As a child, I attended the Live Oak Methodist Church in Watson. Live Oak is a large church now, but when I was a child, it was a very small, tightknit, country church.
The people I saw at church were the people I knew and loved best. They were our friends, our neighbors, our community leaders.
One morning during our regular church service, our pastor informed the congregation that it had been brought to his attention that some church members were unhappy with the time of our church service, and suggested to the board that we change the time of our service from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Brother said that he was opening the discussion to the entire congregation.
A discussion began, and a few people said moving the service to 10 would be better for families who needed the extra time to get ready for church in the morning. That seemed reasonable to me, as I was one of four children, and our house did seem pretty chaotic when we were getting ready for church in the morning. I guess an additional 30 minutes would not hurt.
Others argued that 9:30 was the traditional time that we began our church service, and they strongly believed that this was a tradition that should not be set aside. This also made sense to me. I value traditions as much as anyone.
Given two strong arguments, I did not even know how I felt about the change, much less what would be the best solution for the entire congregation.
People began to become more and more emphatic in their opinions, and the argument got almost heated. As I watched this scene unfold, I wondered to myself how it would end. Clearly, someone was going to be unhappy with whatever decision was made with regard to the time of the church service.
It seemed we were at an impasse. Half of the congregation felt strongly that 10 was a better option, while the other half felt equally as strongly that the service should begin at 9:30.
Tempers seemed to be getting shorter, and the tension built. It seemed silly, but that is how feuds begin, and no one wanted that in our little church family.
The discussion went on and on and on, and it looked as though the congregation would be forever divided, until an elderly man whom I will call “Mr. Joe” stood up. Mr. Joe said, “I really do not care what time church begins. I have been coming to this church my entire life, and I will continue to do so, regardless of the time it begins. I raised my children in this church, and they are now raising their children here. I understand everyone’s positions, and I am willing to do whatever the majority wants. After all, we are talking about our community getting together to hear the Lord’s word; we should all stand together on that. Let me just say this, and then I will say no more: If church begins at 10, there is no way we will ever be able to beat the Baptists to Piccadilly.”
With that, the entire congregation erupted into laughter, and the tension broke. The minister called for a vote, and the congregation voted overwhelmingly to continue 9:30 a.m. church services.
I moved away from Watson decades ago, but to the best of my knowledge, Live Oak Methodist Church still begins their services at 9:30 a.m. I guess the way to a man’s heart really is through his stomach.
— Gremillion lives in Cottonport
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