The Mountain Spirit - Nov./Dec. 1985 by WeAreCAP

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Contents F ro m O u r P resid en t

The M ountain Spirit T h e M ag azin e of the C h ristia n A p p alach ian P roject N o v em b er-D ecem b er 1985 V olum e IV , N o. 6

Features: T h e D w elling P la c e ............................................................................. 4 A C all to H o lin e s s ............................................................................. 10 F rom the K itchens of A p p alach ian C o o k s ................................ 20 If Y ou See A N eed, T ry to M e et I t ...........................................22

Departments:

R a n d o m T h o u g h t s ............................................................................. 8 L e t t e r s .....................................................................................................9 T h e C A P C lo s e u p ............................................................................. 14 A ro u n d the P r o j e c t ........................................................................... 16

E d ito r - in - C h ie f .................................................... R ev. R alp h Beiting E d i t o r ......................................................................... M a rg aret G abriel Associate E d i t o r .................................................. J . R an d o lp h J o rd a n A dvisory B o a r d .................... M ike M cL aughlin , Leslie B. L arsen Ja c k M o rris, Bill Begley C irculation M a n a g e r.................................................... T eresa R ichey G raphics C o o rd in a to r.............................................D ebbie J . W ilson The Mountain Spirit is published six tim es a year. T h e an n u al subscription price is $5.00. Subscriptions an d o th er cor respondence should be sent to The Mountain Spirit, C h ristian A ppalachian Project, 322 C rab O rch ard R o ad , L an caster, K en tucky 40446. C opyright 1985, T he C h ristian A ppalachian Project, Inc. All rights reserved. M em ber, C atholic Press A ssociation. T h e C hristian A ppalachian P roject is a non-profit C h ristian ser vice organization operating th roughout E astern K entucky. T he Project operates on the philosophy th at “ helping people help them selves” is the best approach to A ppalachian poverty.

To close out another year, The Mountain Spirit takes its annual look at spirituality in Appalchia. This year we examine the changing role of the church in the region. On page 4 you’ll find an update on the Benedictine Sisters living in Floyd County. On page 22 you’ll meet a group of Episcopalians in Estill County. On page 16 is a story about the background of the church in Appalachia. On the COVER, Sisters Charlene Ann and Eileen discuss plans for an upcoming workshop (photo by Dillhunt). On the BACK COVER. Elderberry Kidd serenades Lincoln County (photo by Jordan). Below, parishioners from Trinity Episcopal Church, Danville, entertain during a Christmas party at St. Timothy Mission (photo courtesy of John Lindell).

From Our President Jordan

When Night Comes to the Cumberlands, by Harry Caudill, was published in the mid-fifties, 25% of the Appalachian people in Kentucky belonged to an organized church. Nearly twenty years later, when his book Watches in the Night was published, only 16% of the people belonged to an organized church. Can the church survive in Appalachia as a vital force effecting people’s lives? One important consideration is whether the people will survive. If our economic future is bleak (and it is) there is a strong possibility that we will lose a substantial part of our population through outmigration. If history repeats itself, we will lose some of our most vital and energetic peo ple. The church, therefore, will lose not only members, but members with leadership qualities. There has always been rivalry and competition among the churches in Appalachia, and the strug gle has escalated in the last decade. The major conflict between churches is no longer the tension between Catholic and Protestant churches; it is now between mainline Protestants and the fun damentalist churches. The old antagonism bet ween Catholics and Protestants is not dead, but the new battle is between the “ born again’’ people and the “ old guard.” As is the case in every religious war, it is the church itself that suffers the most. Perhaps the greatest change in the last decade has been as a result of the growth of the electronic church. In the past, radio and TV served the local church. Now it seems to stand in opposition. I do not question the sincerity of the electronic church. It does want to help and it plainly en courages its listeners or viewers to attend a church locally. But look at the reality. The electronic church is aired during local services. The church member is asked to choose between going to his or her local church to sitting back and listening to an outstanding, nationally recognized preacher. The choirs on TV are splendidly groomed and profes sional in quality. The church itself is magnificent; the flower arrangements alone are more than a small local church could afford in a year. There is the 24 hour prayer line with which no local church can compete. Is it any wonder that local church attendance decreases while the audience of the electronic church increases each week? One religious program alone generates $128 million a year. Several individual evangelists each N o v em b e r-D ec em b e r

F ath er B e itin g greets a F lo y d C o u n ty resid en t.

raise more than $60 million a year.The religious dollar is limited; the local church is the loser. Nevertheless, I feel the local church can grow in the final years of our century. To do so we must be more tolerant of each other. This doesn’t mean we give up our principles but that we give up our judgements of each other. Let God be the judge. The church must be increasingly concerned about the whole person. There is no such thing as a soul by itself on this earth. We bring body and soul with us always. We must accept and serve both if we are to be God’s voice in the wilderness. The church must turn more and more to the nonchurched. We need to stop raiding one another’s sheep and seek out those who have no shepherd. The church needs to listen more, and be sen sitive to the cries for help it hears. We must see ourselves as a servant church and not as a monarch passing out sentences. We need more dedicated men and women who are willing to give themselves to the care and ministry of the church. It will be a battle for the church in the next 15 years. But the church’s greatest days have always come after it had to suffer and endure. The words of Christ are still true. Stand with God and you can do all things. 3

The D w elling Place story and p h otos b y M . E la in e D illh u n t, O .S .B .

I n what other convent in the country could you find the prioress in the kitchen barefooted preparing supper, a postulant preparing a guest room for the visit of her twenty-five year old son, and the forma tion director putting up drywall? The Dwelling Place Priory on Mt. Tabor in Floyd County, Ken tucky, is such a convent. Mt. Tabor—site of the transfiguration of Jesus and of Peter’s “ It is good for us to be here” is the name chosen by nine Benedictines for the site of their new monastery where they are trying to be transfigured in the Lord and where guests say, “ It is good for us to be here.” The Dwelling Place became the first priory ever in the Kentucky Appalachians in 1982. Four sisters from Convent Immaculate Conception in Ferdi nand, Indiana, decided it was time to establish roots. They had come to live and work among the poor in the late ’70’s and as they became more aware of the needs there, more attracted to the culture, and more of a community themselves, they began to look for ways to make Appalachia home. “ It’s interesting to note the evolution of our com munity,” said Sr. Judith Ann Kissel, the first of the group to go to the mountains. “ From the days when we were living in a rented trailer and talking about starting a lay community to today when we’re living in our own monastery and going more toward being contemplative.” The monastery consists of four separate buildings: a chapel, a retreat/guest house, a cloistered living area for the sisters, and a garage. The nine sisters who live there have hopes of some day adding a larger chapel and a community room to their 26-acre mountaintop. An increase in membership from four founding

John Deere would never believe she’s the prioress.

members to the present nine is one of the reasons for the move (in March, 1985) from a five bedroom house to the new, larger monastery. Two postulants, two novices, a sister in temporary vows, and four sisters in final vows make up The Dwelling Place. When most religious orders are get ting no new members, this mountain community is getting two a year. Why? “ A young man who visited here recently said it’s because we are living the life of women of the future whereas other communities are living in the past,” explained Sr. Judy Yunker, prioress. “ It is exciting because we are at a pioneering stage; how many women today have the opportunity to be pioneers? Other communities are past that stage.” The sisters are doing about 60 percent of the construction work on their new buildings th em selv es. The only s tru c tu re th a t was on the site when they bought the property is the one that they now use as a chapel. Under the direction of Sr. Charlene Ann Wheeless (who doubles as chief contractor of the buildings and director of formation for the new members), the sisters cleared the land, designed the buildings, begged for and borrowed materials, and are com pleting all the inside work. The Mountain Spirit

The sisters know that they have to support themselves and have financial stability before becoming independent of their mother priory in Ferdinand. As membership increases, they get closer to that goal. The question now is what ministries would keep them at home to comple ment their contemplative orientation and at the same time insure financial independence?

