Revival readies way for churches’ community action, organizer says

February 17, 2006

By VIC MacDONALD
Index-Journal regional editor

The second in a series of monthly church services that grew from a call to action at last summer’s Reconciliation Service in Abbeville “prepares the way” for a revival among the people of Greenwood and the Lakelands, an event organizer says.
Last month, Friendship Worship Center, which sponsored the Reconciliation Service, started the monthly series with a “continue the dream” service on Martin Luther King Day. This month, Refiner’s Fire Christian Assembly in Greenwood continues the process of bringing together local pastors and congregations.
This “Prepare the Way for His Coming” service is 7 p.m. Tuesday at Refiner’s Fire on the Laurens Highway. About 15 churches in Greenwood, Abbeville and McCormick counties joined in a covenant to support the series of services for 36 months.
“We will work out the reconciliation we gave lip service to in July,” said Byron Jones, event organizer and senior pastor of Refiner’s Fire Christian Assembly.
At the Reconciliation Service, Jones offered a repentance on behalf of white people for the sins of slavery, lynchings and economic oppression of blacks throughout American history. Black ministers then accepted the repentance and offered forgiveness.
Following that service, Jones said, ministers felt compelled to do more. They looked on the Reconciliation Service as a “call to action,” he said, and now are using the monthly services as a way to keep their congregations energized on the issue of unity.
“We are to pull the church together. There are 174 churches in Greenwood. If we’re the body of Christ, then the body is schizophrenic,” Jones said. “Ninety-eight percent of Christians believe the same thing. It’s that 2 percent that we’re hung up on. We’re never going to be able to do great things if we’re going 174 different directions.”
What’s needed in Greenwood and the Lakelands, Jones said, is a coming together of churches of all denominations and races to have an impact on the community. “We will win more people to the Lord when we come together,” he said.
Jones cited Greenwood United Ministries as an example of a community improvement effort fueled by unity. Physicians and others combine their efforts through the ministry to provide services to the underprivileged.
“This encourages me,” he said, “churches coming together for benevolence. The momentum has already started.”
Jones said the “Prepare the Way for His Coming” theme was adopted in recognition of the New Testament lessons of John the Baptist’s “crying in the wilderness” preparing the way for Christ’s arrival on Earth.
“It was a miracle, that these ministers signed a covenant,” Jones said. “It gives me a whole lot of hope.”
“Prepare the Way for Revival,” a multi-church community wide service, is 7 p.m. Tuesday at Refiner’s Fire Christian Assembly, 3915 S.C. 72/U.S. 221 E., Laurens Highway, Woodmen of the World building. For information, call 223-2344 or 980-5645 or visit www.refinersfireassembly.org.

Reaching for state

Area wrestlers in Upper State meet this weekend for berth in state finals

February 17, 2006

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal sports writer

The stakes will be quite a bit higher for high school wrestlers from Greenwood and the Lakelands area beginning tonight.
Four area schools — Greenwood, Emerald, Abbeville and Ninety Six — will have wrestlers competing in the individual Upper State championship meet this weekend. Greenwood will be participating in the AAAA meet at Maudlin High School, while Emerald, Abbeville and Ninety Six will be in the AA-A event at Woodruff High School.
Both meets begin at 5:30 p.m. tonight and continue at 9 a.m. Saturday.
The Upper State meet is used to determined which wrestlers qualify for the state championship. The top four finishers at each weightclass at Upper State advance.
The Eagles had eight wrestlers qualify for Upper State, the most since Greg Brewer began coaching the team.
“It’s good for us, because that’s the most we’ve had qualify for Upper State in many moons,” Brewer said.
“At the same time, I’ve told the guys point blank they’ll be facing some of the toughest competition they’ve seen all year. It should be a good experience for them.”
Brewer said senior John Hamrick, who wrestles in the 189-pound weightclass and has only lost one match this season, is a solid candidate to advance to state. However, the coach said he wouldn’t be surprised if two or three other Eagles moved on as well.
“A lot of our goals this year were region related,” Brewer said. “But the individual Upper State is good, because that allows us more practice time.”
The extra practice is an aspect that is relished by Emerald coach Bo Smith as well.
Unlike the AAAA meet, there is no qualifying for the AA-A event. Therefore, coaches can enter whatever wrestlers they choose.

