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       One of the bonuses for our ministers at Dillon Chapel is an updated parsonage with modern utilities -- but this was not always so.
       The parsonage was constructed by Claude Dillon in the mid 1920's, a time of relative prosperity. However, when the Depression came, it was difficult to pay for and maintain. At one time, it was offered to Mr. Dunford to move across the road to his lot. He turned down the offer. Vernie Bradbury and Claude Dillon were two menbers who went house to house seeking pledges to keep the parsonage afloat. Thanks to the church and community working together, we were able to hang on.
       In the early 1940's when Raymond Workman was minister, it was proposed that the men dig a well, as his wife Elsie was ill and unable to carry water from a neighbor's, as the minister's family had always done. There was some debate, during which one trustee said: "If we are able to carry water, so is the preacher. His view did not prevail, and Raymond and Elsie had their water!
       When Rev. and Mrs. Houston moved in during the late 1940's the condition was deplorable. Rev. Workman's hard-won water still had not been pumped into the house, the roof leaked everywhere, and the only plumbing was an outhouse shared with the church. Irene Houston says that on Sunday morning if she didn't get up and out by 9:00 am, she had to stand in line with the church folks!
       The only heat was coal or wood. Rev. Houston said he had a pot-bellied stove in his study upstairs. One day he built a roaring fire which almost set the house on fire. He had to get water to douse the stove.
       During his ministry, the house was painted and the roof repaired. Over the years many improvements were made -- most of which were the work of the men of the church and community who donated their skills in carpentry, electrical work, and plumbing. The front and back porches were enclosed to provide more room; the kitchen was updated, and a bath installed; vinyl siding was added. So today, our ministers can enjoy modern conveniences.
       But alas. The more things change, the more they stay the same. During the energy crisis and sky-rocketing fuel prices, the men installed a wood stove!

       A lifetime of memories for me can be found in Dillon Chapel United Methodist Church, a church that my aunts, uncles, cousins, parents, brothers, husband and children have attended together.
       My earliest recollections are of attending Sunday School as a young child and the Rev. Doran Houston preaching. When my parents moved from Pea Ridge to Davis Creek, we began attending Dillon Chapel regularly. Among my Sunday School teachers were Mrs. Lola Sargent and Mrs. Linkfield.
       One Sunday evening, Aunt Evelyn, Barbara and I had come to church. The Rev. Flowers had an altar call and I went forward. I was eleven years old and wanted to dedicate my life to God. Later, was sprinkled. I became involved in the Youth Group, M.Y.F. (Methodist Youth Fellowship). Our youth group was a large group. It was the social outlet for the teens in this area. We had our meeting, sub-district meetings, planned bake sales and ice cream socials, helped lead the opening of church services, and occasionally sang. The Thomas girls, Marla, Donna, and Deborah, all had good voices. I, with my outstanding musical talent, helped them at times. Our youth group was really outstanding. Rev. Flowers, Rev. Duncan and Rev. Travis Wells went beyond the call of duty to invite the youth to the parsonage for parties. One Valentine's Day party, there was a deep snow on the ground. Barbara Blankenship and I had baked cakes for the party. I remember trudging through the heavy snow with the sky full of lightening.
       I remember Mrs. Sargent's class of girls only.! We felt very special having a class with no boys. Later the boys and girls were in same class.
       I recall a revival when Jackie and Catherine (Nash) Morgan were courting quite heavily. I paid more attention to them than the minister that night.
       During the summer, I helped with Bible School, as an assistant. A couple of summers I had my own class. At 14, I really was impressed with teaching and decided this would become my career.
       The years passed and were kind to me.
       Don and I were married June 12, 1968, here at Dillon Chapel by the Rev. Mentz, and we have attended this church ever since.
       Both of my children, Andrew and Ashley, have attended Dillon Chapel since their births.
       I am looking forward to many new memory making events for the future with Dillon Chapel and my children's acceptance of Christ, their weddings, our grandchildren, etc.