The buildings are energy efficient with six to ten inches of insulation in the ceilings and walls, twelve in ches of stone in the floor for solar heat storage, and a thermostat-controlled woodburning stove in the center of both the guest house and the sisters’ living area. There is an electric back-up system for heating that is used only about ten percent of the time in the height of winter. There’s a garden, a cistern, and a simple lifestyle of “ ora et labora” (pray and work) at The Dwelling Place. After one to two hours of com munity and private prayer, the sisters have breakfast together and then go off to their various works. Four to the Mountain Christian Academy where Sr. Judy is dean and three others teach; one to the Comprehensive Care Center where she works with the handicapped; one, a respiratory therapist, to a local hospital; and the novices and their director to complete work on the buildings, cook, clean, pray and study at home. “ We are starting to look at ministries that will be more conducive to a contemplative, monastic way of life,” said Sr. Judy. “ We seem to be leaning toward that and the women who are coming in want a more contemplative life.” N o v em b e r-D ec em b e r

Sr. Judy would like to do research and writing; specifically, agricultural research “ to discover how we can make these hills more productive.” The sisters have talked of having a home for the handicapped on the property, of a craft shop (postulant Deanna Wood is a silversmith), and of sponsoring retreats. For the present, they are moving as the spirit leads. A few times they have had “ battered” women living with them, “ not because we defined that as a ministry, but because there was a need.” “ Living here has forced us to more and more trust in God,” said Sr. Eileen Schepers. “ You don’t decide what you’re going to do or what you’re going to let go of. We’re OK with whatever the future brings.” Since the November/December, 1982 article in The Mountain Spirit about the founding of the priory, and the national media attention that grew out of that, one of the things the future has brought to The Dwelling Place is guests. The sisters think perhaps the ministry of hospitality—a Benedictine charism—may be what they’re being called to. Local, as well as out-of-town folks, like to come to the monastery “ Just to sit . . . because it’s so peaceful,” said a businessman from Martin, Ken tucky. Catholics bring out-of-town relatives to the 5

prayer with some getting up at 5 a.m. or earlier to do it and others waiting until evening. For com munity prayers, they chant the Divine Office in chapel with an autoharp or organ accompani ment. The neighbors down the mountain say they can hear them. Spending time together, not only in prayer but also in recreation, is an important part of the schedule. To celebrate birthdays and feastdays, the community goes on mini-trips together around Kentucky: to the Kentucky Horse Park, Shakertown, Natural Bridge. The “ family spirit” of The Dwelling Place is one of the things that attracted novice Sr. Anne Eden to the community, she says. When this interviewer asked incredulously, “ You sit down and have breakfast together every morning?” the response was an emphatic, “ Yes!” And to explain: “ We don’t see each other again until supper.” At meals, one of the professed sisters reads a short section from “ The Rule of St. Benedict” after the meal prayer. Conversation ranges from stories about the day’s activities to sharing an in sight from spiritual reading, to wondering how to get the car repaired. Sr. A im ee and P ostu lan t K a te, C A P ’s form er coord in ator o f v o lu n tee rs, en jo y a snack togeth er after a d ay o f teach in g.

They take turns with dishes; no one is assigned. “ St. Benedict believes in equality,” said Sr. Anne, “ and I really see it here. Like the prioress doing

monastery “ to show it off.” Some of the young people in the area go to help with the construction work. Some of the priests and religious of the diocese go for a private retreat, some go because they’re interested in joining the community, some just to play: climb a mountain, listen to a dulcimer, be with the sisters. The welcome mat is always out, “ but we don’t change our schedule because guests are here,” said Sr. Judy. “ We are a witness to the lived experience that we have and we can’t be that witness if we change for entertaining.” And what is that schedule? Community prayer three times a day Monday through Friday, once a day on weekends; one hour of private prayer each day; breakfast and supper together; some time to enjoy each other’s company in the evenings and then, at 8:30 p.m., silence in the house (or at least a “ reflective atmosphere” ). Mass is a luxury in the mountains so the sisters keep the Blessed Sacrament in their chapel for communion services. “ I had gone to daily Mass since I was six,” said Sr. Charlene Ann, “ so that’s one of the things that was hard for me to give up, but the early monks didn’t have daily Mass either.” Each sister sets her own schedule for private

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Sr. J u d y , P o stu la n t D ea n n a and Sr. J u d ith A nn ch eck out the last o f the g a rd en ’s p rod u ce. The Mountain Spirit

dishes, for example.” “ We actually thought, when we came here, that we’d live like we did in Ferdinand,” said Sr. Judy with a smile. Gradually, these Midwest and Eastern U.S. women have integrated or been in tegrated into the mountain culture. They stay home more (“ It’s so nice coming home that we just don’t go back out once we’re here.” ) They “ waste” time more. (“ I see Appalachian people taking time for each other and I’m doing that now; it’s something I’ve learned from them.” ) They accept more. (“ We don’t particularly like getting stuck in the mud and worrying about how we’re going to get down the mountain in snow or sharing a bedroom, but that’s part of being a mis sionary. That’s part of the way the people here live.” ) And the transformation continues: These Benedictines use a four wheel drive truck because that’s the best way to get up and down the steep mountain slopes, they sometimes go without a shower because there’s no water, they wear a habit (of blue denim color) when they want to be “ visibly present” such as at Mass on Sunday and at wakes. The exterior of their buildings is austere; the inside is decorated with mountain flowers and crafts. The sisters themselves seem more contented than when I saw them four years ago. They say

Sisters J u d ith A nn and A im ee en jo y the w alk from the ch ap el to th e ir h ou se.

and they show that they are resting in the Lord with confidence that He is protecting and leading them. They do not know nor are concerned about where. They have planted roots with full knowledge that the Lord might uproot them—and that’s OK because, as Sr. Aimee Laroche express ed it, “ We’re rooted in each other.”

T h e D w e llin g P lace c o m m u n ity ch an ts the D iv in e O ffice. N o v em b er-D ecem b er

Random Thoughts So, what is this new role that churches are taking on in Appalachia? It depends on where you stand, what you see. I see 10% of the United States’ population and 30% of all America’s poor people. I see only 16% of Eastern Kentuckians belonging to churches of any kind. I see 95-99% of the region’s population claiming to be religious, and I have no reason to doubt this vision. In my vision, the church’s changing role is one of attracting the other 84% of this region’s population into communities of Christian believers. Not for the socialization aspects, but for the opportunity to minister to each other and others. The faith of an individual is good. But, the authentic expression of that faith comes when it is lived out through works and service to others in Christ’s name. This service to one another is the new role, not the salvation of individuals. Surely, there are those who have not received the Good News, but statistics say that is not the area of greatest need. The needs are ones of hunger and nutrition, adequate water, estrangement and loneliness, clothing, shelter, health and illness, imprisonment—physical, psychological, cultural and mental—and it is a question of educa tion—scholarly and social. The Episcopal Church, of which I am a member, has traditionally established mission congregations in Eastern Kentucky and parishes in the Bluegrass. One wag from Eastern Kentucky observed that Episcopal and Presbyterian churches did not arrive until the country club was built. Yet, on Barnes Mountain in Estill County, St. Timothy’s Mission was consecrated March 17, 1984. This log cabin chapel’s mission started in an old tenet farm building, that has now been converted into a multi purpose community center. The needs of the local population, met initially by outsiders, led them to form ties to one another and now lead them to wor ship together. Before, almost none were churched, so the congregation has not been stolen from some hardworking preacher. None were Episcopalians before and none are wealthy. With the recent in troduction of electricity in the chapel and a few other items, John Lindell, Seminarian-in-charge, says the danger is in becoming “too Episcopalian.” I determine this to mean “ too traditional;” not enough local expression being incorporated into services. Father Rock Travnikar has expressed similar con cerns. Fr. Rock is a Franciscan priest lovingly serv ing the Roman Catholics, and all others who will let him, in Hazard at Mother of Good Counsel. He speaks of the history and traditions of the liturgy and hymnal being brought to the parishioners, but

