Church members , Glenn Perkins, left, Louvenia Walker, center, and Garry Lamb participate in a pie eating contest during centennial celebrations on Saturday at Oak Hill Baptist Church in Loughman. Saturday July 14, 2012.
Paul Crate / News Chief
Published: Sunday, July 15, 2012 at 8:32 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, July 15, 2012 at 8:32 a.m.
DAVENPORT - Two things haven't changed in 100 years at Oak Hill Baptist Church: fellowship and food.
The congregation celebrates its centennial Saturday and today with some old-fashioned fun. Saturday was family day, when folks cooked barbecue, hamburgers and hot dogs.
There was a pie-baking contest followed by a no-hands-allowed pie-eating contest.
Mae McLaud's Mill Pie tied with Patty Brown's Peanut Butter Pie for top pie-baking honors.
"Church ... are you ready to rumble with the pies?" shouted Pastor Mitchell Johns in the fellowship hall.
The younger and older contestants, sporting towels doubling as bibs, devoured their choice of pies as cheers rang out while competitors gobbled them down.
Following today's 11 a.m. service, a big spread with ribs, pulled pork, chicken and an assortment of covered dishes is planned.
The present church was built in 1978. Before that, worshipers gathered at Providence Baptist Church located on Church House Lake. It was built in 1912 from the plentiful supply of cypress in the area.
The church was moved in sections to its present location in 1936 and was renamed Oak Hill Baptist after the neighboring cemetery.
Johns has an old photo of the original fellowship hall? a pole barn complete with outhouses.
"When they finally did get indoor plumbing, the pastor at the time did not want restrooms inside the church," he said.
Now, restrooms with running water are inside and outside.
Betty Mendenhall, of Haines City, doesn't mind the drive to the church on a hill just south of Interstate 4 near Champions Gate. Her parents brought her there as a child.
Her late husband and her brother-in-law took down the old wooden church and recycled the cypress.
"My sister has a room added on to her house that they built," she said. "So we still have the old church with us."
Church minutes reveal the 1930s church was funded with $5 down and $5 whenever they could pay it. First services were held in 1939 at the church in clear weather and at a church founder's home when it was raining because the church had no roof for awhile.
Sunday school started in 1942 and the first homecoming was held; the ceiling was installed in 1943.
The church got electricity in 1946 but kept its lanterns in case of power failure. In 1947, ceiling fans and glass windows were installed.
It was a simpler time back then.
"You know, if we ran things today like they did back then, we wouldn't have so many problems," Johns said. "If somebody was caught drinking, they were brought up before the congregation. If they didn't repent, they were removed from the fellowship until they did repent. They meant business with the Lord. They followed the word of God to a tee."
Mendenhall said the congregation is a true fellowship and that's what she appreciates most about her church.
"There's so much love and fellowship," she said. "We know no strangers. If a church member gets down, we're all here to hold them up. Next to salvation, that's what Christianity is all about."
news@newschief.com
Source: http://www.newschief.com/article/20120715/news/120719983
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