By GREG MILLER
STAR Correspondent
Harmony Free Will Baptist Church, Hampton, was started more than four decades ago “basing its foundation on Jesus Christ with great emphasis on evangelism,” according to the Rev. Brandon Young, the congregation’s current pastor.
The church was founded June 13, 1977. “Under the pastorship of the Rev. O.P. Stokes, the church grew greatly in number,” Young stated. “Bulley Stevens, Wayne Jones, and Sam Ferguson were elected by the church to serve as the building committee. Church deacons at that time were Horace Calhoun and Louis DeLoach. Trustees were Wayne Jones and Doyle Norris.”
The first services were held on Sept. 2, 1979. The Rev. Sam Nickles and the Rev. C.B. Shoemaker spoke at the 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. services. The Appointed Sound Singers of Bristol were featured at each service and throughout the day. Lunch was served from 12-1:30 p.m. by the ladies of the church at the Rittertown Baptist Church fellowship shed. During the afternoon service Kyle Chinouth, former city commissioner and mayor of Johnson City along with D.R. Beeson, former city commissioner and assistant mayor of Johnson City, dedicated the church. Special guest, the Rev. Wallace Hayes, state promotional director of the State of Tennessee, gave the charge to the pastor and all officials.
Young, the present pastor, recalls how he began his Christian walk. “On Jan. 8, 1989, Pastor Bob Cable preached from Matthew chapter 14 on Peter asking Jesus to allow him to come unto him walking on the water. Jesus tells Peter to come, and he stepped out of the boat. It was during that time that I heard Jesus call me to come unto him. I went that morning to the altar and began a relationship with Jesus! This was the best day of my life, and this decision changed everything about my life and, most of all, my eternity.
“I have many favorite passages in the Bible, and honestly it is difficult to choose just one, but a sermon that lives on in my mind is from First Samuel chapter nine. The title of the sermon is ‘Chasing Donkeys.’ With a title like this, you can imagine that it is a unique sermon. Saul’s father Kish has lost his donkeys and he sends Saul and servant to find the donkeys. They search for three days with no sight of the donkeys. They decide to go to Samuel the prophet to enquire where the donkeys are located. God has spoken to Samuel about Saul coming and he is prepared. Samuel tells Saul that God wants to anoint him King of Israel, and that the donkeys have been found.
“Oftentimes, we chase after donkeys while God has much more major plans for each of us. We chase donkeys of acceptance, approval, money, entertainment, worry, doubt, confusion, and we have so many more that we chase after every day. We find ourselves tired and exhausted from all that chasing, and we must remember that God has a much better plan for each of us if we would start seeking him rather than all the donkeys this life has to offer. If we seek him first, all the other things will be added unto us!”
Young describes his preaching style as “definitely dynamic! I’m a teacher by training, so I incorporate a lot of examples and life applications. Jesus used parables, and I agree this is the best way to connect Biblical lessons to contemporary issues.”
Jesus is Young’s favorite Bible character about whom to study. “I love the story of Jesus Christ,” Young said. “His story is the greatest love story ever told. He gave his life so we could all have life more abundantly. I want to pattern my life after His life, and follow in His footsteps.”
If Young could preach in another part of the world, he would like to preach in either Africa or Asia. “I think there is a major need for the gospel to be preached in these areas,” he said.
Young says the congregation of Harmony Free Will Baptist Church has “felt called to leave the building. If we are the body of Christ, as Casting Crowns says, his arms should be reaching, his hands feeding, and we should love with open hearts and open doors. Every Sunday night from Memorial Day to Labor Day we have our services in different communities in Carter County. We have seen the Lord move in our county, and we are thrilled to play a small part in God’s plan.” This is called the Solution Tour.
The pastor stresses the importance of a local church bringing change to its community. “Our motto at Harmony is, ‘You will find no enemies here.’ We want to be a nonjudgmental and condemning church where people can come as they are, but never leave as they were. We want to love all people to Christ and then nurture and care for them personally by disciplining them. We do not care what folks wear, what they look like, what they drive, or how much money they have.”
Harmony Free Will Baptist has two missions, Young said. The first mission is “to see people gain a relationship with Jesus.” The second mission is “if they already have a relationship, to maintain and grow” that relationship.
Young observes, “If a church closes and the community is devastated and grieves over the closing of the church, then the church has made an impact on the community. If the community doesn’t even know that the church is closed then the church must not have been be very active or helpful within the community to begin with. We want to reach out to all the broken of Carter County. We know we have a large drug problem in this county, but we know that we have a bigger God that is the solution to all these issues! We also realize that to help, we must put legs on our prayers and meet these individuals. Young previously served as the pastor of Crab Orchard Free Will Baptist Church in Avery County, N.C., for seven years.
Young’s wife, Dara, works as Academic Coordinator at East Tennessee State University College of Public Health. The couple’s son, Grayson, 13, is an eighth-grader at Hampton Elementary School.
In addition to Young, the church’s staff members include David Odom, associate pastor; Lester Roberts, deacon; Christalee Hyder, treasurer; Khristina Cardwell, secretary; Alex Marlow and Chris Jones, trustees; Christy Dickerson, the director of children’s church; and Emilee Howard, choir director.
Worship opportunities at Harmony Free Will Baptist Church include Sunday school, 10 a.m.; Sunday worship, 10:45 a.m. and 6 p.m.; and Wednesday’s service, 7 p.m.
This was the 11th year for the church’s “Back to School Bash Ministries.” “We raise $25,000 each year to provide 2,000 K-12th grade students what they need for school each year along with providing a day of fun activities and free food for the families to enjoy,” Young said.
Other ministries include children’s church ministry, prison ministry, Women of Virtue/Men on a Mission, nursing home ministry and Wild Fire Youth Ministry.
Young invites everyone to attend Harmony Free Will Baptist Church’s services. “If people do not have a home church and they are looking for a place to belong then we would love to invite them to Harmony Free Will Baptist Church,” he said. “We have a diverse group of believers, and everyone is genuine and sincere. At Harmony, we have real people, with real issues, serving a real God!”
Harmony Free Will Baptist Church is part of the Appalachian Free Will Baptist Association, the Tennessee State Association of Free Will Baptists and the National Association of Free Will Baptists.
The church is located at 3405 Gap Creek Road, Hampton. For more information, visit the website, www.harmonychurch.org, e-mail byoungpreacher@gmail.com or call 423-725-3338.