E d w a rd F. E llis is C A P ’s R e c r u ite r o f V o lu n tee rs. The Mountain Spirit sta ff th an k s h im for sh arin g h is th o u g h ts in th is issu e.

he sees no infusion of the Appalachian spirit into the services. As he says, when they make the music their way, then it will be truly their own church. In Berea, at the conference of eastern seminaries dealing with the training of people to serve in Ap palachia, one local minister identified a difference in most of the main-line denominations and most of the local churches. The main-lines are manage ment churches with budgets, while the locals are more likely to be “ foot-washing” and served by non-seminary trained local leaders. Both are meeting needs and serving the people, but their roles are changing as Appalachia changes. Like it or not, want it or not, Appalachia is changing. Better roads, more access to transporta tion, the multi-national takeover of land and natural resources, satellite television and the mechanization of traditional industries are some of the reasons. Less visible but more effective is the pressure to talk, act, think and be like the rest of us, or at least like the rest of Kentucky. The doctrine, teaching, traditions and dogma of the church will not and should not change. The church can no longer promise pie in the sky by and by. It must provide development of local leaders to identify needs, propose solutions and carry out plans to meet the social, personal and religious needs of their neighbors. Pray that God’s will be done. —EFE. The Mountain Spirit

Letters I have received the last two edi tions of The Mountain Spirit. What excellent reading. Thanks to Ora Slone for sharing her life story with us. She is a beautiful lady. The story of Vernon Watts, his dog Rex, his mother Elsie, and his teacher Martha Hall, was such an interesting and healthy story. Mitchell Tolle, keep up your Godgiven talents. Tell us some more about your country and people, through your drawings. Marilyn Stefanski, I am waiting for your family cookbook, “ Let Us Break Bread Together.” God bless you all. Gladys Taft Port Hueneme, CA

What a delight to find your article “ What’s Cookin’ in Harlan Coun ty” in the July-August issue of The Mountain Spirit! My family and I lived in Harlan during the 60’s, two children were born there, and I still have many dear friends there. My husband (since deceased) was associated with the Daniel Boone Clinic and we attended the Poke Sallet Festivals at Stone Mountain Park—and remember many of the people mentioned and shown in your photographs. Harlan is a beautiful place with wonderful people (in spite of being in such a depressed area). Thank you so much for a trip down “ Memory Lane.” I’m keeping my copies of The Mountain Spirit here in the Library for reference material. Marilyn V. Yaple Library Director Bellaire City Library Bellaire, TX P.S. I recently heard that canned poke was being used these days—surely not!!!

N o v em b e r-D ec em b e r

I enjoy your publication The Mountain Spirit. From time to time I send contributions as I can, but en joy so much more buying your homemade products (like the Christmas wreaths). I know that’s giving someone work. The main reason I contribute to CAP is that many years ago I saw Father Beiting on television. He im pressed me by stating (loosely quoted) “ These people want to work and I’m helping them.” That’s a great thing for everyone in volved. Ann E. Paul Moorestown, NJ

I have a really good feeling when I read The Mountain Spirit. I know you people are doing a great job with those who need help and en couragement. Teaching folks to help themselves and each other ex emplifies the true Christian spirit. May God bless you all in this work. Mrs. George Forsyth Point Pleasant Beach, NJ

I have watched the great energy that has gone into helping the peo ple of Ethiopia. Movie actors and other wealthy people have thrown themselves and their great wealth to help people who have been starving for centuries. Please believe I don’t fault their efforts. While watching all this, I cannot help but wonder why people with great energy and wealth do not see the tremendous poverty in our own country. CAP has shown this country, and the world, what money and dedication can do right here. We don’t seem to see our own poverty. I hope some day many programs like CAP will be helping people all over this coun try. God bless CAP. Elaine Scherer Amarillo, TX

We receive so many requests for financial assistance that it is dif ficult to choose which ones to sup port. When we received information on the Christian Appalachian Proj ect we both felt this was truly worth while, and after receiving The Mountain Spirit we were very sure. As my husband and I are nearing retirement we are searching for ways to serve the Lord. At this point, we would like to support as many of your projects as possible. Your cookbook sounds wonderful. I hope it will be ready for Christmas. Please keep us in your prayers as we will you and your many beautiful Christian people. Ruth and Walt Dominick Sevenna Park, MD . . . when the new cookbook called “ Let Us Break Bread Together” is issued will you mention it and the price in The Mountain Spirit or is it ready now? Is there a chance you would send me the recipe for apple stack cake, too? If you will answer me about this cookbook, and its cost, I would like to make orders for myself and perhaps for friends, too! Hoping to hear from you soon. Mrs. R.L. Scott San Antonio, TX Debbie Fraley Wilson sent Mrs. Scott the recipe fo r apple stack cake. Since we’ve had several re quests fo r the recipe, we also mailed it to Marilyn Stefanski fo r inclusion in “Let Us Break Bread Together. ” For more information about how to order the cookbook, see the story on page 20. —Ed. Letters to the editor are welcome. They should not exceed 150 words in length, and we reserve the right to edit them fo r space. Address letters to The Mountain Spirit, Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lancaster, Kentucky 40446.

to Holiness

by Randolph Jordan

A ppalachia is a land of many traditions. This idea is conveyed in the food that is shared among these people and in the songs that rise from their hearts. It comes across in the way in which they build their homes and in the manner in which they educate their young. There is one tradition, however, that is perhaps the strongest. It is a tradi tion that has brought tears of sadness as well as joy. This tradition is the religious heritage of the Appalachian people. Religion in Appalachia goes far beyond the im age of the old circuit rider or that of the snake handling mountaineer. To understand the strength and depth of this most sacred tradition, one must delve deeply into years gone by and discover how this part of God’s creation came to be a land of wonderment and unique Spirit. Since its earliest days, the southern highlands have been a refuge for those who have sought to rid themselves of established denominationalism and the, oftentimes binding, precepts that can ac company “ high church” worship. As the popula tion of the American colonies grew in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, many people in the New England area found that they were being persecuted for their religious beliefs in a fashion similar to those persecutions of a few decades earlier in England. These persecuted individuals had fled to New England from their native coun tries of Ireland and Germany for the same reasons as others who had immigrated from various parts of Europe. The same people, however, who had feared that witches were in their community were also afraid of “ foreigners” coming into their towns. So the new immigrants from Ireland and Germany were forced to leave the Northeastern Colonies and move southwest through present day Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky and even further down the east coast. What these immigrants brought with them was a belief and conviction that was based on a radical form of puritanism. Their belief was that church and state should func tion as entirely separate entities. They had seen what problems could arise when church and state became united. They had felt the persecution in their homelands because of this and noticed the same thing happening in the new American col onies, especially in the New England area. They carried this determination for a separate church and state with them to the central and southern Appalachian regions where they passed it on to their descendants. Later these descendants were scattered across the 13 colonies, but their commit ment to a separation between church and state was the same as their forefathers. Their commitment to radical puritanism wasn’t the only thing that the German and Scotch-Irish N o v em b e r-D ec em b e r

