A History of the Heidrick Holiness Church by Donald Joe Irvin
August 25, 1991
Preface:
It was with great trepidity that I embarked upon this journey into the past.
As I interviewed people, looked at deeds, pictures, books, and even visited some places mentioned in this history, I found myself immersed in a sea of emotion.
No history, written about a church can be a history unless the historian can climb into the chambers of its people's hearts. I feel I have been blessed to walk in some of those chambers.
I chose not to glorify people but I did try to amplify certain individuals who were representative of all the people who have entered this fellowship in times gone by.
As with any group, there will be those "ups and downs". I deliberately chose not to write about that section of the road for sometimes those landmarks were strewn with tragedy and pain.
While standing in the heart-chambers, reveling in the testimony of each victory, I was keenly aware of the skeletons clanking together in the closet. I chose not to open the door for "LOVE hides a multitude of sin," and with the Apostle Paul I can say...". But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Phillippians 3:13-14)
Many things are lacking in this history. As you probably have noticed, I have left the history of recent years unfinished. I leave the recent years from 1959 on to its former pastors, boards of trustees and lay-people.
I appeal to everyone with connections to the church to sit down and jar their memories and recapture the excitement of years gone by. If possible, allow me to use this information to write an updated version of this history.
If you have any information I can use, please send it to:
Donald Joe Irvin
P.O. Box 65
Girdler, Kentucky 40943
I would like to especially thank all those who have opened their doors to me for an interview, question, or just a place to sit down, rest and have fellowship. I realize it was in many cases, at an inconvenient time for them. Thank you for your patience.
Special thanks to my wife, Ilene who typed this manuscript and my two children, Christopher and Brittany, who have been extremely understanding about the times I have been absent from them while devoting my time to this research. Without them I could never have gotten this far.
History:
Soon after the turn of the century, a small group of believers felt that God was leading them to build a church building.
They had been meeting under a beech tree near what is now School Street in Barbourville, Ky., and on the John Hammon's property at Heidrick, Ky., under a brush arbor. This property is where Joe and Esther Hammons, Jean Hammons and Don and Faye Hammons now reside. (All members of the Heidrick Holiness Church.)
Led by Elder M.G. Disney, an ordained Methodist Minister who had received the "Pentecostal Blessing", these believers lived a simple life and exemplified the Apostle's Creed by being doers of the Word and not hearers only.
It was a simple time when neighbors would be found helping neighbors, doors were left unlocked at night and the wayward traveler was fed and given a place to sleep while making their journey.
Many of our members still remember the Cottage Prayer Meetings where people in the community gathered to sing, testify, preach and pray over special needs. These meetings rotated from home to home and many times led to the salvation of the sinner and edification of the believer.
Christine (Scalfe) Sprinkles recalls how her Dad, Jim Scalfe, would go into the Patterson Hollow and pray every day at a certain log. He decided he needed to go higher up the hill and pray closer to Heaven. It was during this time that Red Newman got saved and he and Jim became praying partners.
Ned Tuggle could be remembered moving the furniture out of his and Elan Tuggle's front room and making benches so that people could have prayer meeting. Ned would feel the "Power" and jump over those benches. Elan was also a daughter of Aunt Nan Scalfe.
It was Aunt Nan Scalfe who delivered between fourteen and fifteen hundred babies. One of her favorite things to say to Don Hammons (Jean Hammon's son) was "Honey, these old hands were the first ones to ever lay hands on your head." She could say the same about many others in the community of Heidrick.
Bro. Disney was well-known in the mountains and as evidenced in some of his writings, many times he would travel miles on horseback into the mountains to preach revivals or baptize a single soul who had prayed through to old-time salvation.
Before the passing of Reid Disney, (Elder Disney's youngest son) he could recall his father coming home from meetings with his breeches legs frozen and having to break the ice off his shoes and the horses stirrups in order to dismount.
Sister Ann Swafford remembers as a young girl, a group of believers having dinner spread on the ground under some trees near where the church parsonage now sits and taking up a collection in order to build a church in the community of Highland Park.
On August 11,1916 the deed for the property was recorded in the Knox County Clerk's Office. Hiram Owens and his wife Georgia had, "in consideration of one dollar ($1.00) and other valuable consideration", turned the property over to its first three trustees (James Martin, Robert McDonald and Ralph Mays.) It was stipulated in the deed that the building would have to be "no less than thirty-eight feet by sixty feet, constructed with brick, covered, and having doors and windows and was to be completed within six months from the date of conveyance," thus the ending of the brush arbor era.
It was also stipulated that the building would be "open for religious worship to all protestant denominations without charge except for a sum sufficient to provide fuel, lights and janitor service and any damage done to the building".
The trustees were to be voted upon as a rotating Board of Trustees. The first to be succeeded in 1917, the second in 1918 and the third in 1919. Each trustee was to hold his office for a term of three years, thus establishing the first phase for a code of discipline for the newly established church.
