I have towered over the City of Brookhaven well over 50 years – WAY before Brookhaven even thought of becoming a city. From my perch at 1366 N. Druid Hills Road, I have been fortunate to see a world go by.
I’ve seen trees planted and then cut down, streets widened, houses built, houses torn down, grocery stores come and go, street lights installed, a lot of happy weddings and unfortunately, a lot of sad funerals. I’ve seen many people come to town and not so many people leave. I’ve seen my home turn from a 100% Caucasian community into something much more stimulating and diverse. I’ve seen people walk a short distance to my home and some that have come from faraway places. Some of my new friends are from ALL over the world AND from ALL over the United States. There are males, females, gays, lesbians, and transgenders. We’ve got single folks, divorcees, married couples with and without children. We’ve got babies and teenagers. People with walkers, wheelchairs, and the occasional crutches. We’ve pretty much got a little bit of everything and we like it that way. Some folks have been coming here for over 70 years. They were married here, baptized and raised their children and grandchildren here. They’ve also mourned the loss of family members and/or friends and, now, the time has come for all these wonderful people to mourn me.
You see, I am their steeple and I’m about to be replaced. If you’ve seen me lately, you can tell I am worn out. And, when Hurricane Irma took my cross away, we didn’t know if this was an omen or a blessing. Churches all over the country have been struggling and many have closed. We thought that might be the case for this church too. Over the years, I’ve seen our pews filled to capacity, although that’s recently not the case. Sometimes there are only 50 people coming on Sunday morning. Low attendance makes it difficult to financially sustain an old building and pay salaries, but we manage.
We’re on a very busy, active, popular corner and many people use our description when giving directions – “take a left (or right depending on where you’re coming from) at the old white church on the corner.” We have been approached numerous times by developers who wanted us to move so they could tear us down and build some townhomes. It was very tempting. But fortunately, this little landmark corner of Brookhaven has stayed strong and I’m so proud of what so few have recently accomplished.
In addition to our Sunday morning services, did you know that there is an Hispanic church meeting three times per week? There’s also an African American church meeting on Sunday nights (you should hear their music and prayers – very uplifting). On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights there are recovery meetings and on the second and forth Saturday of every month, there’s a Soulful Saturday service for the recovery folks who enjoy hotdogs and bingo after the service. We have a men’s and women’s clothes closet that is open every Monday night where we distribute hundreds of articles of donated clothing, shoes and personal care kits. We have a food co-op that’s open the 4th Saturday morning of every month. A Women’s Bible Study meets every Wednesday night. A Girl Scout Troop meets in our Children’s Room and we house Dr. Joan Teach of the Community Resource Center where adults, students and families can find information and support regarding their learning differences (i.e., ADHD). One hundred pre-school children attend our award-winning child-development center, which has 30 full-time employees (mostly highly acclaimed teachers who have been there for years). I’m not sure but I think I will miss their silly squealing, laughter, and chattering the most – the children’s that is – not the teachers, although they will be missed too!
Yep, my time has come. I’m moving on to be recycled and turned into something clean and new – kind of like my replacement. I’ll miss this old place, this corner at Briarwood and N. Druid Hills, this town and especially these people who call Brookhaven home. I hope you’ll come by sometime – you’re welcome whenever you want to visit. You won’t be met by someone forcing a Bible into your hand or asking you to join. Instead, you’ll be met with a smile, possibly a welcoming handshake and a few introductions. You’ll get to sit on some old wooden pews that make funny noises (even though everyone sits on long seat cushions) and soak in the beautiful stained-glass windows that have been here almost as long as I have. You can listen to some beautiful music sung by a very small choir, accompanied by an amazing piano and organ player (you should hear those pipes. They shake my core and rock the whole building)! The time will go by fast and then you’ll be on your way – kind of like me. But . . . come back to visit, to participate, or just to silently pray. And, if you decide to stick around, you’ll not only see a world go by, you’ll make a difference in the community, just like I did. Enjoy!
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Contact:
Nancy Purdon
(404) 237-7506
office@brookhaven.church
