When I was in my
teens my family moved into Russellville, Alabama, but we continued to attend the Quinn’s Memorial church near
the community where we had previously lived. Quinn’s only had services on Sunday morning in those days but
Washington Avenue had Sunday and Wednesday evenings services. My grandmother lived in Russellville and attended
all services at Washington Avenue where Hershall Patton was the local preacher. I would attend the night
services with her. I received much of my early training and sound doctrinal foundation from teaching I received
from these services.
After over 50 years
of “full-time” local work with churches in three states, I decided to “retire,” do more writing, teach classes
and hold some meeting as given opportunity. At the time of my “retirement” we had worked with the Isbell church
just south of Russellville for 13 years. We decided to continue to live in Russellville and worship with
Washington Avenue, I suspect for sentimental reasons, when we had no preaching appointments or classes to teach
elsewhere.
So Much for Retirement
About a year after
my “retirement” Washington Avenue found itself looking for a preacher and I agreed to “fill-in” while they were
looking. Well, so much for “retirement,” after four months of “filling-in,” in a business meeting of the men of
the church, February 7, 2007, I agreed to abandon the “filling-in” role and move into the preacher’s home next
door and work with the church regularly as local evangelist.
I don’t know how
long the Lord will continue to bless me with the good health to do this work, but I am enjoying this role and
will likely continue until either I am no longer able to do the work or the brethren and/or I decide to
terminate the arrangement -- or until my family tells me that I am losing it and need to give it
up.
The Beginning of this congregation
This church is one
of the older churches in Alabama. Restoration historian, Earl West, tells of the origin of this
congregation:
"Another strong Alabama church before the (Civil - EB) war was
located at Russellville. This congregation was established in 1842 under unusual circumstances.
Tolbert Fanning left Nashville on January 20, 1842, on a tour of the South. He visited Franklin and
Columbia in Tennessee and found these churches nearly dead. He went on to Florence and Tuscumbia,
Alabama, and from here to Russellville. At the latter place he met Dr Sevier, son of a former governor
of Tennessee, who was the only member of the church in the city. Fanning spent a night in the city and
preached on the importance of searching the scriptures. The next morning he started to leave town.
About a mile from the city the slender carriage gave way. He was informed that it would take several
days to repair it. He and his wife walked back to town through the mud, and here again he began an
extended gospel meeting. He preached a week, and twenty were baptized. But Fanning was tired. He went
to Tuscumbia , and W. H. Wharton came down to help. Before the meeting ended, Fanning baptized two
doctors, one lawyer, the clerks of the county, circuit and chancery courts with their families, the
wife of the postmaster, the jailer and his household, and the wife and daughter of the sheriff. The
meeting ended with seventy-four additions. Later, Fanning reported one hundred and five additions,
indicating that others soon came in as a result of the meeting.” (The Search for the
Ancient Order, Vol. I, Earl West, pp.140-141)
The Course of
This World and Bible Causes of Divorce
and the Role of Government in Divorce can be purchased
from Truth Books or from most major
online book-stores. Go to the bookstore website and search "Bragwell".
"Another strong Alabama church before the (Civil - EB) war was
located at Russellville. This congregation was established in 1842 under unusual circumstances.
Tolbert Fanning left Nashville on January 20, 1842, on a tour of the South. He visited Franklin and
Columbia in Tennessee and found these churches nearly dead. He went on to Florence and Tuscumbia,
Alabama, and from here to Russellville. At the latter place he met Dr Sevier, son of a former governor
of Tennessee, who was the only member of the church in the city. Fanning spent a night in the city and
preached on the importance of searching the scriptures. The next morning he started to leave town.
About a mile from the city the slender carriage gave way. He was informed that it would take several
days to repair it. He and his wife walked back to town through the mud, and here again he began an
extended gospel meeting. He preached a week, and twenty were baptized. But Fanning was tired. He went
to Tuscumbia , and W. H. Wharton came down to help. Before the meeting ended, Fanning baptized two
doctors, one lawyer, the clerks of the county, circuit and chancery courts with their families, the
wife of the postmaster, the jailer and his household, and the wife and daughter of the sheriff. The
meeting ended with seventy-four additions. Later, Fanning reported one hundred and five additions,
indicating that others soon came in as a result of the meeting.” (The Search for the
Ancient Order, Vol. I, Earl West, pp.140-141)
