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FRIDAY,
JUNE 10, 2005
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Billy Powell
Columnist
We are all
sinners
Imagine a scene in the
after life where you appear
before God’s judgment to
give an account for your life
on earth. The first question
the Judge asks is: “Did you
consistently demonstrate
that you loved God with all
your mind and all your
heart and all your soul?”
You answer naturally would
have to be “No.” The next
question is: “Did you love
your fellow man as your
own self?” The obvious
answer would be “No.” The
third and final question
would control your final
destiny: “Did you place
your faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ to forgive you of your
sins?” If you had accepted
Christ as Lord and Savior of
your life, then your answer
would be “yes.” The Judge
would say “not guilty” and
invite you to come home
with Him.
My son, Tim, related to
me that he feels people
don’t understand the rela
tive ease of achieving salva
tion. He contended that
people are still trying to
reach heaven on their good
works, and reasoned that no
amount of church atten
dance, philanthropic deeds
or righteousness can save
them. Tim is correct in his
theology for Galatians 2:21
states, “if righteousness
could be gained through the
law, Christ died for noth
ing.” Tim further stated
there are no conditions on
salvation except belief and
cited as proof John 3:16
which states that “whosoev
er believeth in Him (Christ)
shall not perish but have
eternal life.” He added that
the only way to obtain sal
vation is to admit you are a
sinner, ask forgiveness for
your sins, and ask Christ to
come into your life. Since
salvation cannot be earned
through works, it must be a
gift of God. Yet, it is a con
ditional gift based on faith
of the believer. This gift
comes through God’s grace
declares Ephesians 2: 8:
“For it is by grace you have
been saved, through
faith-and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of
God.”
Tim reasoned that good
works is a natural progres
sion in the changed lives of
born again Christians. He
mentioned the Judgment
Seat of Christ where
Christians will be judged
according to their works on
earth, and surmised that
there may be different lev
els in heaven as some
Christians are more saintly
than others. At that point I
told him I had rather live in
an outhouSe in Heaven than
a mansion in Hell.
In conclusion, we are all
sinners. Romans 3:23
describes our plight: “All
have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God.”
Contrasting the choices,
Romans 6:23 declares: “For
the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.” The key to salvation
is found in Romans 10:9: “If
you confess with your
mouth that Jesus is Lord,
and believe in your heart
that God raised him from
the dead, you will be saved.”
Family g? Faith
Countryside Christian Church moves to the countryside
By CHARLOTTE PERKINS
HHJ Lifestyle Editor
A third of a century ago,
a small group of married
couples took on a big chal
lenge: building a new
church on Moody Road
near Russell Parkway in
Warner Robins. They laid
tiles themselves, did the
painting and put their
hearts into getting it off to
a good start.
They named it
“Countryside Christian
Church,” but over the
years, Warner Robins’
rapid growth has led to
their being crowded on all
sides, so they are building
a new church and moving
back to the countryside.
Well, almost! The new
location, just across Feagin
Mill Road from Feagin Mill
Middle School, is in a rapid
growth area, too, but the
growth is residential, with
hundreds of new residents
in the surrounding devel
opment. ,
After rain soaked the
construction site last
weekend, making it impos
sible for older church
members on walkers and
in wheelchairs to reach the
planned groundbreaking
on the site, the Rev. Don
Daum and other church
leaders made a quick deci
sion to move the ceremony
to the Woodmen of the
World building, where a
church supper was already
planned.
Hope and Chuck
Woodward, longtime sup
porters of the church, who
helped to build the first
church 33 years ago, were
called to wield the shovel
for a ceremonial beginning
of the construction project.
Anita Brown, who, with
her late husband Herb,
was also part of the group
that built the first church,
reminisced about the
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ABOVE: Pastor Randy Rosbrook, standing, chats with former pastor Gordon
Buchanan, center.
RIGHT: Luci and Lizzi Neal enjoy the covered dish dinner.
Memorial Heights Baptist celebrates its first half century
From staff reports
Members of Memorial
Heights Baptist Church in
Perry celebrated their
church’s 50th anniversary
last weekend, with a num
ber of services and a cov
ered dish dinner.
According to church
member Brenda Griffin, the
church was organized on
Feb. 2, 1955, in the home of
the Rev. and Mrs. Tom H.
Harmon. Early leaders and
supporters of the church
included the Rev. Harmon;
Clerk J.I. Locke, and
Treasurer, Mrs. Clyde
Rumph, finance committee
members were J.S. Horne,
Grace Sledge, Ruth
Lockerman and Mrs. H.J.
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HHJ Charlotte Perkins
Members of Countryside Christian Church gather for a symbolic groundbreaking.
effort, and brought her son
and daughter and one
grandchild with her.
The Rev. Herb DeVore,
now 94, was the first min
ister of the church and led
the effort after meeting
several people from
Warner Robins at the
Christian Church in
Macon.
“We started out meeting
at the Seventh Day
Adventist Church,” Anita
Brown explained, “and we
met in homes, sharing
meals together. The men
and women worked
together and we had a lot
of fun.”
Hope Woodward remem
bers having just 13 at the
first meeting at her home.
Early active members
See CHURCH, page 10A
Parker.
After two meetings in
homes, the congregation of
about 60 people began to
meet in the basement of
Rumph’s Grocery (now
Perry Pawn Shop).
Land for building a
church, according to church
records, was donated by
“Mr. and Mrs. Bellflower
and H.E. Gordon.”
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde
Rumph made a contribu
tion of SIOOO to the build
ing fund. Mrs. Rumph had
won the money in a contest
sponsored by the Houston
Home Journal for selling
the most subscriptions.
Milton Beckham surveyed
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HHJ Charlotte Perkins
From left; Hope Woodward, Pat Lokart, Bob Lokart, Becky Grouel, Kelly Brown, Kyle
Brown, Anita Brown and Chuck Woodward.
the lot free of charge, and
Harlan Ratteree turned the
first space of dirt in the
groundbreaking.
Church members were
actively involved in the
building process and no
money was ever borrowed
to build and furnish the
church. . All of the bricks
were hauled in by Clyde
Rumph with members
unloading them at the
church.
The ladies met weekly,
making quilts and dresses
to raise money for the
building. Mrs. E.F.
Bellflower and Mrs. Clyde
Rumph donated the first
piano, and Connie Hardin
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also gave a piano to the
church. (Mr. and Mrs. J.M.
Locke donated the piano
now in use.)
Mr. and Mrs. E.F.
Bellflower donated the
hardwood floor.
The first service in the
new building was held on
May 12, 1955, with leaders
from Haynesville Baptist
Church and Houston Lake
Baptist Church acting as
council. The first minister
was Elder Tom H. Harmon.
During the anniversary
celebration, Joey Mann,
grandson of the first minis
ter reminisced about the
history of church. Long
time member Frances
PAGE 8A
Edwards talked about
pulling her children to
church in a red wagon, and
about the early days of
Vacation Bible School at the
Church.
Among the honored
guests were the Rev.
Gordon Buchanan and his
wife, Christine, who have
served the church for many
years.
The current pastor is
Randy Rosbrook. New pro
grams include support of
the Perry Volunteer
Outreach program, and a
tape and CD ministry for
truck drivers passing
through the Perry area.