       Dillon Chapel has been the incubator of several fine preachers, including Alec and Normal Nash, George Porter, Hugh Lam, and Tex Frye.
       Dillon Chapel is indeed indebted to the Nash brothers, Alec, Normal, Jeffie and Henry, Jeffie was Sunday School Superintendent for over 15 years; Alec and Normal were preachers. They were sons of Delia and Augustus Nash, one of the first families to settle on Davis Creek. Delia was a life-long member of Dillon Chapel and faithfully brought her large family to church here.
       Normal and his wife Wealtha were both converted here. In the 1940's, it was a custom to use a church couple's new-born baby for the baby Jesus in the church Christmas play. Normal and Wealtha, as a young couple, brought their baby daughter, Sandra, to act as baby Jesus. It was about that time, in 1943, that Normal was converted. He served many churches for 35 years, including 4 years at Salt Rock, 13 years at Mt. Pisgah; he also served at Lavalette, the Henderson Charge and the Accoville Charge.
       After serving God long and well, Normal Nash died in 1977, on a Sunday morning, his Bible laying on the table ready for Sunday services. A fitting end to a life well-lived.
       George Porter, along with his wife Ruby Lee Chambers, was converted at the first revival held by Doran Houston. Ruby Lee father was also converted at that time. After George had already graduated from Marshall, he told his wife that he had been called to preach. Before he could act on his decision, he was drafted into service. Mrs. Porter took this as a sign that George was not meant to be a preacher. However, the Lord thought otherwise. He served as an assistant chaplain during the Korean War.
       After the war, he told his wife that he might still have to serve the Lord as a minister. When she protested, he said: "What do you mean, woman? I have preached from here overseas and back. What is the difference?"
       George went on to Duke University Seminary and served long and faithfully in the Methodist Conference. One of the highlights of his career was a highly successful ministry at Steele Memorial for nine years. He first served at Oakland, Maryland and Halifax, Virginia. He is now retired, and seriously ill, at Daytona Beach, Florida.
       Hugh Lam was another preacher who came out of the same revival. He was married to Estil Paugh, a daughter of Beulah and Ishmael Paugh, who had herself been reared in the church at Dillon Chapel. Hugh had originally been saved at Bloomingdale Baptist, but it hadn't taken. He was renewed at Dillon Chapel during Houston's now-famous revival.
       Before this rededication, Hugh had an alcohol problem, a fact he was always quick to witness to. He often praised God for his cure. During the revival he came to the altar, but didn't get satisfaction of his salvation. That night he had hallucinations. He called Estil's mother, Beulah Paugh, and she prayed with him most of the night. Hugh promised the Lord that if He would help him through this night, that he would serve Him.
       Well, the next week he neither touched nor thought about a drink until Friday came. He always bought two fifths of whiskey and when he passed the liquor store at 20th Street, he had his hand on the door before he even thought. Then, it was as if a Voice said to him: "Hugh, what did you promise?" He turned away and never took another drink.
       Sometime later, he told Rev. Houston that he had the calling to preach. Rev. Houston said he couldn't visualize Hugh as a preacher, but the Lord did. He made a fine one.
       His widow, Estil, recalls that he told her he had doubts about his ability to preach. "I just can't do that," he said. He wrestled with this for a while and one night before evening services he said to Estil: "Now if the Lord wants me to preach, let Him call on me to preach tonight. When he arrived, the Sunday School superintendent, Hatsell Ullom, said the preacher they had for the service couldn't make it and asked Hugh to preach. He never doubted his calling again.
       Tex Frye was another preacher who made a decision to preach while attending Dillon Chapel. The church made regular contributions to his education while Tex was at Duke University. Jack Jeffrey remembers well the service in which Tex announced his decision. You might not believe it, but Jack swears at this time that Tex was bashful, mumbled when he spoke, and looked at the floor. He was sitting beside Jack when he suddenly said, "I've been called to preach." Jack thought he had heard wrong. "I've been called to preach," repeated Tex, looking at the floor. "Called to preach?" yelled Jack in surprise. "If God called you, he can call anybody," Jack declared. When Tex finished Seminary and returned to Dillon Chapel to preach, Jack was astounded at the clarity and power of his sermon.
       Tex's story, as well as the others noted here, just proves that if the Lord calls you to serve, he gives you the power to do it.

