As a COG PK in the 40’s and 50’s, I was asked that in about every town we moved to. Of course the COG members were Holy Rollers, Pennycostals or the nicest assigned name, ‘Holiness’.The principal of the Valdese, NC School called me in the first day and said.You are the Holiness preachers kid, right?’Yes sir’You keep your nose clean and stay out of trouble and you will do okay here. dismissed.I had the best mom and dad in the world, but I did wish a million times that he had been a Methodist or Baptist preacher.Revivals meant I would give up my bed, there were evangelists I didn’t mind, because out of the pulpit they were cool (with kids). I remember one especially, the Kentuckian, Mahaffey.But I really did not like revivals, most lasted at least 2 weeks, some 3 and one 8 weeks. I had to be there every night.
I believe I’ve heard Bro Mahaffey my father-in-law Marion Woolum would talk about him. I was not a PK growing up but I had a mom who would
Re: I’ve heard of Mahaffey
otcp
sadly it’s true.
Hey, well, I guess the preacher was preachin a little too long the night I met momma at a church service. She was settin on the pew behind me an some buddies a mine, an she was with a group a gals, first time Id ever seen her. Ended up marryin the gal. Yep, em preachers preached too long back in em days.
Yep, some preached so long you could have done the entire courtship and then gone to the front at the end of service to get hitched!
I got in trouble a lot in church. fidgeting too much in my seat, gittin too loud, laughing at the sister behind me who done scared the daylights out of me when she went to shoutin’ or The time I was sleeping under the pew and all of the sudden woke up and came out from in under the pew right through sister so and so’s legs(kind of embarrassing) or The time Bro Turner caught me playing with a deck of cards in service…we were damned to hell for that one.My favorite one of all(OTCP, you will like this one) the time the new pastors daughter sat next to me, took her leg and crossed it in behind mine and whispered in my ear, I find myself rather attracted to you. I ended up marrying her, we have been married for 23 years and have 3 amazing children. Huh, come to think of it those long sermons were more of a blessing than I knew.
Congratulations on em 23 years, wayne. Hey, youens musta growed up in one a them churches up north, cause ya said ya wife-to-be said I find myself rather attracted to you. I aint never heard nobody round Pikeville talk like at. Cause if she had growed up round the ole timer, she woulda said somethin like I kinda got a little hankerin fer ya an all.
The ‘fun’ time for the youth is good, I think. Of course the sermons are not as long now, but you are right, midnight was not an unusual hour to close a service.In reading the comments, they are normal from the earlier days of the COG. I cannot speak for an other denominations I never attended another until I left home.But YES, there were a few families that were as strict as the pastor in having the kids in church every time the doors were open.Some that I know, sadly never attended church once they left home. ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
They call us ‘holy rollers’ and what they say is true but if they knew what we are rolling about, they’d be rolling too.
There were times I hated going to church and believe me we went a lot but, I truly do remember my holy roller experiences. I remember having the Holy Ghost grab hold of me and do some pretty amazing things in and through me. I have fallen out in the Spirit, I have danced all over the sanctuary, had messages come through me to the church, had the Spirit reveal things through me, been so moved by what the Spirit was saying to me through the message that I about exploded and I have watched this happen to countless others. Since then I have tried to explain it away, tried to figure it out but I know me – I don’t fake and I don’t allow my emotions to get the best of me. What happened to me and still does from time to time is very real and pretty amazing. IMO – we need more of these holy roller events to happen in our services. There is a huge socializing element to church(accept it and move on) but, somewhere in all that fellowshippin if the Spirit is allowed to move as He sees fit – we get more than girlfriends and wives, we get some pretty amazing encounters with the True Holy Ghost of God. Wouldn’t taken nuthin for my journey now, wouldn’t trade my pennycostal heritage for nuthin. Proud to be labeled a holy roller.
I was blessed to hear Charles Conn only once for a week at the Missouri Camp Meeting in the 1960’s. He related one experience as Editor in Chief (Methinks) when he was being interviewed by a TV/Radio personality.He said everything was relaxed awaiting the ‘on the air’ sign. Talking of family and history. When the light came on he was introduced, then broadsided with the first question, Now Rev. Conn, how does it feel to be a Holy Roller? His response.That is not a term I use often, but of course I have heard it. I do understand that in the back woods of Georgia that there are some very ignorant people…… who call God’s People, Holy Rollers.I have always wished to be witty. And on one occasion I was able to use that line and it felt good, and inside I said, Thank you Bro. Conn________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/