undergo the same surgery in August T ¥<S2 DAVIB eOUNTVJi«/> ul A native of Weaverville,J.D.attended school in Glasco,Scotland where he Feature 1-D June 26,1980ii Siin id X County Public LibraryMocksville,NC u 3 aX -DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD,THURSDAY,JUNE 26.1980 U< U) I 1o o o * 2 <.s cd >ii r- T v> a CO The entire Revis clan was honored bv the communitv on Saturday at the Ridenhour Arbor.They are (LR)Ruth,Peter,Paul,Julie,Christy and HoUy..t t>ayi3 Coumy Puljlic UuMocksv’rtl«,HC t Ul Ia <2d MX -DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD.THURSDAY,JUNE 26,1980 iU tii J o o I “2 With sons Paul and Peter on his lap,J.D.tells of his experiencesasamissionaryinBrazil.<L cL I- C2 pg^ia county PuW-jy|0ckSVll\«, Uf d V'' I u \% -DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD.THURSDAY,JUNE 26.1980 J 1- tfi.* .f The church that was built in Brazil before J.D.and his family left. i I f ] 1 I c I u> UJ o o I 2 £ Gd 1- >● C£5 u> The store front where J.D.held services in Brazil until the church was built.c hr I Public Uuitt'jv>i>gyw CQUlUyMocHsvtli«iX d <J -DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD,THURSDAY,JUNE 26,1980 I It The J.D.and as Revis Family ui UJ Z. Ui Oi O o U I 2 a ui r- r* €2 lu d o- V- DaviQ County Public Library Mocksvilie,MC aJ X oi ^0o DAVIE COUNTY EN TERPRISE RECORD,March 2,2000 Cooleemee Presbyterian Church Watts St, '^ Rev.Robert J.Goforth,pastor V Davie County Publi^braiyMocksvjHa,HU V●A o 50 a\ COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD,Sept.27.2001 -DAVIE Cooleemee Presbyterian ToCelebrate100thAnnivTheCooleemeePresbyterianChurchwillcelebrateitslOOthlieversanatversaiyandhomecomingon’Sunday,Sept.30.The speaker will be the Rev.Charles Murray,former pastornowretired,from Uxington Ky ersaryAreunionofthechorus."Be-will present specialmu^ic during the morning wor- A covered dish lunch in thefellowshiphailwillfollowthea.m.worship service.11 <".Z V. u ^sviQ 11\ J o J o r r r , N eg." X r*, uO «e "O●»Vii:r b> aJS●j]6- t- O-’li u\uCKcW3 CK/Bu, OCVbH U ■»r r.yr.-t*1 ■U'Jkr.iVW.-'i \\j ^M. Members of Cooleemee Presbyterian Church celebrate the church’s 112thniversary. O1.u aan-> fi *j Davie Count}'Public Lib Mocksville.NC res ryiU o pResfiM leaifkto 'Coouee ))) COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD,Thursday,April 26,2018 -9DAVIE Members Sport A Shirt For A Good Cause Each year,members of 92 shirts which means 92Presbyterianpaidnights.The church hasCooleemeeChurchparticipatesinthealreadysetagoalfornextRonaldMcDonaldHouseyeartosell100shirtsor “Sport a shirt,share a night”$1000.'The Spry family used the These shirts sell for $10 house 22 years ago whMandthemoneygoestotheZachwasbornandwasinhouse.Parents of sick chil-Brenner’s Neonatal Inten-charged $10 per sive Care Unit.They had lOatthehouseatthat event. dren are night to stay there and when rooms a family has no money topay,the shirt money pays it years ago when Landen wasforthem.there and now the House This year the church sold .has 35 rooms. time.They used it again five ..pppilng «F<o»«M Mays,Jeari Snead. d^URCHtS-V d''CotUettVtt1 )) 10 -DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD,Thursday,Aug.19,2021 Retiring pastor thankful for time in Cooleemee When the doctor later did another scan to see if the tu mor had made changes,the tumor was gone. “I don’t want to retire,but it’s time,”Groff says.“The church has been very sup portive;been right there for By KC Smith Cooleemee Correspondent I don’t laiow where I would be today.” With 25 members when he started the attendance rose to 60.The youth ministry was successful with ■confirmation classes and baptisms,to making Chrisman’s,having fun sleepovers and making pup- John Samuel Groff,pas tor at Cooleemee Presbyte rian Church,will be retiring Sunday,Sept.26 on Home coming Day. Eighteen years ago the church didn’t just receive a new pastor,but instead re ceived a family. Groff’s wife Ruth and daughter Gina always ac companied him on visita tion days,overnight stays at hospitals to support families in need and whereever else his pastoral service took him. us. Groff said he was called to be a pastor in October of 1975.He was in the Air Force and decided to stay pets. Groff has a beautiful gift of whistling and