Opinion

What constitutes torture in the context of wars?

February 17, 2006

It’s not like South Carolinians don’t understand what torture is. They’ve read enough and some have seen enough to have no doubts. If proof is needed, just remember the Bataan death march.
Death by brutality and constant torture were always close at hand for the American and Filipino prisoners.
Today, though, when critics of the U. S. accuse us of torturing al Qaeda and other terrorists, there’s a big difference. For example, the United Nations recently said it has found that the United States committed at Guantanamo Bay what amounted to torture. What constituted torture, according to the U. N.? It included force-feeding of some detainees who refused to eat and subjecting them to prolonged solitary confinement.

AMERICAN OFFICIALS, RIGHTFULLY, rejected the draft report. It said the U. N. “experts” who wrote it made numerous errors and considered statements from detainees’ lawyers as fact.
That shouldn’t surprise anyone. A lawyer is going to defend his client, or clients, in any way he or she can. In this case, to take what’s said at face value is naive and is indeed very likely to be misleading.
Anyway, the difference between torture, such as that against American prisoners in World War II, and what this report cites is significant. Now, compare how some German prisoners of WWII were treated in South Carolina. Many were forced to do farm labor and other work. In the Pee Dee section of the state many of them were seen regularly working the crops that helped to feed our military ..... while armed guards kept watch.
Is that torture? Hardly! Nevertheless, had those U. N. “experts” been around back then, they’d probably investigate and issue a report that we were indeed torturing prisoners.

FROM ALL APPEARANCES, SOME of our troops in Iraq have engaged in some forms of torture. They have been or will be punished for their unilateral actions. They should be. But describing what is torture is not all that difficult. Making terrorist prisoners of war eat is not torture. Nor is long periods of solitary confinement. And, they are prisoners of war, no matter what anyone says. Considering what the detainees could have been subjected to, not to mention the violence associated with them and their comrades, what they got is relatively mild.
In the final analysis, the suffering and horrible deaths of almost 3,000 people in the World Trade Towers, and the subsequent emotional pain of loved ones ..... now, that’s torture.
Wonder why there are no U. N. reports on that?

Obituaries

Michael ‘Buster’ Carroll

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Michael Moses “Buster” Carroll, 61, of 2217 N.W. 20th St., died Saturday, Feb. 11, 2006 at his home.
A son of Mattie Carroll and the late Charlie Carroll, he was a 1965 graduate of Edgewood High School, Ninety Six, S.C.
Survivors include his mother of Ninety Six; two daughters, Nia Robinson of Hawaii and Sabrina Morris of Michigan; a son, Dexter Gunn of Florida; three sisters, Roilene Carroll and Linda Diane Carroll, both of Ninety Six and Gwendolyn Carroll of Columbia, S.C.; a brother, Lonnie J. Carroll of Ninety Six; three grandchildren.
Services are 1 p.m. Saturday at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Ninety Six, conducted by the Revs. J.W. Price and Joseph Caldwell. Burial is in Ninety Six Community Cemetery.
No wake is planned at the funeral home.
The family is at the home of his mother, Mattie Carroll, 107 Ebony Drive, Ninety Six.
Daniel and Sons Funeral Home, Ninety Six, is in charge.

