Covington, Georgia
It would be hard to find a more typically "Southern" town than Covington, Georgia. It is a mill-town of about 7,000 population, most of whom were born and reared right there. It combines the old white-columned mansions of the pre-war South with the new industrial vigor and modern attitude of a growing and aggressive community of native born Southerners, who are gradually breaking away from the agricultural life of past generations and earning their livelihood "at the mill." Here one finds both the best and worst in small-town life — those noble and worthy traits that have given strength to our nation, as well as the prejudices and suspicions that are all too often a part of any small community.
The church of Christ was unknown in Covington until last year. A faithful sister had moved to Covington, and for some time drove into Atlanta each Sunday to worship with the Glenwood Hills congregation (Decatur). At her entreaty, the elders of Glenwood Hills made plans for their preacher, Connie W. Adams, to go to Covington, and try to get a congregation started there. Diligent work soon located two more members of the church in Covington, and advertisements in the local paper brought to light several more. The church in Covington began meeting the third Sunday in January, 1955. The American Legion hall was secured for a meeting place, and regular services were conducted there through all of 1955, and through the first four months of this year. Brother Adams drove down from Decatur every Sunday afternoon (some thirty or more miles) for a 3:00 o'clock service.
In September, 1955, Brother John Gasaway who had been preaching in Florida, agreed to come to Covington to try to help the new little congregation get on her feet. In order to make this move, Brother Gasaway had to find secular employment to supplement his income. His family, consisting of a wife and four children, could hardly live on the $155.00 per month which is the total amount being received from the church at Covington and contributions made by Glenwood Hills and the church at East Point, Georgia. Employment with an insurance company has thus far enabled Brother Gasaway to remain in Covington, though, naturally, he is severely handicapped in his church work by having to spend so much of his time in this secular work.
The work in Covington has made remarkable progress. Several have been baptized and several restored. The first Sunday in May, the congregation met for the first time in their new building. It had no windows in, and the outside was covered with rough black building paper — but they were as proud of it as if it had been a cathedral.
For this small building represented work and sacrifice far beyond that experienced by most congregations in their huge structures costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. The building was built in nine Saturdays, all of the work being done by the few men in Covington with the help of some brethren from the Glenwood Hills congregation. Less than $2,000.00 was spent for material, and nothing has been spent for labor, But the building is their own and they are proud of it and grateful for it!
Average attendance is between twenty-five and thirty on Sunday mornings. The collections average about $60.00 per Sunday — there are four men in the congregation, and there are two women who have jobs. How does that compare with the congregation where YOU worship? Does your contribution average $10.00 per Sunday per working member?
Present need at Covington (and it is a pressing one) is for more support for Brother Gasaway. He is severely handicapped by the demands of his job. If he were able to devote all the time to church work that he is now giving to his secular work, there is every reason to believe that within two years time, and perhaps even sooner, the Covington church could be largely, if not completely, self supporting. The people there can be reached. This has already been demonstrated. And Brother Gasaway has the experience, the ability, and the desire to get the job done. This has been shown by the tremendous sacrifice he has made in coming to Covington to support himself and assist in that work. The company for whom he works does not look with too much favor on his church work. They want him to sell "life insurance" and do not want him to spend any appreciable portion of his time in trying to persuade people concerning "eternal insurance." This is creating a situation which sooner or later will become intolerable.
The purpose of this editorial? We want to call this work to the attention of our readers with the fervent hope and the sincere prayer that some congregation, or congregations, or individuals, will rally to the support of Brother Gasaway, and enable him to devote ALL his time to building up the cause of Christ in Covington. He is a man of maturity and dependability. He knows the truth, and stands for it fearlessly and completely. He debated a Oneness Holiness preacher in Covington last May under circumstances that would have utterly discouraged many a gospel preacher. Brethren who heard the debate were unstinted in their praise for his faithful work in upholding the truth. Brother Gasaway has a fifteen minute radio program each Sunday — for which more than once he has paid out of his own pocket.
Here is the kind of work, and here is the kind of man, that faithful Christians in past years have always been willing to help. There is no "glamour" here, and there'll be no big headlines announcing thousands of converts. There'll be no super-duper "crusade" or "campaign" to "take Covington for Christ"; but hard, consistent and unremitting work on the part of John Gasaway and other faithful Christians there will show results. One by one, people will be won away from sectarian error and baptized into Christ. And another faithful congregation of Christians will be firmly planted in a community where their influence will be felt for generations yet to come.
Can you help? WILL you help? If so, address all correspondence to John Gasaway, 212 Hartslook Drive, Covington, Georgia.
— F. Y. T.