immigrants brought to the Appalachian region. Various forms of spiritual expression also accom panied them. Nowhere would this be more evident than with the manner in which each group celebrated religious holy days and occasions. The Germanic settlers brought with them a tradition of decorating a tree inside the home during the Christmas season. As archaic as it sounded, the practice caught on and soon non-German families were doing the same thing. The Scotch-Irish, in a like manner, shared traditions that were a part of their Celtic heritage. One such tradition was the practice of having a loud fun-filled party on the occasion of someone’s death. It was the belief that such wild merrymaking would frighten evil spirits away from the body of the deceased and would therefore ensure a happy eternity. The practice of gathering around the deceased continued but for most people the merrymaking ceased. Some called the practice a memorial service; others called it a wake. Another Celtic tradition that found its way to the southern highlands was the practice of sineating. When someone died, people from the com munity gathered around to grieve. During this bereavement, a loved one of the departed would place food (usually bread, cheese and fruit) and drink (milk or wine) on the chest of the corpse. A poor person from the community would be invited to eat the food from the corpse in belief that as the food was eaten the sins of the departed would be transmitted to the person who was eating. Thus, this person was known as a sin-eater. As the out side world exerted greater influence upon the southern highlands, the practice eventually disap peared. While the majority of the Germans emigrating from the New England colonies during the early 17th century settled in present day Pennsylvania and Ohio, many of the Scotch-Irish people travel ed further south to Virginia, Kentucky and the Carolinas. The Germans brought with them Chris tian denominations such as German Reformed, Lutheranism and Moravians, while the ScotchIrish were almost always Presbyterian. What has often baffled people who have looked at this era in American history is why the people of the southern highlands lost their presbyterianism while many of the Germans kept their original religious denominations. As one discovers the reasons for the loss of presbyterianism in the southern highlands one may also see how Ap palachia became a land filled with such unique Spirit as is found here today. As the new settlers of the southern Appalachian region ventured further and further into the highlands, they found that they were becoming isolated from one another. No longer were large 11

cities and towns such as Boston and Baltimore a part of their lifestyle. Now they were experiencing the difficulties of rural life. These hardships would continue to be felt (well into the 20th cen tury) by their descendants. This isolation that the Scotch-Irish were feeling was bound to affect many aspects of their lives. It would affect the manner in which they spoke and the way in which they viewed the world. It also had a great impact upon the manner in which they chose to worship their God. No longer was their Sunday worship service conducted by an ordained minister, for the ministers were not very eager to travel into the hills and serve the southern highlanders. While they may have been very willing to serve in spirit, the physical burden of mountain travel often over whelmed that spirit. As a result, many of the peo ple of the southern Appalachian region became disenchanted with organized religion. They either rejected denominationalism all together or they opted to belong to some sort of worship group that was led by a local person who may have felt that the Lord had called him to preach. What was happening in the Appalachian region was clear; a unique form of spirituality was developing and 12

strengthening. From this development, two major groups would evolve: the “ churched” and the “ nonchurched.” The churched people were those individuals who decided to remain a part of some form of religious assembly and follow and adopt basic fundamental Christian beliefs. There would be a strong emphasis upon the Christian bible as the literal word of God. Among these people there would be a recognition of the great power of God’s Spirit. Some groups would even go as far as to handle poisonous snakes and drink poisonous liquids as prescribed in St. Mark’s Gospel. What is realized, however, is that these people were hungering for a spirit of holiness . . . a spirit that many of them thought did not exist among others in their region. This quest for holiness and this hunger to be “ baptized in the Holy Ghost” occa sionally brought about revival meetings. These meetings often came in the form of a traveling evangelist who would pitch a tent in the church yard or lead the faithful in fervent prayer in the confines of a rented building. Whatever the set ting, the goal was always the same—to revive the The Mountain Spirit

people of God to an awareness that He is alive and active in the world. If, at the same time, a few souls were “ saved,” then all the better a revival was considered. In many ways, the revival meetings were aimed at the other group of Ap palachians—the nonchurched.

Danville Advocate Messenger

Many people outside of the southern highlands often think of the native highlander as a person who is tied strongly to some Protestant denomina tion such as Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal or Presbyterian. As has been stated before, however, this is not the case. When the people of the late 18th and early 19th centuries rejected their Presbyterian background, they rejected a way of life. No longer would they be associated with a group that would not venture to minister to their needs. For the majority of the people of the southern Appalachian region, when they rejected their denomination, they simultaneously said “ no” to all organized religion. Today, it is still a trend among Appalachian people not to belong to any organized religious group. In recent surveys, as few as 20% of the people of the region stated that they were affiliated with any religious group,

but the quest for holiness among southern highlanders does live on. While the people of the Appalachian region may not participate in the activities of a particular denomination, one thing is still evident . . . they are a people that hold a firm belief in God. Many people of the region read scripture on a regular basis and speak about the Lord being active in their lives. They are people who are quick to recognize the fact that God plays a very active role in the unfolding of human history. As with their forefathers who came from “ the land across the water,” the people of Appalachia are proud. Their pride is demonstrated not only in the man ner in which they conduct their daily affairs but also in the way in which they have entered into a relationship with their God. As their ancestors fled from the ridicule and persecution of misunderstanding neighbors, so, too, the people of Appalachia today have made a firm stand in the way in which they have chosen to enter into a rela tionship with their God. Their quest for holiness is alive and thriving but the struggle to attain this holiness is within the hearts of the people of the southern highlands. c a p.

N o v em b e r-D ec em b e r

The C A P Closeup W hen volunteers leave CAP most are a little sad to leave the ranks and acquire “ former volunteer” status. Not so, Sister Theresa Gonyea. When her stint as a temporary volunteer was over she was ready, willing, and eager—to go home. Known affectionately as Sister Terry, she describes that summer of ’79 as “ hot and hectic.” As chief cook and bottle washer for the Mt. Ver non volunteers, she fed around 30 people a day. The number of volunteers was so great and the size of the housing provided so inadequate that just to feed them “ we had to move out on the car port!” Asked if she thought then that she would ever return, Sister Terry said, “ No, oh no. I swore I’d never come back.” She was so adament, that a year later, when CAP received an application for the volunteer program from Sister Theresa Gonyea, it was thought to be from a different per son by the same name.