John L. Clark

SPRINGDALE, Ark. — John L. Clark, 36, of Apple Valley, Calif., died Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2006 in Fayetteville, Ark.
Born in Westminster, Calif., he was a son of Donna M. West Clark and the late William H. Clark. He was a member of Valley Christian Fellowship Church, Apple Valley and owner of J.L.C. Contracting Co.
Survivors include his mother of Springdale; Kim Banta of the home; a son, Johnny Clark of Kerrville, Texas; three daughters, Jenny Clark of Kerrville, Angel Clark and Kayley Clark, both of Apple Valley; a stepson, Jason Steeg of Kerrville; two stepdaughters, Lisa Steeg of Kerrville and Breanna Wright of Apple Valley; four brothers, Dennis Clark of Greenwood, S.C., Bill Clark, Richard Alan Clark and Leroy Clark, all of Springdale; three sisters, Danica Young of Siloam Springs, Debbie Hutchison of Tontitown and Candy Fodor of Springdale.
Services are 2 p.m. today at Memorial Funeral Chapel, conducted by Pastor Doris Ebby. Burial is in Fairview Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers are Lawrence “G” Jimenez, Jeff “Hippie” Perry, Rick “Scooter” Morgan, Mark “F.M.” Christy, Jason “Animal” Ritchie, Collin Wilkens, Bob “Bobkat” Stockalper and Dan Olds.
Honorary pallbearers are William “Chip” Wagnor, Qunnen “Slim” Tomlinson, Albert Tomlinson, Larry Roberts, Chris Seaton, Kevin Powley and Dennis M. Clark Jr.
Memorial Funeral Home, 3926 Willowood Ave., is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.memfuneral.com

Lidie Simpkins Coleman

SALUDA — Lidie Simpkins Coleman, 95, of 112 Denny Highway, widow of Willie C. Coleman, died on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2006 at her home.
Born in Saluda County, she was a daughter of the late Jerome and Georgia Ann Holloway Simpkins. She was a retired domestic worker and a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church and Women Home Aide Society No. 126.
Survivors include a daughter, Janie Holloway of Johnston; a sister, Rebecca Henley of Saluda; nine grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; six great-great-grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. Saturday at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, conducted by the Rev. Clarence Kenner. Burial is in the church cemetery. The body will be placed in the church at 1.
Pallbearers are nephews.
Flower bearers are nieces.
The family is at the home.
Butler and Sons Funeral Home is in charge.

David Dillashaw

Dennis Wesley “David” Dillashaw, 72, of 2430 Kateway, husband of Ola Dorn Dillashaw, died Wednesday, Feb, 15, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in McCormick, he was a son of the late Luther and Janie Belle Young Dillashaw. He retired from B.F. Shaw Fabrication and was a member of Trinity Baptist Tabernacle.
Survivors include his wife of the home; three daughters, Janie Elizabeth “Libby” Griffith, Betty Ann Lawrence and Brenda Lee Swink, all of Greenwood; a son, James “Jay” Dillashaw of Greenwood; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Services are 2 p.m. today at Harley Funeral Home, conducted by the Revs. Randy Ouzts and Craig Hughes. Burial is in McCormick City Cemetery.
Pallbearers are Tony Jennings, Bob Murray, Dean Jennings, Greg Murray, George Smathers, Robert Dorn, Steve Dorn and Jacob Burch.
The family is at the home.
Memorials may be made to Trinity Baptist Tabernacle, PO Box 2081, Greenwood, SC 29646.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.harleyfuneralhome.com

Sandra Dean Dixon

BELTON — Sandra Jean Pruitt Dixon, 49, of 128 Camelot Drive, widow of Ernest Eugene Dixon, died Saturday, Feb. 11, 2006 at AnMed Health Center.
Born in Abbeville County, she was reared in the home of her grandparents the late John O. and Claudia E. Pruitt. She was a 1974 graduate of Dixie High School, Due West and a member New Friendship Baptist Church. She had worked in the textile industry.
Survivors include two sons, Jaivaro Dixon and Tyree Katrez Gray, both of the home; her parents, Lenzie and Judy Pruitt Pinkney of Bronx, N.Y.; a sister, Rita Pinkney of Queens, N.Y.; a brother, Glenn Pinkney of Bronx.
Services are 2 p.m. today at New Friendship Baptist Church, conducted by the Revs. Harold D. Johnson, James F. Davis III and Ministers Debra Jackson and Lagree Walker. The body will be placed in the church at 1. Burial in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers are Prince Clinkscales, Donnie Harper, Dean Jackson, Donald Pruitt, Walter Pruitt and Lorenzo Rothery.
Flower bearers are Katie Butler, Margie Clinkscales, Tonya Lyons, Priscilla Rothery and Laura Walker.
Viewing was Thursday at Robinson-Walker Funeral Service, Ware Shoals.
No wake is planned.
The family is at the home.
Robinson-Walker Funeral Service is in charge.

