Gateway
Christian Congregation opens new building
SEVIERVILLE - Acknowledging that his congregation feels
gratitude, satisfaction
Wilbur Reid, interim minister for Gateway Christian Church on
Upper Middle Creek Road, preached a dedicated ceremony
for the congregation's new building.
and relief at reaching the milestone of dedicating their new
church building, Gateway Christian Church interim minister
Wilbur Reid told his flock that the real task now is to begin
doing God's work.
Located at 2119 Upper Middle Creek Road, the church's
30-member congregation began in January to refurbish the
building long known as Shields Mountain Methodist Church, one of
the churches on the circuit of the late Dr. Robert Thomas. In
recent years the building was used as a wedding chapel, but was
offered for use as a church by and Ronn Looper, daughter and
son-in-law of church members Barbara and Marion Kincheloe.
In his dedication sermon Reid said, "We are ready now to look
at the future and say this is where we want to go. Today is a
special milestone, but it is not a completed task; we've just
been brought home to better complete the mission. ... Unity is
supposed to be the hallmark of a church as we work together as a
team. Without good team work, there will not be success. As
believers we need to be unified. ...
"Every person is significant, even if they are different. The
significance is in what we are doing in this community in the
fellowship of the church. We need to support each other, and I
see that here."
Continuing, he said, "Borrowing from President John F.
Kennedy, I want you to ask not what the church will do for you.
Rather, you should ask what you can do for the church. ...
Believers spread the good word of God. Now that we have this
building, you need to tell the community what God has done for
you. ... This building is a blessing and I stand in His holy
presence to dedicate this building to do His work. I dedicate
this building to God as a house of prayer; a witness of our
faith."
Dedication of the church was capped with an open house which
began with music by the Sevier County Old Harp Singers. Old
Harp, or shape note, music would have originally been sung in
the church and was seen by the Gateway Christian congregation as
a fitting way to dedicate the building.
According to David Sarten, a member of the Old Harp Singers,
that was not music designed for performance, but for community
participation.
"It's a type of music unique to the United States which is
where it originated. Some of the tunes date back to the 1400s
and 1500s," said Sarten. "The reason for the shaped notes is
that in the early 1700s and 1800s, church congregations in
farming communities were farmers and their singing was not good.
To improve people's ability to harmonize, shape notes were
developed to teach uneducated people how to sing. They could
memorize the shape and learn its tone, and when you put the
shape with the tone and the words, it all falls into place."