The Mt Tabor Baptist Church that was built in the mid 1890's and served as
their meeting house before the present building was dedicated in 1961.

MT. TABOR BAPTIST CHURCH PAINTING
Submitted by Tom Dickerson and Beth Sloan Wilburn provided the picture.
This original picture is the property of Mr. and Mrs. Garvice Gregory (Sharon Beasley Gregory)
who reside just north of the present Mt. Tabor Missionary Baptist Church near Pleasant Shade.
Harold Halliburton, a native of Pleasant Shade, painted this picture of the old Mt. Tabor
Church building in the late 1950s or early 60s a few years before it was torn down. It was
located down the hill from the present church building and on the west side of Highway 80.
The view of the church is to the north. I think Harold did a fine job.

I was baptized into the fellowship of this church in 1955 by my uncle, Calvin Gregory, and
have many wonderful memories of attending church there. During annual summer revival meetings,
the church grounds parking area would be filled and two-lane Highway 80 would be lined with
cars on both sides for some distance north and south of the church. Both day and
night services would be held. During a night service in the late 1950s, one young boy chose
to "seek the Lord" on the edge of Highway 80. (This is and was one of the major
highways in the area connecting points north of Carthage.) The reason for this was that he,
perhaps, did not want to come inside the church, stayed outside, and was approached by
concerned church members who were interested in his spiritual condition. Once he saw the
concern and interest these good people had shown in him, he yielded to their admonitions,
knelt beside the road, and began to pray. Soon a crowd left the church and gathered around
him singing hymns and encouraging him to trust in the Lord. The crowd increased until it
blocked the highway. As through traffic reached the site, the cars would be stopped and
turned around by some on the periphery of the group, stating that a young man was trying to
get right with God and we do not want to disturb him. Some of the motorists would complain
that it was unlawful to block a major highway and inconvenience the general public under
these conditions. However, they would turn around and seek another route to their destination.
Later, the boy made his peace and many people went away rejoicing.

Milton Dickerson, my uncle, related the following story to me concerning the old church
building. As a teenager in the 1930s, Milton was at Sunday church when a certain older member
was called on to lead in prayer. He was noted for being rather lengthy in his petitions
and that Sunday proved to be no exception. (The prayer was, however, briefly interrupted as
described below.) As the gentleman knelt and proceeded with his usual preamble, thankfulness
and requests, Milton soon became distracted and anxious for the prayer to end. He started
looking around through his eyebrows to see if others felt the same. As he stole glances
around him, he happened to look toward the ceiling where he saw a nail protruding with a big
red wasp attached, hanging from its rear legs. The wasp was in the "dive bomber" attitude
and was located some 10 to 12 feet directly above the petitioner's baldhead.
According to Milton, the wasp was rubbing his front legs together in preparation and
anticipation of his premeditated attack. Needless to say, Milton was thinking how funny it
would be if indeed the wasp did carry out its mission. Suddenly, at the height of the old
gentleman's supplication, the wasp dived with both great speed and accuracy scoring a direct
hit on the shiny target. In the midst of his fevered request, the old gentleman slapped
the top of his head and cried "Wah!" Naturally, those in the congregation who had not been
doing what Milton was doing did not know what had happened but the old gentleman,
determined to not be distracted, soon proceeded to complete his prayer and "Amen".
Milton had to excuse himself for the remainder of the church service.