Walter Jones

Walter Hobart Jones, 77, of 454 S. Mill Road, husband of Ruth Balchin Jones, died Thursday, Feb. 16, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Greenville, he was a son of the late Walter H. and Azalia King Jones. He was a graduate of Mauldin High School and a self-employed contractor. A member of Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church, he taught the Men’s Bible Class.
Survivors include his wife of the home; three daughters, Mrs. Ridgeway (Kay) Smith of Greenwood, Mrs. Larry (Denise) Downs of Laurens and Mrs. Ronnie (Cheryl) Bosler of Abbeville; a stepson, Robert Hill of Newberry; a stepdaughter, Sally Kauffmann of Greenwood; a sister, Jewel Gilstrap of Greenville; two brothers, Ray Jones of Easley and Kenneth Jones of Greenville; seven grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Services are 11 a.m. Saturday at Callie Self Memorial Baptist Church, conducted by the Revs. Leland Scott and Mayhew West. The body will be placed in the church at 10. Entombment is in Greenwood Memorial Gardens Mausoleum.
Pallbearers are grandsons, Craig Smith, Jon Martin, Jason Smith, Larry “Chip” Downs, Larry Brazell and Brian Fair.
Honorary escorts are the Men’s Bible Class of the church.
Visitation is 6-8 tonight at Blyth Funeral Home.
The family is at the home.
Memorials may be made to a charity of one’s choice.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is in charge.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at blythfuneralhome.com

Joe Long, Sr.

SALUDA — Joe Nichols Long, Sr., 78, of 193 Clemson Rd., died Thursday, February 16, 2006 in Self Regional Medical Center.
Born in Tallassee, AL and a son of the late Carl and Essie Nichols, Sr., he was the husband of the late Mildred Lucille Evans Long. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. Mr. Long was a member of the Lions Club and former Jaycee. He was a member of the Saluda County Cattlemen Association and Saluda County Young Farmers Association. Mr. Long was a former County Councilman and served on the Saluda County Soil and Water Conservation Council and South Carolina Forestry Commission Board and was a member of St. Paul United Methodist Church.
Surviving are two sons and a daughters-in-law, Joe N. “Nicky” Long, Jr. and Kathy Jo Long of Marion and Charles William Long and Brenda W. Long of Saluda, one daughter and son-in-law, Carlene Long Temples and Timmy Temples of Saluda, six grandchildren, Sam Hendrix, Keith Hendrix, Jacob Long, Tyler Long, Kristy Rodgers and Alex Gregory and five great-grandchildren, Kolby, Kade, Kelby, Ryan and Rylee.
Funeral services will be 3 PM, Sunday, February 19, 2006 at St. Paul United Methodist Church with the Rev. Nels Ledwell and Rev. Joe N. “Nicky” Long, Jr. officiating. Interment will follow in Travis Park Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 6 until 8 PM, Saturday evening at Ramey Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to St. Paul United Methodist Church Organ Fund, 102 East Butler Avenue, Saluda, SC 29138.
PAID OBITUARY

Harry D. Yochem

Harry D. Yochem, of 121 Sagewood Road, husband of Ruth Summer Yochem, died Thursday, Feb. 16, 2006 at Self Regional Medical Center.
The family is at the home.
Services will be announced by Harley Funeral Home.
.
Erwin-Petitt Funeral Home, Summerville, was in charge.