Dr. Larry Walker – Serious About Service

Rae’s Chapel Baptist Church

On Sunday, August 10, Larry first attended the early service at his home church, St. Luke UMC, then attended the 10:30 service at Rae’s Chapel Baptist Church at Bogia. Rae’s Chapel has a new pastor, Nathan Brown, 27, from Sand Mountain, Alabama. Larry attended the service to welcome Pastor Brown and his wife, Danielle, to District 5.

Nathan and Danielle are a breath of youthful fresh air among District 5′s clergy, as the photo of them attests. Rae’s Chapel is Nathan’s first pastorate, but he preaches with power, presence of mind, and intelligence.

Larry felt a kinship with the Browns, since both they and he are from North Alabama. Nathan and Danielle are from Jackson County in the northeast corner of Alabama, and Larry is from Colbert County in the northwest corner.

Members of Olive Baptist Church may find the Browns familiar, because Nathan served pastoral internships for two summers at Olive before accepting the call to Rae’s Chapel.

There may be a Sand Mountain pipeline for Southern Baptist ministers into Escambia County now, since Dr. Ted Traylor of Olive Baptist is also a Sand Mountain native.

In addition to Pastor Brown’s preaching, the service at Rae’s Chapel was highlighted by the church’s outstanding choir, singing from the church’s beautiful choir loft.

Larry enjoyed seeing several old friends, including Raymond Truesdale, Billy Ward, Freddie Mooney, Don Grant, Dick and Ella Moye, and Heather Leonard. Ed Brown conducted a good Sunday School class.

Pine Forest Estates Baptist Church

Pine Forest Estates Baptist Church, W. Nine Mile Road, had the dedication of its new Family Life Center on the afternoon of the 10th. The facility is a state-of-the-art structure with a very large, deep frontage that will be a beautiful landscape one day, no doubt. Inside are a spacious physical-exercise area (basketball, volleyball, and so forth), a kitchen, and several lightheartedly decorated rooms. The rooms will be used during the week by a therapy program for handicapped persons.

A dedication banquet will be held by the church at 5:00 p.m., August 23. The banquet fee is $5. Come one, come all.

Pastor Mike Davis has led the church into this new era. The Family Life Center was begun in 2004, but Hurricane Ivan destroyed the partial structure that had been erected at that time, and completion of the new center has not been without its frustrations.

Larry enjoyed seeing old friends, including Jewel and Toney Bradfield, Mr. and Mrs. Buddy Helms, Mr. and Mrs. Wilton Barnes, and former Byrneville Elementary principal Ferryn Twarkins. The highlight of the afternoon for Larry, however, was seeing three-week-old Katherine Green, daughter of Jonathon and Natasha Green, and the great-granddaughter of Toney Bradfield and the VERY proud Jewel Bradfield. Many politically active citizens of Escambia County will be acquainted with Toney and Jewel.