A Change of Heart:

Sister Theresa Gonyea Sister Terry has been with CAP for 5 years, first as a volunteer, then as an employee. When asked what made her change her mind, she said, “ I stayed home about a year. I don’t know what hap pened to me, but it didn’t seem as if people had enough concern about others. It was almost like this was my kind of people. I just love their way of living.” When she returned to CAP in 1980, Sister Terry worked at the Sunshine Center in Lancaster. Never dreaming that work in child development would be possible, she spent two years there and feels that “ it was an excellent experience.” When the Emmaus Christian Life Center, a residence for elderly men and women (see “ A Spirit in Their Hearts,” The Mountain Spirit July-August, 1984) opened in Berea, Sister Terry became one of the

by the C A P News Service Photos by Jordan 14

first workers at the home. At first, Sr. Terry was involved in hospital ministry. She transported residents to and from hospitals in Lexington and other places, and visited their families during their illnesses. She also started a home visiting program to teach peo ple how to manage their home or their income. Soon, though, there were more people coming in as residents, and her duties at Emmaus became full-time. Now her main duties include everything “ from a dishwasher, cook, and babysitter.” Although the employees take turns cooking, she does most of the food buying. She also takes the residents on their errands; to the bank, post office, or doctor. “ If they are sick, I do what I can for them.” she says. “ I have to be ready for anything.” Peggy Patrick, director of Emmaus Center, can confirm that. When she was expecting her second child, she called Sister Terry, chief babysitter, early on Christmas Eve. While Peggy was giving birth to The Mountain Spirit

Anna Therese, firstborn Gina spent Christmas with Sister Terry and the Emmaus House residents. “ That was the most wonderful Christmas we ever had,” Sister Terry exclaims. “ Gina’s job was to pass out all the gifts to the residents. They loved it. Then I came out with her gift, a baby doll, so she could have her own ‘Christmas baby.” ’ Says Peggy, “ She’s our proxy grandmother. I don’t know what we’d do without her.” Most of the residents do not have their own automobiles, so Sister Terry takes them on field trips, visiting, to church on Sunday, and long rides in the country. Some of these trips take longer than others. Once, on her day off, Sister Terry and one of the residents went to church in Lex ington. They decided to take the scenic route home and asked directions from a local resident. After driving for hours in “ some of the most beautiful country,” they knew they were lost when the road ran into a lake. They found the adventure hilarious and plan to do it again soon. Making her home at the Emmaus House, Sister Terry has two rooms for her own use. It is obvious from her decorations that she loves the outdoors. One wall is covered with a mural, depicting tiny deer grazing in the woods. Furniture she recovered herself graces her sitting room, along with a handbuilt wall unit overflowing with books, flowers

E m m aus resid en ts take all th eir m eals togeth er in a com m on d in in g room . A lth o u g h the w orkers share the co o k in g r e sp o n sib ilitie s, S ister T erry does m ost o f the food sh o p p in g .

and crafts. Her closet has been converted into a kitchenette, complete with a sink, refrigerator and stove. But this is not her private domain, where she retreats to be alone; her doors are always open to the residents. She has a telephone in her room, in case the families of the residents need to call at night. As she walked through flower laden halls, residents greeted Sister Terry with smiles, and stopped to discuss plans for the next day, or the next activity. Individual rooms were thrown open for inspection, and details of how folks came to be at the Emmaus House were shared. Sister Terry knows each person’s history almost as well as its owner does.

S ister T erry passes the tim e w ith the resid en ts o f the E m m au s C h ristian L ife C en ter. N o v em b e r-D ec em b e r

With the courtyard in full bloom, and the prevailing pleasant atmosphere throughout the house, it is obviously an “ Emmaus” house, full of fellowship with Jesus. It is also blessed with the love of Sister Terry. After her uncertain begin ning, she says that “ we have become a communi ty, a real family of God. Now it’s like a family, my family. It really came home to me.” c a p. 15

Around the Project C A P Prepares for C hristm as LANCASTER—CAP’S annual Christmas Basket program is well underway. This year the program plans to distribute more than 1500 baskets, reports Guy Adams, coor dinator of the program. Each year, people from outside the region are asked to buy Christmas gifts for one Appalachian family. In the fall CAP workers visit local families, whom they know through child development centers, Attic stores, handicapped work shops and other programs and register them to receive food, Christmas gifts and certificates for clothing from the Attic stores. After the sponsors have been con tacted and the families registered (making certain that we know what each child would like to have from Santa Claus!), program workers match the two groups. Sponsors shop for gifts for each member of the family to which they have been assigned, individually

by the C A P N ew s Service

wrap each present and mail them to Kentucky, usually the week after Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, the local families are invited to a nondenominational Christmas service where they receive the certificate they need to pick up their basket. The baskets are distributed the week before Christmas and contain, in addition to a gift for each member of the family, food for three meals on Christmas day. Christmas basket preparation and giving has always been a highlight of the Christmas season for the scores of volunteers who have been a part of the operation. Temporary volunteers from various parts of the country usually arrive just in time to be a part of the Christmas Basket distribution. In the weeks preceding the distribution, volunteers spend days sorting through canned goods and placing them in bags that will be given to needy families throughout the region. When the entire process has been completed, volunteers and all the CAP workers who have been involved have received a magnifi cent Christmas gift . . . the joy that is a result of giving.

A w ork er prepares b askets for d istrib u tio n .

Father B eitin g V isits South A m erica CALI, COLOMBIA—Father Ralph W. Beiting, founder and president of the Christian Ap palachian Project, recently visited this South American city to assist Father Jack McGuire in the development of a second Outreach Ministries Program for this area. Father McGuire began the first Outreach Ministries Program a few years ago after working with Father Beiting in assisting the poor of Eastern Kentucky. Recognizing that the same type of ministries that CAP had developed in Appalachia needed to be developed in this region of C olom bia, Father McGuire created parallel programs for the people of his area in Cali. With the help of Father Beiting, Father McGuire is hoping to begin medical and dental programs for those who otherwise may not be able to afford such care. He is also beginning to work with alcoholics who wish to rid themselves of their addiction. Father Beiting flew to Cali this past September, at the request of Father McGuire, to serve as an ad visor in laying the foundation for the second phase of the Outreach Ministries Program. The second phase of the Program involves con tinuing the work of the programs already begun and ensuring that they will reap some benefit in the communities in which they exist. “ Basically,” states Father Beiting, “ we want to make sure that the potential benefit that these pro grams can have on the local com m unities is not being lost somewhere. We want to make sure that the programs are being carried into the homes and into the com munities in which they are involved.” Father Beiting stayed with Father McGuire for 5 days and then return ed to Eastern Ketucky to continue his work among the people there. The Mountain Spirit

around the project . . . continued

P arents Are T eachers B u ild s Support G roup LANCASTER—The Parents Are Teachers program of the Christian Appalachian Project is in the pro cess of developing a support group for the parents of handicapped children who are involved in the program. Parents are Teachers is a ministry whose aim is to teach parents of handicapped children that they can have a profound affect on the education and development of their children even within the confines of their own home. The newly formed support group was organized by the employees and volunteers involved in the program. “ The basis behind this,” explains program worker, Jill Berlin-Burns, “ is to get parents of handicapped children together so that they can talk together and learn from each other. Mainly we (the CAP person nel) are babysitting so the parents can be free to come to the monthly meeting.” The support group meets once a month at the Little World Child Development Center in Stan ford. Mary Gillette, another employee of the program, arranges for a guest speaker to be invited to each meeting to lead the parents in some type of discussion. Without a doubt, these meetings enable parents to share the frustrations as well as the joys of caring for and rearing handicapped children. Also new in the Parents are Teachers program is volunteer Jean Dages. Jean and her husband, Paul Wilkerson, joined CAP’s volunteer community in August. Jean, a native of Akron, Ohio, is working full-time in the Parents Are Teachers program in Jackson Coun ty. She has a background in working with handicapped adults in a super visory capacity. The Christian Ap palachian Project receives referrals from workers at the Jackson Coun ty Social Service Agency who, states Jill, are extremely excited that CAP is involved in the area. N o v em b er-D ecem b er

C A P H old s W orkshop In C on ju n tion W ith E K U RICHMOND—A workshop for the prevention of disease and injury and promotion of health in the home environment was conducted by Eastern Kentucky University’s College of Allied Health and Nurs ing in cooperation with CAP. The day-long workshop was led by faculty members from the nurs ing and environmental health science departments and an occupa tional therapist. It focused on such matters as clean water supplies and sanitary sewage disposal, healthful housing, nutrition and maternal and child health. This was the first step toward a cooperative effort between CAP and EKU in formulating a program which will allow Eastern Ken tuckians to prevent disease and in jury and promote health through their own effort. The workshop is the first tangible result of “ Appalachia: A Vision for Action,” the symposium sponsored by CAP in June (See The Mountain Spirit September-October 1985).

