Last weekend the Midlands experienced a fair amount of dicey weather.

Everything from snow to ice to sleet to freezing drizzle was forecast in varying amounts and degrees throughout the State of South Carolina.

Saturday gloomed raw and gray, with temperatures skating just above freezing on the ground but low enough to give tree branches an icy frosting in communities north of Columbia.

The Baptist Examiner spoke with some dear Baptist friends, the Alvin Flemings of Elgin, who described their neck of the woods as a bona fide “winter wonderland.”

Late on Saturday many Baptist pastors found themselves on the horns of a dilemma. Should they cancel services on Sunday? Would the roads be icy throughout the Lord’s Day, or only in the early morning hours? Would the sun come out and thermometers lift to 40, as promised by weather forecasters?

Several Baptist congregations took a pass on Sunday School only, convening as usual for the 11:00 a.m. worship hour.

Alpine Baptist in Northeast Columbia was one church that reconfigured its Sunday services in that manner.

Steve Crout, longtime member of Alpine, took advantage of the extra hour to make a Bojangles run. While ordering a hot breakfast for himself and his wife, Steve ran into an old acquaintance who attends another Baptist church in the area.

The man was surprised that Steve’s church was planning to hold services both Sunday morning and Sunday night. His church was locked and dark for the day, he revealed.

Steve, never shy about extending a friendly invitation to church, assured his friend that there was plenty of room on the pews at Alpine should he wish to recoup some of his losses.

But even the most faithful Baptists have difficulty resisting a Sunday off now and then. Although Steve’s friend made his excuses and went his way, the roads were clear, the sun shone, and it was a blessed Sunday for many Baptists in the Midlands.

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February 1, 2010 | Columbia Examiner (SC)
Author/Byline: Jennifer Weber | Section: Columbia Baptist Examiner