For the past 18 months, I

have been writing about most of the 106 churches in

Fayette County and its one synagogue. There are about 30

churches that did not respond when contacted by phone and

then by letter.

There are three African

Methodist Episcopal churches, three Assemblies of God, 36

Baptist churches, three Bible churches, three Charismatic

churches, nine Christian churches, one Christian Science

church, four Church of Christ churches, a Church of God,

a Church of God of Prophecy, a Contemporary church, two

Episcopal churches, an Charismatic Episcopal church, four

Full Gospel churches, a Holiness church, a Jehovah's

Witness church, one Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day

Saints, four Lutheran churches, two nondenominational

churches, two Pentecostal churches, five Presbyterian

churches, three Roman Catholic churches, two Seventh Day

Adventist churches, 13 United Methodist churches and one

Synagogue.

There are five churches

that date back to the beginning of the county in the

1820s and they are still viable congregations:

Fayetteville First United Methodist, Fayetteville First

Baptist, Whitewater Baptist, Flat Creek Baptist and

Antioch Baptist.

Altogether there are 25

churches that date from the 19th century; from 1900 to

1950 there were four new churches; from 1950 to 1970

there were seven churches begun; from 1970 to 1980 there

were 11 new ones; from 1980 to 1990 there were 15, and

from 1990 to date there are 11 new ones. (These figures

are from the churches who responded).

Of these churches, those in

the 19th century were begun under brush arbors or in

homes; in the 20th century 10 were begun in schools, four

began in the American Legion Log Cabin building, three

began in tents, six started in storefronts, 12 began in

homes, and the rest began by using other churches.

It has been interesting to

see trends I would not have otherwise seen; about 20

percent of the churches are creating memorial gardens,

whether in memory of congregants or just providing

peaceful places to sit and ponder. One church is devoting

over an acre to its garden, and when complete it will

contain a waterfall, a pond, a Gazebo, walking paths,

benches and a 20-foot high wooden cross.

Also, because the cost of

construction has gotten to be so high, brand new churches

are building multipurpose buildings first. They are used

as sanctuaries, classrooms and sports facilities until

the congregations can build separate sanctuaries, usually

in about seven years.

One thing I have been

personally pleased to observe is the helping out of

congregations that aren't even the same faith as the

giver. Whether a congregation is a brand new one, or had

to vacate its church while building a new one, churches

of all faiths are pitching in to offer their facilities.

A Church of Christ has shared its facilities with a

synagogue for many years.

There are two pastoral

"clubs" in the county and when they meet, no

one tries to expound on any dogmas, they just share ways

in which they can lead people to Christ, which is what

they are in business to do.

African-American churches

and white churches are beginning to swap preachers

occasionally, and several churches are devoting one

service or more a week to Spanish-speaking people. One

church provides a "translator box" to Hispanics

on Sunday morning so they can participate in the service.

This church also hired an assistant pastor who speaks

Spanish.

Yes, indeed, Fayette County

has become a microcosm of the world, and I for one, am

pleased to have witnessed it.