A Case o f M istak en Id en tity

have the piglets adopted by caring families once the babies are weened from their mother. The Infant University and various CAP programs use pets, such as the guinea pigs, as a tool to help the children learn to respect life and the beauty of all of God’s creation. Among other critters in various CAP programs are gerbils at the Children’s Discovery Center in Somerset, goldfish at the Sunshine Center in Lancaster, a hamster at the Berea Child Development Center and a Saint Bernard at the Home for Special Children at the CAP Family Life Center in Mount Vernon.

Moving? Please notify us of change of ad dress to make sure you receive every issue of The Mountain Spirit. OLD ADDRESS name

address

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Henry gave birth to three babies and, at last report, mother and babies are doing well. Pat hopes to

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MARTIN—CAP Infant Universi ty Director, Pat Gallagher, noticed that one of the center’s pet guinea pigs was putting on a little bit of weight. “ At first we just thought that Henry was getting a little big in the middle. Then,” adds Pat, “ one of our volunteers who had previous experience with these sort of pets told us that Henry should have been named Henrietta because she was going to have babies.”

please print

address

city

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zip cocje

Mail to: The Mountain Spirit, 322 Crab Orchard Road, Lan caster, KY 40446. If you can, peel off your address label and in clude it with this coupon. 17

around the project . . . continued

CA P L aunches N ew Craft C ollection JACKSON COUNTY—With the 1985 Christmas season CAP’S pro duct marketing department in troduces Christmas Ridge Hand crafts. Included in the collection are some of the items that the CAP family has grown to know and love, like the Christmas wreath and the Little Red Riding Hood doll. As an effort to provide employment op portunities for even more Ap palachian people, there are many new items featured in the collection, too. The crafts make lovely Christmas gifts or home decora tions. If you would like a copy of the Christmas Ridge Collection catalogue please clip and mail the coupon to: Pat Padgett Christmas Ridge Handcrafts Product Marketing Division 322 Crab Orchard Rd. Lancaster, KY 40446

CA P A ppears on C able T V Show Several months ago producers of Christian Lifestyle Magazine, a cable TV show, learned about CAP’S work with the elderly in this area through the May-June 1985 issue of The Mountain Spirit. They decided that viewers of their show would be interested in the work and sent a film crew from their home base in California. When the crew arrived, they learned that the elderly program was just one small aspect of CAP’s work, and so the scope of the pro gram began to broaden. “ The con cept for the story is emerging,’’ said Clifton Davis, who acts as the oncamera spokesperson for the show. “ Emmaus is nice; the work you’re doing for the elderly is nice; I think they’re going to look at both.’’ 18

Pat Padgett CAP Product Marketing Division 322 Crab Orchard Rd. Lancaster, KY 40446

Dear Pat, Yes! I am interested in seeing your Christmas Ridge Handcraft Collection. Please send a catalogue, without obligation, to:

Name____________ Address__________ City_____________ State_________ ZIP.

Davis interviewed local elderly people and CAP volunteers on camera. “ I stimulate people to chat, I’m easy-going and easy to talk to and I have a lot of on-camera ex perience. Also, I’m Christian and I’m a minister. That gives another kind of point of view. My questions reflect my background.” Like CAP, Christian Lifestyle Magazine is non-denominational in its focus, recognizing the value of all Christians working together for a common cause. “ There are Chris tians that feel a need and express needs around this country,” Davis said. “ I’m amazed that CAP is not wider spread, that there aren’t more volunteers. But, I have a Christian point of view—I really believe that we all need to be doing this.” The story about CAP is expected to be aired in November of 1985 in cities which carry Christian Lifestyle Magazine on a cable TV station.

C lifto n D a v is The Mountain Spirit

around the project . . . continued

‘TIS T H E SE A SO N FO R G IV IN G . . .

Send today for your free copy of “ December Giving. . . 10 Ways.” This booklet encourages careful thought of year-end gifts and describes 10 satisfying ways of giving to the Christian Ap palachian Project.

F L O Y D C O U N T Y — F ath er R alph B e itin g sp en t tw o days in S ep tem b er film in g te le v isio n com m ercials w h ich ask for h elp w ith the w ork that C A P is d o in g in E astern K e n tu c k y . T h e com m ercials w ill air in selected cities th rou gh ou t the U n ite d States in late O ctob er. P ictu red h ere, the film crew read ies itse lf for a “ s h o t,” w h ile F ath er B e itin g w aits p a tie n tly .

V a n G rant Goes to C A P rice In d u stries STA N FO RD — C A P rice I n dustries, the sheltered workshop program of the Christian Ap palachian Project, was the recent recipient of a new 1985 Ford passenger van. The van was made available to the program through the Kentucky State Department of Transportation. Through a joint state/federal grant program known as the “ 16B2 Grant” the state of Kentucky disburses federal monies to assist qualifying agencies who have ap plied for the grant. The federal government provides 80% of the funding; the state of Kentucky pro vides 10% and participating agen cies are responsible for the remain ing 10%. This past fall, CAPrice In dustries in Stanford received such a grant. Hosea Farris, manager of the program learned of the availability N o v em b e r-D ec em b e r

of the grant from a Stanford resi dent who is a member of the local Senior Citizens’ Center. “ Original ly,” explains Hosea, “ we had ap plied for the grant too late, but they saw the need and reopened the pro cess to us.” Hosea went on to ex plain that the grant was ad ministered so that the state would cover nine-tenths of the cost of the van while CAP would have to cover the remaining one-tenth. “ We definitely needed new transporta tion, so it was a real great thing that it happened this way.” CAPrice Industries, which employs more than a dozen hand icapped adults, will use the new vehicle to transport clients to and from their workshop and other various job sites. The program is working hard to achieve its goal of providing regular work settings for its clients. Folks are learning job skills and appropriate behavior in the workplace.

clip and mail today in the enclosed envelope

Christian Appalachian Project 322 Crab Orchard Road Lancaster, Kentucky 40446 (

) Please send, without obliga tion, a complimentary copy of your booklet, “ December Giv ing . . . 10 Ways.”

N am e___________ Address _________ C ity____________ State_________ ZIP 19

A lthough holiday traditions vary from culture to culture and family to family, one thing that shows up for most celebrations is good food. Sharing meals is one of the things that families do together, especially when the holidays roll around. Since the CAP family is spread the length and breadth of this nation, that makes meal sharing a little difficult. “ Let Us Break Bread Together,” the CAP family cookbook, is Marilyn Stefanski’s attempt to unite the CAP family by sharing their recipes. When she was collecting recipes, she learned that most people shared their very best recipes, which also have a tendency to show up on holiday tables. Because this is the holiday issue of The Mountain Spirit we decided that sharing a few of those holiday recipes would be in order. All of the recipes are from the kitchens of Appalachian cooks; some are appropriate for brunch or dinner and some for gift giving. The Mountain Spirit staff has not tested the recipes yet, but if any of you would care to try a few and then send us the results, we’d be happy to hear from you!