The building was constructed and given the name of "Highland Park Free Pentecostal Holiness Church". Believers from several denominations gathered under this roof and enjoyed the fellowship of one another and the blessings of God's radiant love as they worshiped under one creed "Jesus Christ and Him crucified".
Elder M.G. Disney became the church's first pastor and several members recall him as being a man who was well studied in the scriptures. Older members reminisce how that he would "call them down" if they misbehaved but that "he did it with love".
Church services were established for the fourth weekend of every month. People came from miles around on Sunday, tying their horses and parking buggies under the trees around the church.
Melody filled their hearts and the community resounded with the old time hymns and songs of praise. Church pews were hand-made and in the winter the building was heated by a pot-bellied stove.
Joe Hammons recalls that the church didn't use much fuel but in the early years James Sampson donated some coal and Joe would haul it in a wagon when he was a young boy.
Sarah (Hudson) Shields remembers her husband Tip Hudson telling her that when he was just a boy he would build fires for the church and they paid him .10 to perform this task. About the same time that the church was established, a man by the name of Charles Heidrick came to Barbourville and began work on building a railroad form Highland Park to Manchester in Clay County. This railroad was to connect through Barbourville from Corbin. Farmland in Highland Park was divided into lots and houses were built to house the workers and their families who came to work on the railroad. The community flourished as a round-house and a repair shop was built. This affected the attendance at the new church. People for miles around could be seen riding horses and buggies and walking long distances over country roads or riding the passenger trains to attend meetings at the Highland Park Holiness Church.
When the depot was built, it was named Heidrick and the name of Highland Park gradually faded and the name Heidrick Holiness Church was adopted, explaining our present name.
Effie (Hammons) Fisher recalls her father working for fifty cents a day and donating money for the upkeep of the church. When times were lean, Roxie Tuggle (Effie's Mother) could be seen visiting community friends for donations.
Some people would not have money to give but would instead give Mammie Tuggle a hen so that she could sell it and help pay the church's electric bill.
Herman Doolin, one of Heidrick's former Sunday School Superintendents, remembers a man by the name of Steve Prophet who helped "keep the church together," when times were hard. He owned and operated a store and would bring candy to the church to give to the Sunday School children and would give a dollar in the offering that would pay the electric bill.
When Steve Prophet died, he was buried in the Doolin / Riley Cemetery and Roxie Tuggle had a stone made for him.
When the old church was torn down for the rebuilding of our present sanctuary, it was Roxie Tuggle who took the altar home with her and refinished it. The altar had been constructed by Jimmy Gregory with assistance from Jake Oxendine who was a close friend. This old fashioned mourners' bench still serves the church today, where broken hearts are mended, cares are given over to Jesus and salvation comes to lives that have been burdened with sin.
From its earliest beginnings; the church had a close connection with the Methodist Church and the Baptist Church.
In 1924 Highland Park Baptist was built, but before that time the people shared the Highland Park Free Pentecostal Church and worshiped together.
Jake Oxendine, the first Sunday School Superintendent of the Holiness Church was also active in the Highland Park Baptist Church Sunday School in those early years. On Sunday morning the Holiness Church would have services and in the afternoon the Baptist Church would have services and many times you could see the same faces in both congregations.
Uncle Sam Fisher from the Methodist Church would "sing in tongues" as he and his wife, Mary would stand up front and sing for the church services. Sister Mary made a lasting impression on the young folk at that time because she wore those old-fashioned dresses and the traditional bonnet.
Chris Swafford's mother, Mary Jane ( Hammons ) Swafford, was an old time shouting Baptist and enjoyed the fellowship of the newly organized church. These are just a few examples of how close our fellowship was to the other churches.
On any given meeting day you could observe, under those homemade pews, pallets on which children could sleep and rest. As meetings lasted for hours and no one was in a hurry to go home, these pallets provided a safe haven and the children were lulled to sleep by the singing, shoutin' and preachin'. These children were to become Fathers and Mothers in the church in God's own good time and would recall with fond memories the first church nurseries under those old-fashioned pews.
Early in its history, Heidrick had an organized Sunday School. a missionary from the American Sunday School Union by the name of Rev. J. Alva Stafford got together with Jake Oxendine, Aaron Cupp and Jesse Gibson and a Sunday School was established in 1927. Many of the older members today recall that Sunday School was a must. Unless you were sick, you went to Sunday School.
It's interesting to note that the younger children's class was known as the "Card Class". It got its name from the small cards given out which had a verse on the front with an illustration and with the printed lesson on the back.
