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Thursday, August 5, 2021
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Good news for great people! Volume 87 • Issue 31
• Belmont • Cramerton • Lowell • McAdenville • Mount Holly • Stanley
Thursday, August 5, 2021
First Baptist Mt. Holly to hold new sanctuary dedication event By Alan Hodge alan@cfmedia.info
On July 21, 2016, the stately 1924 sanctuary and education buildings of First Baptist Church in Mt. Holly were nearly completely destroyed in a huge conflagration that took 150 firefighters from 16 different departments several hours to control. Now, after five long years of hard work, dedication, commitment, and prayer, the structure has been completely rebuilt and will be officially dedicated on Sunday, August 22 at 10:30 a.m. Guest speaker for the event will be Dr. Larry Hovis, Executive Coordinator of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina. Following the service, a covered dish lunch will be provided. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend this historic event. A tour last week of the completed
project really drove home how much had gone into rebuilding the church. The smell of fresh paint and the sight of new wood, furnishings, lighting, and a new pipe organ contrasted sharply with what had once been twisted and charred steel, blackened bricks, and the acrid aroma of ashes. First Baptist’s minister, Rev. Dr. Kendell Cameron looked out across the new sanctuary and reflected on what all has taken place. “Sometimes I walk in here and go back five years,” he said. “Now, it’s still standing and better than ever.” One of the final, and most beautiful, stages of the post-fire rebuild project at First Baptist Mt. Holly involved installation of the magnificently restored and crafted stained glass windows that were one of the sanctuary’s most notable features. See FIRST BAPTIST, Page 6
Turning rocks into diamonds By Kathy Blake “You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.” – Yogi Berra Before he ever saw the inside of a dugout, Mike Featherstone saw his future. He felt the ball roll in his left hand, got the grip just right, and hurled a good cutter 90 miles an hour, straight to the mitt. Little kids dream like that, sometimes. What Featherstone actually held was a hand full of rocks, in a back yard, with a fan club of two. “I guess my parents noticed, because I liked See DIAMONDS, Page 10
These First Baptist Mt. Holly kids were enjoying Vacation Bible School last week. From left R.D. Hoffman, Harper Allen, Ava Sisk, Rachel Smith, Elizabeth Lopez. The window’s theme is “Come Unto Me”. Photo by Alan Hodge
Belmont Historical Society names late Bobby Brown 2019 Citizen of the Year The Belmont Historical Society recently held a special presentation and named the late Bobby Brown as its 2019 Citizen of the Year. Over 75 friends and family members attended the event to honor Brown. Phil Tate honored his friend, Bobby Brown, giving the remarks about his life here in Belmont. He was one of the founders of the BHS. He was born and raised in Belmont and always kept his love for the town and the area. Those attending enjoyed refreshments, touring the museum buildings and visiting with each other. Here is a tribute to Brown written by local author and former BHS president Stan Cromlish.
Mike Featherstone
By Stan Cromlish Robert Dallas Brown, better known as Bobby to his friends, lived a lot of life from November 15, 1938 through June 4, 2017. During his life, he was an avid reader, teacher, mentor, writer, friend, promoter, encourager, and someone who lived life completely. He was an eternal optimist believing that like everything else he could overcome Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, a rare lung disease, that really made it difficult for him to breathe and have the energy to participate in the many hobbies and causes that he loved dearly. Bobby had a zeal for life that has been rarely equaled by anyone in the community See BROWN, Page 5
Bobby Brown
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