Home : The Voice : October 2002 

That Old-Time Religion in Concert

by Tim Jessen

The Appalachian area of the Synod is well known for receiving all types of work camps — youth, adult, health fairs, Bible Schools, home repair, flood disaster relief, and a variety of other two-way mission experiences. Occasionally a college choir or church bell choir will travel to the region to present a concert or musical offering. But recently two churches at the far eastern tip of Kentucky combined with an Indiana church for a unique type of “Mission sharing” that was unique because it was a musical concert they did together!

The Peter Creek Presbyterian Church of Phelps, Kentucky and Shepard Memorial Church in nearby Stopover — both in Transylvania Presbytery — joined with the Mitchell Presbyterian Church from south-central Indiana Indiana to do a musical entitled “That Old-Time Religion” on the first weekend of August this year.

The churches got together because I, as pastor now of the Mitchell Church had served in the eastern part of Transylvania for many years as a pastor in Buckhorn and Prestonsburg, and was well acquainted with the Rev. DeWitt Furrow at Phelps. In fact, we had traveled together to the Holy Land in 1999.

An elder in the Mitchell Church, Oakleigh Westfall, was looking for a place where he might serve as a short-term Volunteer in Mission. Oakleigh contacted contacted DeWitt and started a series of visits to the Phelps area last fall as a volunteer. DeWitt has been serving in the area for more than 40 years and is close to retirement.

Then the idea arose of a joint “musical mission.” Oakleigh’s wife, Phyllis, organist at the Mitchell Church, was pressed into service with her musical talents and abilities. Finally, it was decided that a way to tie the churches together would be a musical concert.

“That Old-Time Religion” a combination of hymns, gospel songs, and spirituals was selected. The choirs practiced in their own settings, and then met together the night before the concert. The final choir of almost 30 people was almost exactly split between Hoosiers and Kentuckians. A full house crowded the Peter Creek Church to hear the concert, which was also a Memorial to Mary Ann Furrow, DeWitt Furrow’s wife who died five years ago.

The mountain churches treated their Indiana guests in fine style — even arranging a trip to a coal mine just one week after the miraculous rescue of 9 miners in Pennsylvania.

After the concert, a huge reception reception was served to all present, and on Sunday morning the choirs joined in song again at the two Kentucky churches.

“We did together what we could never have done separately,” the choir members enthusiastically boasted. Indeed, singing and music — and “the old-time religion” the musicians share in common once again broke down barriers and provided a unique experience of our unity and community in Christ.

The churches now hope to continue other exchanges between youth and adults in the hope of better understanding their common mission and purpose.