Orange Slice Cake 3 Vi C. flour Vi t. salt 1 t. baking powder 1 lb. orange candy, cut up 1 8 oz. package dates, cut up 1 or 2 C. nuts—walnuts are best 1 C. coconut 1 C. butter or margarine 2 C. sugar 4 eggs Vi C. buttermilk 1 t. soda Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs. Mix butter milk and soda together. Add to creamed mixture. Add candy, dates, nuts and coconut. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients. Mix with first mixture. Bake at 350° in a well greased and floured tube pan for about 1Vi hours. While still warm, poke holes in cake with a large fork. Pour over a mixture of 1 cup orange juice and 2 cups powdered sugar. Refrigerate in pan overnight. Louise and Mary Schooler Waynesburg, Kentucky Pumpkin Roll 3 eggs 1 C. sugar 2A C. pumpkin 3A C. flour 2 t. cinnamon !4 t. salt 1 t. soda Mix the above ingredients well. Add one cup of chopped pecans. Pour mixture out on greased and floured cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until done. When done, sprinkle with powdered

sugar and turn out on a clean dish towel. Turn a towel edge over cake about two inches and roll cake up as tightly as you can. Place in freezer until cool. When cool, unroll, remove towel and spread filling on cake. Filling 1 C. powdered sugar 2 T. butter 1 8 oz. package cream cheese 1 t. vanilla Mix all the filling ingredients together and spread on cake. Roll cake up and wrap with wax paper. Put in freezer overnight. Remove and slice. Keep slices frozen until ready to serve. Carole Hodson Salyersville, K Y

Hot Buttered Cranberry Punch 1 T. whole cloves lA C. brown sugar Vi t. whole allspice 3 (2 inch) cinnamon sticks 1 pint cranberry juice 2Vi C. sweet pineapple juice 1 T. butter Combine cloves, brown sugar, whole allspice and cinnamon sticks. Place in percolator basket. Pour cranberry juice and pineapple juice in bottom of percolator. Perk 5 to 10 minutes. Remove basket. Add butter. Serve hot. Sandra Burchett Prestonsburg, Kentucky Coconut Bread 3 C. all purpose flour 2 lA C. whole wheat flour 4 C. grated coconut The Mountain Spirit

From the K itch en s of A ppalachian C ooks 2 C. sugar 2 t. baking powder 2 t. salt 2 eggs 21/2 C. milk 1 C. butter, melted and cool 2 t. vanilla Mix dry ingredients (flours, coconut, sugar, bak ing powder and salt) in a large bowl. Mix eggs, milk, butter and vanilla separately. Pour wet in gredients into dry. Mix until thoroughly moisten ed. Pour into two large or three small, greased bread pans. Bake at 350° for about 55 minutes. It is normal for this bread to split on top. Powdered sugar may be sprinkled on top for a fancier dessert. Clay and Donna Goebeler Prestonsburg, K Y

Orange N ut Bread Sift together into large mixing bowl: 214 C. flour 214 t. baking powder 14 t. soda 3/4 t. salt 3/4 C. sugar Add to dry ingredients: 3/4 C. chopped English Walnuts Add: 2 T. oil 1 beaten egg 3/4 C. orange juice 1 T. grated orange rind Stir just until mixture is damp, but not smooth. N o v em b e r-D ec em b e r

Bake in 5"x9" loaf pan at 350° for about 70 minutes. Mabel Donahoe Prestonsburg, Kentucky

Pinwheels 1 (3 oz. pck) Plumrose ham 1 (3 oz. pck) cream cheese garlic powder chopped pecans Spread each slice of ham with softened cream cheese. Sprinkle with garlic powder to taste. Top with finely chopped nuts. Roll up and slice in bite size pieces. Stick on a toothpick. Place on tray. These can be made up early and placed in the refrigerator. Donna Turner Drift, Kentucky

Clip and Mail Please send me___________ copies of Let Us Break Bread Together at $5.00 per copy and $1.00 for postage and handling per book ordered. Mail to: Father Beiting Let Us Break Bread Together H.C. 71 - Box 1446 Prestonsburg, KY 41653 Mail books to: Name__________________________________ A ddress_______________________________________

City _______________________________ State____________________ Zip____________ 21

“ If You See A Need Try To Meet It” -A

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b y M argaret G abriel P h otos courtesy o f J o h n L in d ell

T op o f the p age, St. T im o th y ’s M issio n C o m m u n ity C enter; cen ter, resid en ts prepare lu n ch for B ib le stu d y p articip an ts; b o tto m , St. T im o th y E p iscop al C hu rch. The Mountain Spirit

“ I really feel that when you open your life to the Lord, things will happen,” says John Lindell, Seminarian-in-charge at St. Timothy’s Mission in Estill County. In quiet unobtrusive ways, the mis sion workers have been introducing residents of Barnes Mountain to this way of thinking. St. Timothy’s was started about three years ago by Father Phil Thomas, who was the Episcopalian Canon Evangelist for the Diocese of Lexington. In order to become visible, Father Thomas started a used clothing store in Ravenna. He knew that the store would be a good way to meet people and would allow him the opportunity to assess the needs in the county. The clothing store met some of those needs, but Father Thomas quickly realiz ed that if he was to be of true value, his mission work needed to move from the county seat. A UTO (United Thank Offering) grant of $16,000 enabled Father Thomas to purchase 40 acres of hilly territory with a few tenant buildings on Barnes Mountain in Estill County. But his plan was not to consecrate a church. He recognized a need, and started a community center.

J o h n L in d e ll, S em in a ria n -in -ch a rg e.

“ The greatest single thing that Phil Thomas ever did up here, was never to offer a worship schedule, until the people up here demanded a worship schedule,” said John. “ So often, mis sionaries go in and they put up a sign and they say, ‘this is when the worship is.’ And people might not know what you mean when you say ‘worship.’ ” Rusty Ellis, CAP’s recruiter of volunteers, is a member of Trinity Church, the Episcopalian parish in Danville. The parish has “ adopted” St. Timothy’s as an outreach project. He sees the outgrowth of community worship as a blooming part of the mission. “ To a great extent, that’s the attraction. It’s their church. It’s not where the Episcopalian Church has come in, built a building, set it up and said, ‘here we are, come on in! It started off as a community center, first. Then it became a place of worship.” The membership of Episcopalian churches in the diocese of Lexington is 7,000 and most of them are in the more urban areas. It has been said that churches with highly formalized liturgies are not too popular in the Appalachian areas. St. Timothy’s may be the exception to prove that rule. “ John told me on the phone the other day that someone, locally, is making them a baptismal font. It’s going to be walnut and they’re carving it,” said Rusty. “ They’ve got a possible contract for someone to make a real altar instead of the table they’ve been using, probably walnut or cherry. Of course, they’re putting carpeting in and they have electricity. John says our biggest danger is becoming ‘too Episcopalian,’ which I interpret to mean too rigid or too structured. It might stifle N o v em b e r-D ec em b e r

Barnes M ou n tain resid en ts stu d y for G E D tests.