Bro. Oxendine was the first Sunday School Superintendent. In order to pay for literature and electricity he had established the "penny march". Each person was to come forward, drop a penny in the plate and say a Bible verse. Sherman Oxendine recalls his sister Genell pulling on their Daddy's breeches legs and asking "What verse can I say?". He turned around and said, "Say John 3:16". Very sweetly she turned toward the congregation and said "John 3:16". (Just the reference - not the verse.)
Every year the Sunday Schools in the area would meet and sing and speak or act out plays to encourage attendance at Sunday School. Genell would perform in a play called "Rock of Ages".
Finances were slim for the Sunday School in those early days. A report taken from Jake Oxendine's Sunday School report dated February 10, 1929 reads:
No. present in Bible Class -11 Offering .11
No. present in Senior Class - 0 Offering .00
No. present in Junior Class -11 Offering .11
No. present in Card Class -10 Offering .05
Totals 32 and 27, respectively
On that day Sunday School was opened by singing and prayer by Mrs. Lena Martin. The Sunday School Superintendent was Jimmy Gregory. Charlie Gibson was the Bible Class teacher, Aaron Cupp was the Senior Class teacher, Hazel Oxendine was the Junior Class teacher and Miss Eva Cupp was the Card Classs teacher.
In February of that year the Sunday School was closed because of an outbreak of smallpox and was reorganized on April 6, 1929. In July of that same year, Bro. Stafford paid the remaining balance left on the Sunday School literature so that Sunday School could continue.
During the Depression years many people lost their jobs on the railroad and other establishments. This affected the little church by the tracks in Heidrick.
Sherman Oxendine recalls how that many times the offering plate was passed and not a dime would be collected. "People just didn't have money in those days."
There were four main sources of income for the people of Knox County; Vile Lumber Company, the logging woods, saw mills and several coal mines. When the Depression hit, these businesses had to "lay off" their employees. Before that time there were about six hundred people employed by Vile Lumber Company, five hundred at the Minton Hickory Mill and about fifty men on the "section gang" at Heidrick. This took its toll on the offerings . It was about this time that Jake Oxendine struck on a plan to establish the "penny march".
While working with wood in the lumber yard, an old knot was split out of wood. It had a long handle and seemingly was just made for the purpose he had in mind. Jake sanded it smooth and put several coats of varnish on it. It was this little bowl that Aunt Susan Cole used to talk about when she talked about the "Penny March".
Sherman related how that many times he would have to walk the three miles from Heidrick to Boone Height where he went to high school.
One boy in the community had a car and charged five cents to ride to and from school. This boy's Dad had not been "laid off" from the railroad.
Many a morning, with the rain pouring down, Jake would follow his son out the door and with tears streaming down his face, weep because he didn't have the five cents to pay the boy for transporting his son to and from school.
Sherman was to later become a well-known scholar and professor at Union College. He is now a very active member of the Swan Pond Baptist Church. Such was and is the stock that came from a humble beginning in a little country church known as the Friendship Holiness Church at Dozier where Jake Oxendine got saved around 1925-26. In 1934 Jake Oxendine received from Rev. J. Alva Stafford a Bible for faithful attendance in Sunday School. The inscription reads:
For faithful attendance and work in Highland Park Union Sunday School. Has missed only two Sundays in three years. Hasn't missed in 18 months.
Another entry in the Bible by the hand of Jake Oxendine reads:
"Is there any reason why you should not have faith in God? Has God ever broken his Word? I defy any infidel to come forward and put his finger on any promise God has ever made to man that he has not kept."
thus reflecting the faith our forefathers had in the inerrancy of the Word of God.
Our first Sunday School Superintendent died on April 28, 1942. The obituary written by Elder M.G. Disney reflects the nature of this gentle man.
The church has had ten Pastors. Elder M.G. Disney overseen the church from 1916 until 1941, when Rev. Ralph Mooneyham began his pastorate which ended in 1959. These two pastors, along with their wives Genny (Jones) Disney and Maude Mooneyham, had totaled 43 years of pastoral service to the Heidrick community and surrounding areas.
In an interview with Rev. James Mooneyham, (the Saw Mill Preacher and Pastor of Scalf Chapel Pentecostal Church), it was learned that Friendship Holiness Church was the first Holiness church in Knox County and possibly the first in the State of Kentucky.
A lady by the name of Headwall, early in the 1900's, came to the community of Dozier and through her efforts land was donated by Doc Dozier M.D. (Maude Mooneyham's father) and the Friendship Holiness Church was built. This was about 1911 or 1912. Rosalyn was next in line, soon followed by the Highland Park Free Pentecostal Holiness Church.
Harrison Payne had a special burden for Ralph Mooneyham. Beginning a fast that lasted about two weeks, Harrison became so weakened that it was necessary for him to be hauled to Friendship Church in a corn sled or wagon where they laid him on a pallet. Ralph could not stand this and conviction took hold and he was converted.
