Posted: 29 Dec 2019 10:45 PM PST

RACHEL – Mistie Myers of Rachel was too young to recall her age when she first worshipped at Plum Run United Methodist Church.

"This is where I started to church as a child, a young child — my mother brought me and my brother," said Myers, now 56, who now worships at Downs United Methodist Church, a sister church to Plum Run UMC.

Myers said when her mother stopped going to church for a while, she would walk to her neighbor's house and ride to church with her and her family.

"That was when I was probably 13 – you know, the years that you really need to have a seed planted – and I would walk to my nearest neighbor's, Loretta Fluharty, who was a hop, skip and a jump away, but it was a good walk. She would give me a ride with her children to church," Myers said.

Regardless of how she got to church, Plum Run UMC is where she found God.

"This is where the seed was planted, most definitely. As a child, you reach out as a 13, 14, 15, 16-year-old young lady and Sally Licklighter… led me to where I needed to be along with the several preachers," Myers said.

On Sunday, Myers recalled the joyous times she shared taking part in various aspects of church life, such as children's Christmas pageants, plays, Vacation Bible School and fellowship luncheons where church members would bring in covered-dish meals.

The church where Myers and hundreds have worshipped since 1884 when the church was founded by horseback Circuit Riders, heard its last verse of scripture, its last sermon and final prayers on Sunday. Lay Pastor David Jones led a service to decommission the church building as a consecrated house of worship.

"The time has come for this congregation of Christ's holy Church, under God's leadership, to disband and take leave of this building," Jones read from UMC liturgy. "It has been consecrated for the ministry of God's Holy Word and Sacraments. It has provided refuge and comfort for God's people over the years. It has served well our holy faith."

In his 17th year as a preacher, Jones said the congregants from Plum Run are being welcomed to worship at either Downs UMC or Blackshere UMC, two sister churches he also serves as pastor. In 2006, he became pastor at the three churches after starting his preaching career at Rymer UMC.

At the time, 6-to-10 Plum Run congregants would attend weekly worship and Blackshere struggled but had, and continues to have, five members who've attended weekly services since 2013.

He said discussions about closing Plum Run UMC began last spring.

"In June, we launched a plan to do mailings and knock on doors, unfortunately, we just didn't get any results," Jones said.

After the June campaign was met with unfavorable results, Jones said, he met with the district superintendent. He said she gave him comfort when she said "churches have a life cycle."

"It had nothing to do with finances. It was just basically lack of participation," Jones said.

However, Jones also said the church's closing follows a national, if not international, trend in which mainline protestant denominations are losing members each year.

Today, United Methodists and Episcopalians make up some 10% of American church goers, but in 2030 that is expected to be as low as just under 5%. That result is stunning considering that this group made up 30% of the population in 1976, according to Ryan Burge, an Eastern Illinois University assistant professor of political science who researches the intersection between religion and political behavior in the U.S.

However, Jones said the church's closing is a symptom of a larger problem.

"In my opinion, our country's gotten to the point where we have become self-reliant and we don't need God anymore. I don't need God anymore because my job's paying me good. I got a nice Christmas bonus. I get vacation time, why do I need God? Because there's no struggle there," Jones said.

In his final message, in which about 50 members from each of the three churches attended, Jones told the story of Joseph and Mary and how their lives were constantly in turmoil because they had to flee from the king who wanted to kill the baby Jesus.

"Joseph uprooted his family more than once because of undue circumstances," Jones told the congregation.

His words were meant to provide calm for what some members view as painful, and he urged members to cling to God's teachings.

"For God, there are no unexpected changes. His plan is perfect," Jones said.

Cathy Fluharty, 66, of Rachel, grew up attending Downs UMC, but began attending Plum Run UMC when she got married. Each of her three daughters were baptized and married in Plum Run.

"It kind of feels like it's a whole, you know what I mean? You do everything and then you're not now."

When asked if she will return to worship at Downs UMC, she paused before saying, "I probably will. I mean, I was raised in the church, at Downs. It's just that I think I want to sit and reflect...for a few [days], but I probably will."

Jones said the district superintendent is checking with other churches in the district to see if any can take on some of the items, such as Methodist Hymnals. The old church building will be put on the market after the West Virginia United Methodist Conference takes possession of the building on Dec. 31.

"While it is a celebration of the memories, there's also the pain of saying goodbye, the sentimental attachment that I talked about. In our human emotions, we can't separate ourselves from it. We would like to say we could think of this all the time but this [other emotion] gets in the way."

He said he had one congregant who told him they would not be attending Sunday "because they did not want to say goodbye."

Jones said now the other two churches will hopefully see a boost in worship attendance and be able to enhance their other ministries as well.

