Brunch with the Greatest Americans

By CAROLYN CARY
Contributing Writer

The Fellowship Sunday School Class, Fayetteville First United Methodist Church, had a special homecoming recently in place of its regular class.

Invitations went out far and wide inviting those who had ever been a member in its last 50 years.

Begun about 1953-1954 by Charles Redwine, it was primarily made up of native Fayette Countians returning from World War II and marrying the girl back home. Aptly named “Young Adults,” Mr. Redwine appointed his son-in-law, Doug Dennis, as its first teacher.

As the class grew, additional teachers were added and from the late 1950s it has always had four teachers. I have been privileged to be the fourth Sunday teacher for the past 33 years.

Begun in the basement of the original sanctuary, now referred to as the Chapel, it next met in a third-floor room in the 1937 educational building. After 10 years of climbing three flights of stairs, it was decided that they were no longer young and returned to the basement of the Chapel. The class name was changed to the Fellowship Class.

It has always been one of the largest classes at any given time in the church and currently has 120 members, 80 of whom are on hand each week.

As in any homecoming, a warm, fuzzy feeling pervaded the air. Many folks had been absent from the area for over 20 years.

As I looked out over the aging faces, I realized that while I was only ten years old when these men left for the Army, I was privileged to be in their company for the last 38 years, these, “The Greatest Americans.”