Years later in 1949, it was Ralph Mooneyham who said,"I'll not eat a bite until these ten people get saved!" The ten were: Lee Baker, Bert Collinsworth, Joyce Valentine, Wilma Cox, Wanda Martin, Lucy Tuggle, Opal Deaton, Ed Cox, Jess Hammons and Nead Lundy.
Glen Mooneyham (son of Ralph) remembers hearing about the time that his Dad, John D. Martin and Lena Martin set out in a wagon on their way to hold a meeting in Clay County. They got as far as Greenroad School House when darkness overtook them. Not used to wasting time or opportunity, they pulled over and got on the porch of the school house and began singing. Soon you could see lanterns coming out of the hollows and up the road. Though not planned, they had a great "meeting".
Sister Maude Mooneyham was protective of the people in her congregation. Glen recalls one time there was a preacher that said something in his sermon -followed by the statement: "Boy! I felt a cold wave on that one!"
Sister Maude "-fiddled" with her scarf, looked up and said, "It must be coming up from around YOUR shirt collar cause it sure ain't none of us."
Ralph Mooneyham, following the example of his close friend and colleague Elder M.G. Disney, became a circuit rider. This example held true into the later years of his ministry for in 1944 his schedule would be as follows:
First Sunday - Poor Valley, Virginia
Second Sunday - Cumberland Pentecostal Church Cumberland, Kentucky
Third Sunday - Beech Springs Church Hinkle, Kentucky
Fourth Sunday - Heidrick Holiness Church Heidrick, Kentucky
Rev. Thea Carter visited the Church at Heidrick in early 1990 and from the pulpit recalled that when Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941, plunging the United States into World War II, he and Gil Disney were holding a revival meeting at the Cumberland Pentecostal Church in Harlan County. The revival was discontinued because of the war. Bro. Ralph Mooneyham was pastor of the Cumberland Church at that time.
In 1959 Rev. Johnny Whitsitt and his wife Ann became pastors and stayed until 1963. Bro. Johnny, as he is still affectionately called, felt a calling to "go North". There connections were made which led him into a ministry with Oral Roberts University where he faithfully served until June of 1991, the date of his retirement. He had always returned and with a heartfelt message had edified the people of Heidrick.
Effie (Hammons) Fisher recalls one time when her mother Roxie struck sick and the family thought that she was dying. Bro. Johnny was called. Two of her girls went running toward the barn crying and praying at the same time. Prayer was offered and Sister Roxie began getting better. When the two girls returned to the house, Bro. Johnny said, "Girls, you two sure can pray the prettiest prayers when you get scared." He was like a Daddy to the church.
Rev. Buford Smith and his wife Mary Lou became Pastors in 1963, Bro. Buford is the son of Sawyer and Belle (Warren) Smith of Barbourville, Ky. Bro. Buford left in 1967 and has established a great work in the Grundy, Virginia area through the Tukeland Pentecostal Church. He has returned several times to hold revival meetings and preach Homecomings in the Barbourville area.
Rev. Ted Satterfield and his wife Judy began their pastorate in 1967 and remained until 1971. It was during their time of pastoring at the church that Sterling Doolin was Sunday School Superintendent. Sterling says that in order for a Sunday School to grow you have to work at it. They did! After driving for miles from his work, Sterling and Bro. Ted could be found drinking coffee or cold drinks in the homes of people who had missed Sunday School. When Sterling took the position, the numbers on the Sunday School board were small but when he resigned as Superintendent, the numbers were steadily between 150 - 200.
At that time it was decided that an educational facility should be built and plans were made which resulted in the Sunday School rooms and the fellowship hall in the back of the church.
Bro. Ted left in 1972 and Rev. Alfred Medley and wife Mossie came in July of that year and left in the Spring of 1975. Some months passed before Rev. Herbert Gibson and his wife Zona came. It was during his pastorate that the Fellowship Hall was completed and tile was put on the floor. Bro. Gibson left in early 1978 and Rev. Herbie Hoskins became pastor soon afterward. Enthusiastic, Herbie reached out to the sinner. Baptism, after church on Sunday, was a common thing. It was while he was pastor that the church purchased the Baptistry and the Baby Grand piano. Young men and women who were saved under his ministry can be seen still serving the Lord.
Bro. Herbie left in 1984 and soon after on June 24, 1984 Rev. Flynn Sexton and his wife Rita came to pastor. During his pastorate, the church put the restrooms in the back of the church, put a bathroom in the Evangelist Quarters, drained the water and sealed the foundation and black-topped the driveway around the church.
Bro. Sexton left at the close of 1989 and in March of 1990, Rev. Tommy Frazier came with his wife, Verdiain, and children Carolyn and "Little" Tommy.
Bro. Frazier is well received and respected by Church and community alike. He can be seen visiting the sick in their homes, hospitals and being with the family in time of bereavement at the death of a loved one. His ministry is blessed with the annointed singing of his wife, Verdiain.