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Nov. 23
Vol 23, No. 7 • November 2023
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Retired minister offers hand-crafted wooden works of art By Sabrina Bates What began with a small wood-turning lathe from a Harbor Freight store has turned into a collection of decor and practical pieces that now grace the homes of others. Rev. Jerry Bingham of Ripley began the art of turning wood as solace after retirement. Although Bingham is retired from the Benton-Tippah Baptist Association, he still leads a small congregation at Providence Baptist Church in Tiplersville, Miss. God began His call for Bingham to enter the ministry, while he was working for the Cooperative Extension Service at Mississippi State. This was after he and his wife, Carol, had their first child. Bingham said his grandmother was the type of woman to go into her closet to pray. Through the years, she prayed her son would be called to the pulpit; instead it was her grandson who was led to the ministry. It was during his commutes to Mississippi State that he would tune into the Scripture. He has an extensive higher-education background, having attended Holmes Junior College, Clarke College, Mississippi College, and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. "The Lord can open doors and windows. He'd never take you anywhere you aren't prepared or equipped to go," Bingham shared. Through the Benton-Tippah Baptist Association, with 42 Southern Baptist churches in Northeast Mississippi represented, the goal is to make local churches relevant, explained Bingham. It was an extension of the pulpit. Through the association, Return Address: P.O. Box 1292 Corinth, MS 38835
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Rev Jerry Bingham
volunteers would mobilize teams in the event of natural disasters. Bingham said they had a very experienced chainsaw team that would clear up debris for people with storm damage at no cost to the families. Some of the wood collect-
ed during those trips have been turned into works of art by Bingham. Even now, his friends with chainsaws will give him a call if they have collected wood and share those pieces with him. Bingham has turned walnut, red cedar and Bradford pear branches into candlesticks, bud vases, mushrooms, birds and
Christmas ornaments. He said if he became tired of creating one thing, he would try something new. This wood-turning hobby has been going strong for Bingham for the last four years. Due to having to let wood dry, it may take a year or two to even use some of what he has collected over the years. Some days, he may spend a half a day on one piece. Other days, he may only work one to two hours on something. It is all at his own leisure, adding to the benefit of being retired to pursue what he wants to each day. Bingham said his favorite wood to use is that from a Bradford pear tree. He joked there are three purposes for the Bradford pear: landscaping purposes as it offers showy blooms in the spring and fall; cutting it down after it becomes twisted during high winds; and giving it to a woodturner so they can create something beautiful from it. He shared Bradford pear wood makes beautiful bowls and smells beautifully of pears. "The grain is so gorgeous, I don't even use a stain on it," Bingham said. He uses a polyurethane or an oil to finish out his pieces. He said he also likes blending walnut wood with Bradford pear pieces for the incredible contrast of the light and dark woods. Bingham carves angels out of walnut wood and uses oak for the wings and halos for a special contrast. He likes to use dogwood for candlesticks and carves an actual dogwood bloom into the base. For him, woodturning offers relaxation and satisfaction when he finishes a piece. Recently, his daughter, who is an artist, started setting up at the Green Market at the Corinth Depot. She needed help hauling her pieces and with set-up at the artisan fair. Bingham offered his help with set-up, which turned into an outlet for him to share his see ART pg 7