CENTENNIAL MINUTES
YET A LITTLE WHILE AND THEN

October 22, 1989 - Thomas J. Jeffrey

       He ended every worship service with his telephone number because he wanted the congregation to know that they could call on him any time, day or night.
       He preached from Revelations warning of losing our first love. The congregation responded with rededication.
       He made visitation a priority. He encouraged the congregation to visit and lead the way be example. As a result whole families, who had been attending church but had not made a profession of faith, came forward to accept Christ and become members.
       He was a student pastor attending United Seminary, but his church came first. When someone died, he was there to comfort the family and to preach the funeral.
       Dillon Chapel was a growing church in his vision. His sermons had references to needing an expanded sanctuary. Attendance was increasing, people were excited and the Spirit was spreading.
       The church planned a New Years Eve celebration and Watch Night Service that promised to be a good time. It was planned to have such appeal that many would choose to celebrate with us and avoid the traditional parties. The evening was a grand success. We played games, watched movies, ate holiday goodies, sat by the woodstove watching the fire and had a wonderful fellowship. But our preacher seemed a little low. Maybe he had been working too hard we thought. We had our service around 11:00 p.m. praising God for the blessings of the past year and asking His continued Presence in the next year. Our preacher didn't seem to have his usual energy. We wondered about that.
       Shortly into the new year the preacher announced that he would have to take some time off. He said he might tell us why later. He returned to the pulpit to preach only a few times after that. The disease and the medication tore at his body so much that he wasn't able even to attend. For 3 month as he battled with cancer, his faith inspired us all.
       His goal was to win his fight with that awful disease and to recuperate in time to preach on Easter Sunday. We all prayed for his recovery. He was so young and had been so full of life. Shortly before Easter we received the news that those devastatingly powerful medicines had defeated the disease. We were elated and so grateful to God. But complications began and David Groves began that final sleep awaiting the awakening sound of the trumpet of God.
       Sometime before Easter while the choir was preparing for the cantata, the church door opened and David slipped quietly into the back pew. He listened for awhile and before he left, he announced in his barely audible voice that he was going to preach on Easter Sunday. *But it wasn’t to be. The week before Easter our pastor went to be with his Lord. (*The sentences here preceded by the asterisk were not in the original Centennial Minutes book.)
       On that sad Easter Sunday morning, though full of grief, our choir presented the cantata. As the service progressed a feeling of hope and love came over us for we were sure that our preacher had been welcomed home. The Sancturary door opened and closed during that special service and we all looked, but no one entered.

       At the peak of Dillon Chapel's membership, Sunday School often passed the 200 mark. One of the reasons for the increase was the bus ministry, which was a cornerstone of the community for many years.
       It took the efforts of the whole church to make it work. Alec Nash, as a newly converted Christian, volunteered to drive for Sunday morning services. Sometimes, he made two runs.
       Alec rigged a speaker on top of the bus with a mike so he and the preacher could talk to the people in the community. On Saturdays, the preacher and Alec drove the bus across Doss Hill and up Route 10 until they ran out of houses. Then they would go up Hughes Branch to Long Branch, talking through the loud-speaker as they went.
       Hatsell Ullom was responsible for keeping the bus mechanically fit to run. Other members formed visitation teams which visited weekly those families who might make use of the bus: people who didn't drive, people who were elderly, children who had no transportation to Sunday School. People felt that the church cared for their welfare and were reaching out to meet their needs, so they responded. Many times, whole families, whose children rode the bus, became involved with the church. A successful bus ministry took a lot of hard, faithful work, and support on the part of the congregation. When you think about it, this is true of any successful program which the church sponsors!