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."

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