"The other congregations are going to get a boost, are going to get an increase in manpower, are going to get an increase in finances, so they'll be integrated into being able to do more than what they were able to do here by themselves. So, that would be probably the direction I would push them in and otherwise try to stay focused on the positive," Jones said.

"The downside is saying goodbye to home – sentimental attachment."

A goal for 2020: Your own personal revival - OneNewsNow

Posted: 30 Dec 2019 08:18 AM PST

Let this be your New Year's prayer: "Father, I ask you to bring a great revival in 2020, starting right here in me!"

It's common to make resolutions when we enter the new year. I will be a better person. I will be more disciplined. I will complete a particular task. I will change in one specific area. There's even the saying, "New year, new you!"

For the most part, though, we break more resolutions than we keep, leading to a cycle of frustration, disappointment, and even cynicism. Why even bother?

Then there's the question of which goal to set. After all, most of us have many things we'd like to do. Many areas we'd like to change. Many goals we'd like to accomplish. Which should come first? If we don't focus on one or, perhaps two or three at most, we're even less likely to succeed in any.

May I suggest, then, something of great importance that would be worthy of your attention? Something that, in many ways, matters more than anything else? Something that affects every area in your life? And something that can benefit the whole nation if enough of us set this same goal?

In short, the goal is personal revival, meaning, spiritual renewal in your own life. Regaining your passion for God. Recovering what has been lost in your relationship with Him. (If you don't even have a relationship with Him, then don't wait another moment. Get right with the Lord today.)

This, in turn, will affect every other area in your life. Your discipline. Your attitude. Your morals. Your family life. Your personal habits. Your desires. Your goals. Your words. Your actions.

The Key to 2020

Everything flows out of your personal relationship with God.

It's the key to overcoming sinful habits.

It's the key to changing sinful attitudes.

It's the key to restoring broken relationships.

It's the key to mending broken hearts.

And ultimately, it's the key to national renewal, since a revived church means a transformed nation, in particular, when there are tens of millions of Christians in the nation.

Perhaps the fresh spark in your life will help ignite fresh spiritual fire in the lives of others, which in turn will start a national movement. Why not? Have you ever seen what happens when you put a bunch of hot coals together? They quickly begin to burn.

This is also important to remember when our nation is in such turmoil.

Does anyone expect less turmoil in 2020 than in 2019? Less political upheaval? Less friction and division? Less emotional stress? How in the world do we fix this mess?

We do it one life at a time.

Quality Time With Our First Love

We can't control what happens in the White House or Congress. We can't control the events in the Middle East. We can't control what the stock markets will do, let alone what Russia or China will do. We can't control the weather or a host of other things.

But we can control the decisions we make. We can control how we spend our time. We can control what we prioritize. We can determine, with God's grace and help, to put Him first.

That means we determine to prioritize quality time in prayer and the Word. We determine to turn away from known sinful activities and habits. We determine to do what we know how to do to encounter God's love and goodness afresh. "Revive me again, Lord, that I might delight in You! Renew my love for You, and make Jesus glorious in my eyes again!"

The great 18^th century evangelist Charles Finney described what happens to God's people when they have left their first love and need to be revived and renewed.

He pointed out first that, "A revival always includes conviction of sin on the part of the Church. Backslidden professors [meaning, believers] cannot wake up and begin right away in the service of God, without deep searchings of heart. The fountains of sin need to be broken up."

As uncomfortable as those heart-searchings can be, they are life-giving in the end. The Spirit does not condemn us. He convicts us so that we will turn away from what is wrong and pursue His mercy and His righteousness.

Next, Finney said, "Backslidden Christians will be brought to repentance. A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God. Just as in the case of a converted sinner, the first step is a deep repentance, a breaking down of heart, a getting down into the dust before God, with deep humility, and a forsaking of sin."

This is different than going through some penitential ritual or performing some rote religious service. This is something from above that lifts us up and lifts us out of our old way of life.

Finney continued, "Christians will have their faith renewed. While they are in a backslidden state they are blind to the state of sinners. Their hearts as hard as marble. The truths of the Bible appear as a dream. They admit it to be all true; their conscience and their judgment assent to it; but their faith does not see it standing out in bold relief, in all the burning realities of eternity. But when they enter into a revival, they no longer see "men as trees, walking," but they see things in that strong light which will renew the love of God in their hearts."

Everything around you will look different when you are revived. You will hardly even recognize yourself.

Revival Follows

What follows next? "A revival," Finney explained, "breaks the power of the world and of sin over Christians. It brings them to such vantage-ground that they get a fresh impulse towards heaven; they have a new foretaste of heaven, and new desires after union with God; thus the charm of the world is broken, and the power of sin overcome."