the local expression. They seem to have good local expression. There’s nothing that goes contrary to the tradition. It seems to be truly an expression of the people on the mountain, not something that some priest who has been assigned there has brought in and said, ‘this is the way you do it.’ ” John believes that one of the biggest problems on the mountain is peoples’ poor self-image. “ I’m not prepared to write any books on the subject, but what I see is a lot of people with a really bad self-image. It affects the way they raise their kids.” John sees people who are raised to believe that they aren’t any good and will never be any good, and that notion is reinforced by their com munity. Shirley Stevens, a parishioner of St. Timothy’s, first became involved with the activities through Father Thomas whom she met when he was out visiting homes on the mountain. “ He seemed like he cared about the people and cared about the area, and he was trying to do something for the people, to give them self-respect or something. He wanted this to be a community center, and for everybody to feel free to come here and use it. Everybody who comes here eventually starts to feeling like it’s their home. Father Thomas had such plans and hopes and dreams that he got everybody to planning and hoping and dreaming, too. “ People look forward to activities for their kids,” Shirley said. “ They want their kids to be out front, and they want their kids getting things that they might not normally have the chance to do or get or get involved in. Through this place they feel free to get involved in all the things we have going for them.” “ We’ve taken what resources we could and worked with kids,” John said. “ Children are our major ministry here. Phil met a lot of kids when he first started to come up here, and he realized that there really isn’t anything for a child to do up here.” Some of the local women worked to fix up and clean the buildings on the land that had been purchased with the United Thank Offering and started a day camp in the summer of 1983. “ The day camp runs for six weeks in the summer. We start at 9:30 or 10:00 in the morning and go to about 3:00 in the afternoon. It’s something for mountain kids to do in the summer. People drive like wild Indians out on the highway, and the highway’s not a good place to play. We averaged 55 kids a day last summer.” The next dream to be realized is a day care center for pre-schoolers on the mountain. Shirley and John say they hope to employ six moms to staff the day care center. “ We have a lot of work ing mothers on the mountain, and they have to 24

pay babysitters,” Shirley explained. “ Our idea of a pre-school is also to hire six moms to be aides,” John said. “ We’d like to get six moms who know nothing about nutrition or diet or sanitation; have them be aides and part of that process. Now, I could get up and give lectures on it. I could read enough to become an expert. But the way we do things here is, when that table in there is cleaned off, you’re going to see a tablecloth. It’s an old linoleum table, but it has a cloth on it and it’s clean and there are four place settings. Some of the people who come in here don’t know what a place setting is, but it’s there and they see it. Nobody ever says anything about it. What they tell me is, that a lot of people will see something work here, and go home and try to copy it. “ So someone will help us in the kitchen, and we’ll show them how to mix beans and rice to get better nutrition for not a whole lot of money, and how to treat diaper rash, and how to identify an ear infection. If we can do those kind of things, it’ll make a difference.” The Christmas party on Barnes Mountain, which is hosted by Trinity Church in Danville, has become an integral part of the celebration of the birth of Christ for all involved. Rusty recalls that Father Thomas expressed a need for a Christmas party on the mountain at a meeting of the Chris tian Social Relations Committee for the Diocese. “ In his own inimitable style, a la Father Beiting, he said, ‘We need this done. Why don’t you do it?’ Being stupid, we said, ‘sure,’ expecting that he would handle the details. But then we found that once he had gotten the volunteers, the details were no longer in the scope of things. ‘That’s your department. You figure out the details.’ ”

C o u n terclo ck w ise from the top o f the page; p a rish io n ers from T r in ity E p isco p a l C hurch in D a n v ille led B arnes M o u n ta in resid en ts at the tra d itio n a l C hristm as p arty; ch ild ren frolic through the p resen ts p ro v id ed b y the T r in ity E p isco p a l Y ou th G roup; refreshm en ts in clu d e h o m em a d e co o k ies, ca n d y and a Santa C laus cake; F ath er P h il T h om as; p resen t d istrib u tio n is on e o f the h ig h lig h ts o f the p arty. The Mountain Spirit

So Rusty, and his wife Jane, involved the youth group at Trinity and together they all worked as hosts for the party. The kids raised money and bought the gifts for the children on the mountain. “ The guidelines were that the gifts could be for anyone from 0 to 13 or 14 years old, male or female—we didn’t know what the ratio would be. We asked them to buy things that were educa tional in nature, but would be fun. Within those guidelines, the kids went out and bought toys. St. Timothy’s in Philadelphia also sent toys. We had folks locally bake cookies and cakes. One of our parishioners decorates cakes as a sideline, so she did a Santa Claus cake.

don’t have anything, you’re used to sharing what little you have.” The mission of St. Timothy’s is simple, really. If you see a need, try to meet it. But there’s another twist to it. “ Our clothing store didn’t do well until we started to charge a nickel and a dime,” John said. “ We gave things away and had very few people come. When we charged a nickel and and a dime—fifty cents for a bagful—it’s become difficult for us to keep clothes in the store. We allow people to maintain their dignity. The human side of me says, ‘give it away.’ But that’s almost judgement, when I say, ‘look, you need a coat.’ ”

“ . . . w h en T h a n k sg iv in g rolled around , I w as ta lk in g to Father T h om as and he said , ‘Are you go in g to do the C hristm as party a g a in ? ’ I said , ‘Y eah, I guess s o ,’ and he said , ‘Good! N o w i t ’s a tr a d itio n !”

R usty E llis and J o h n L in d ell d iscu ss the p lans for electrical w irin g in the church.

“ The first party was held in a half-finished log cabin on a dirt floor, no windows—colder than Hades. There were about 50 people crammed into this cabin, and at one point they realized that they didn’t have a knife to cut the cake. One of the local kids produced a pocket knife, they wiped it off on their jeans, said, ‘Lord, make there be no germs on this knife,’ and cut the cake. The kids didn’t want to cut the Santa Claus cake. They thought it was incredible. But they served it up anyway, and distributed the presents and tried to stay as warm as possible. And that was the first Christmas party. “ The second year, when Thanksgiving rolled around, I was talking to Father Thomas and he said, ‘Are you going to do the Christmas party again? I said, ‘Yeah, I guess so,’ and he said, ‘Good! Now it’s a tradition!’” This Christmas, Trinity will host their fourth party for the children of the mountain. “ One of the things that we’ve found is that the kids on the mountain have a tendency to pick out presents for each other, like for their brother or sister. They’re very non-possesive in that sense. I don’t know whether it’s just these kids or if it’s that if you 26

Barnes Mountain is changing. What’s changing is the past view that people had of themselves. It affected the way they lived and the way they related to other people. Through St. Timothy Mis sion they’re coming to a realization that they’re worth something, that they are valuable people because they are Christ’s people. “ Then they can start to experience life in the spirit,” John said. “ It’s a gift and because of that gift I can live in the spirit.” The Mountain Spirit

D o n ’t go away, Vernon! There’s lots more to come in 1986!

Many of our readers experience the struggles and triumphs of Appalachian living through The Mountain Spirit. From the trials of Elsie and Harper Watts to the courage that is displayed by such people as Ora Slone, The Mountain Spirit readers have seen that some of the most extraordinary insights come from some of the most seemingly ordinary people. From the many letters that we receive, we know that once someone has read our magazine, they often pass it to a friend knowing that they, too, will be touched as they experience the lives of our Appalachian people. As a special gift to our Mountain Spirit family, we’re making a special Christmas offer. For only $9.00 you can send two gift subscriptions of The Mountain Spirit to the special people in your life. T hat’s $1.00 off our regular price. If we receive your order by December 13, 1985, we’ll announce that special gift in a beautiful Christmas card. Think of those special people with whom you would love to share these stories of our mountain people . . . and make them a part of The Mountain Spirit family. Thank you for your generosity and the staff of The Mountain Spirit prays that the Spirit of the Lord Jesus will descend upon you during this holy season.

N O N -P R O F IT O R G A N IZ A T IO N U .S . P O S T A G E P A ID Christian Appalachian Project

C H R IS T IA N A P P A L A C H IA N P R O JE C T 322 CRAB ORCHARD RD., LANCASTER, KY 40446 The Mountain Spirit