1948

In January 1948 a committee was appointed to go to Camp Blanding Camp Blanding, is about 60 miles north of Flemington, was used as a Army training center in World War II. After the war it was used as a storage area for miltiary surplus which was available for public use.
to look at government surplus buildings that could be used a Chapel.  Upon returning they advised on purchasing one.  It was approved and ninety dollars sent with the application to Camp Blanding and if it was granted, the church would send eight hundred and ten dollars more in one check and eighty dollars in a separate check with the understanding the second check would be refunded if the funds properly cleared.  

Their application was approved and in April a group of church men went to Camp Blanding to begin dissembling the building for moving.  By June the building had been moved to the church property in Flemington where it was reassembled.   

It was customary for the church to have a revival every few years and it was decided they would have on in August of 1948.  A revival is intended to inspire active members and to gain new church converts and was held over several nights.  Sometimes the pastor of the church would conduct the revival but more often they would invite a pastor not of the church to conduct it.  That August they found and invited Rev. Fred Junior Fred Junior is my Grandfather, my mother's father.
The Mixsonian.  to conduct the revival.  After a week of nightly sermons, the church members were impressed with Rev. Junior saying he brought “very inspiring messages.”   

It was at the revival, that Rev. Junior’s oldest daughter Barbara first met some other kids her age, Betty Dixon, Billy Yawn and Jimmy Mixson and in the following week Betty introduced her to Jimmy’s first cousin, Morris Mixson.   Morris and his parents Wilbur and Rosalie Mixson, were not much of church goers at the time.  After all Rosalie’s father, Tobias Anderson, had been kicked out of the church.  But when Morris heard that the new preacher had two daughters, he decided that he might have to go.    

Barbara, Betty, Billie, and Jimmy became lifelong friends with Barbara marrying Morris, Betty marrying Billie and Jimmy marrying Barbara’s sister Sue.  

Upon close of the revival, their regular paster, Rev. Woodham resigned, there was no service on Sunday August 29th and so asked Rev. Junior to fill the pulpit the following three Sundays in September.  

In September Maxie Miles Mixson (see #846) resigned as deacon as he felt it to be the best interest of the church.  The church also had a special conference on Wednesday night for the purpose to reconsider the type of new building they were planning to erect.  After lengthy discussion, they decided to build it with concrete block. Rev. Fred Junior continued on as temporary pastor and helped with the design of the new church building including the location of windows, doors, toilets and Sunday School classrooms.   

In November the church called a special conference calling Rev. Fred Junior to be paster of the church.  Rev. Junior said he would accept the call if the church would back him up and support him in his work at the church.  The vote was unanimous for calling Brother Junior who then accepted the call.  

Rev. Junior immediately took action to speed up the process of getting the new building completed.  One bottleneck was having the entire congregation vote on the details of the design so he proposed giving the Building Committed full authority to develop the plans.  It was agreed by unanimous vote.  They also voted to have James Feaster superintend the work as he was qualified and it would be less costly than a regular contractor.  

In December the church conference review the building fund, finding it would not be sufficient to complete the building.  None of the Deacons had ever obtained a loan so Rev. Junior explained the process and a paper was presented for signing by male members of the church which was required by the bank to obtain the loan. The money would not be borrowed until needed and would only be spent on the new building.  The final design of the new building was presented to the congregation by the building committee for approval and passed by all.  But the building fund was showing a deficiency and each member present asked to make or pledge funds to be paid within the following 90 days.  A total of $1513.00 was collected or pledged.  The year ended well with the church prospering under Rev. Junior’s guidance.

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