You really will be set free. You will experience liberty!

But it doesn't stop there. Rather, "When the churches are thus awakened and reformed, the reformation and salvation of sinners will follow … The worst of human beings are softened and reclaimed, and made to appear as lovely specimens of the beauty of holiness."

So, a revived church will be a church that reaches out, resulting in the radical salvation of sinners.

Does America need anything more than this? The church living as the church and the lost encountering the risen Lord?

It's starts with you and with me.

Let this be your New Year's prayer: "Father, I ask you to bring a great revival in 2020, starting right here in me!"

And what if you fall off the wagon, so to say, and go back to your old ways just days into the new year? Start afresh the next day. And the next day. And the next.

Soon enough, the holy fire will fall and your life be dramatically changed.

And be assured of this: God wants to revive you more than you want to be revived yourself. He desires nothing more than intimate fellowship with you.

Lord, it's time!

Dr. Michael Brown is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is "Jezebel's War Against America: The Plot to Destroy Our Country and What We Can Do to Turn the Tide."

This column is printed with permission. Opinions expressed in 'Perspectives' columns published by OneNewsNow.com are the sole responsibility of the article's author(s), or of the person(s) or organization(s) quoted therein, and do not necessarily represent those of the staff or management of, or advertisers who support the American Family News Network, OneNewsNow.com, our parent organization or its other affiliates.

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Watch Night recalls a free New Year - Valdosta Daily Times

Posted: 30 Dec 2019 11:00 AM PST

VALDOSTA — As people gather Tuesday night to toast the New Year, some predominantly African American churches will open their doors to pray in the New Year.

For the churches, New Year's Eve is often called "Watch Night," a traditional service for many black churches of the South. Watch Night is believed to have descended from two traditions.

The most common root of its origin is linked to Dec. 31, 1862, as black churches waited for word of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves, to go into effect Jan. 1, 1863.

In many cases, black congregations joined by white abolitionists throughout both the North and South waited well into New Year's Day 1863 for word that Lincoln had signed the Proclamation into law. Joy and celebration greeted Lincoln's words in many African American churches.

"I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States," the Proclamation read, "and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be, free."

Black congregations, especially those in the South, already had a tradition of gathering on New Year's Eve prior to the Emancipation Proclamation.

They often met on New Year's Eve because New Year's Day for many black people in the slave-era South was known as "Heartbreak Day," according to Valdosta State University history professor Dr. David Williams in his book, "A People's History of the Civil War."

New Year's Day was often the day when slaveholders sold slaves, when families, parents and children, husbands and wives, were separated.

Slaves gathered on New Year's Eve because that may be the last time many families had the opportunity to be together.

In the decades since slavery and the Emancipation Proclamation, Watch Night has evolved into an evening that honors the past, celebrates family fellowship and takes an opportunity to re-dedicate people's lives to Christ.

Watch Night services are also a tradition started by John Wesley, the founder of the United Methodist Church. In this New Year's Eve service, people are invited to review the year, confess to sins and pray for the year ahead.

Here are some area churches hosting Watch Night services:

– Watch Night Service, 10 p.m., Dec. 31, Mount Hope Missionary Baptist Church, Quitman. Guest: The Rev. James Miller and Graham Chapel CME Church, Quitman.

– Watch Night Service, 10 p.m., Dec. 31, New Life Ministries, 5651 Inner Perimeter Road.

– Watch Night New Year's Eve Service, 10 p.m., Dec. 31, Shady Grove Missionary Baptist Church, 489 Shady Grove Road, Hahira. Guest speaker: The Rev. Dr. Norman Edwards, Mt Olive Missionary Baptist Church, Hahira.

– Watch Night Service, 9:30 p.m., Dec. 31, Morning Star Baptist Church, 1051 Howell Road. Speaker: Pastor Dr. William C. Morgan.

– Watch Night Service, 10 p.m., Dec. 31, Mt. Arat, 1018 Lake Park Road. Breakfast will be served following the service.

– Emancipation Proclamation Service, 11 a.m., Jan. 1, New Hope Missionary Baptist Church, 709 W. Gordon St. Speaker: The Rev. Aaron Hopkins.

– Watch Night service, 10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, Thomas Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, 2235 Smith St. River Hill Missionary Baptist Church, 2884 James Road, is in charge of the service.

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Faced with dwindling membership, Plum Run United Methodist Church closes - Times-West Virginian

Faced with dwindling membership, Plum Run United Methodist Church closes - Times-West Virginian

The Key to 2020

Quality Time With Our First Love

Revival Follows

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