can often be heard in WalMart whis- on. After working 18 years with Boyle’s furniture as operational manager in data processing,Mike Spry called him to share pasto ral services with another pastor.He accepted the offer and later became the church’s full-time pastor. “It was the greatest thing I ever did.Our time here has been a blessing.It has given me time to grow up and get more into the word of God by reading devotions and the word.I’m so pleased God touched me and turned my life around.If he didn’t tling gospel songs that in spire shoppers to seek him out to tell him so. “We aren’t leaving here lonely because we have a lot of fantastic memories. What happened in this church,God gets the credit, always.” Cooleemee First Pres byterian Church is having its homecoming Sunday, Sept.26.Everyone is in vited.This will be Groff’s final day of preaching as the church’s pastor. All members of his family have experienced health issues,including his late daughter Wanda who passed away with cancer six years ago. Back surgeries,shoulder surgery and knee surgery are times the church con gregation really supported them. Their daughter Wanda had a tonsillectomy,later an appendectomy and Dec. 23 last year she had an op eration to remove a tumor in her brain, was so closely located to the brain stem they took out only part. The tumor Ccoce^^net )) 10 -DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD,Thursday,Aug.19,2021 5^ OJ -Q Oo -a -5 (DQ. > 00C Z3 O o o OS 0 > fO Q at Cooleemee Presbyterian Church.Pastor John Samuel Groff with his wife Ruth and daughter Gina C-HURcHeS '^E S C)V T€.I -Co o ^tf )) 10 -DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD,Thursday,Aug.19,2021 while talking about his time at Cooleemee Presbyterian.Groff holds his hands togther O-HURCHtS*"Oft AU-CooCttr\Et'5 )) /C DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD,Thursday,Aug.19,2021 The puppets were a popular part of the Cooleemee Presbyterian ministry;as demonstrated by Gina at right. ))Churches -r^resbyterian -Cooleemee DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD,Thursday,Nov.27,2025 -0 New Presbyterian minister leading congregations in Cooleemee,Bixby ing as a youth pastor and as sociate pastor.He credits his grandfather.Norvcl Sprin kle.as a major intlucncc in his spiritual journey. Several representatives from Salem Presbytery'look part in Grissom's commis sioning service,including the Rev.Dana Fruits of First Presbyterian Mock.svillc;the Rev.R.C.Grinin of North Wilkesboro Church: Brooks CRE of Mount Airy Presbyterian Church:and Ruling Elders Neal Cor- nalzcr of Bixby Presbyterian Church,Mike Spry'of Cool- eemee Presbyterian Church, and Jeff Overbey of First Presbyterian Mocksville. Ruling Elder Hyatt N. Grissom has been commis sioned by the Presbyterian Church (USA)to pastor Bix by and Cooleemee Presbyte rian churches. Grissom was officially commissioned during an aftemmm worship service on Sunday.Nov.9.at First Presbyterian Church of Mocksville.Representatives from all three Davie PC(U- SA)churches participated, held at First I^sbyterian to symbolize the cooperation and growing erlationship between the three congrega tions. Presbyterian Pastor Rachael Pastor Rachael Brooks CRE of Mount Airy Presbyterian,Ruling Elder Mike Spry of Cooleemee Presbyterian,the Rev.Dana Fruits of First Presbyterian Mocks ville.newly commissioned Pastor Hyatt N.Grissom,the Rev.R.C.Griffin of North Wilkesboro Presbyterian,and Ruling Elder Neal Cornatzer of Bixby Presbyterian Church at the commissioning ceremony for Grissom. SL-> Grissom wa.s bom in Greenville to Todd and Shcr- ra Grissom.After spending some time in Georgia,he and his family moved to Salisbury,where he gradu ated from West Rowan High School. Grissom holds a bach elor's degree from Gard- ner-Webb University,where he majored in religious stud ies with a concentration in religious thought and philos ophy.Me has been active in church work since 18..serv- MOCKSVILLE,NORTH CAROLINADAVIECOUNTYPUBLICLIBRARY ))Churches -r^esbyterian -Cooleemee DAVIE COUNTY ENTERPRISE RECORD,Thursday,Nov.27,2025 -9 "/ i Bixby Presbyterian Church on Fork-Bixby Road in Advance,just off Cornatzer Road.Cooleemee Presbyterian Church on Watt Street. MOCKSVILLE,NORTH CAROLINADAVIECOUNTYPUBLICLIBRARY