help us find a church in Huntsville Alabama

[linda]

We will be down there in early August. We would love to attend church on August 6th and are trying to figure out "where". An early service would be nice, and a service that does hymns would be the icing on the cake. Open to :early/hymns, or early/contemporary, or midmorning. Have to be at space camp by 2.

Ok Alabama, help us out here:) You will have some very grateful folks from out west!

Thanks in advance!

[Rvaughn]

Linda, if I were just going to be in Huntsville, Alabama for a morning service, I might look up one of the Primitive Baptist churches like Heritage:
http://www.heritagepbc.org/home/

They'll probably have about 30 minutes of a cappella singing, beginning at 10:30, followed by a sermon and usually finished by noon. They may also serve a noon meal, which you could stay for or leave if you don't have time. The theology will be Calvinistic/Predestinarian. If you're not Primitive Baptist, this might not appeal to you. We have some friends who attend First Baptist, but that wouldn't be my choice if I were visiting Huntsville.

[linda]

Thanks! That would be interesting, considering my dad's side of the family included both PB and PBU folks. But I think we will be on a pretty tight timeline that morning, so maybe 1st unless we get a better recommendation. Quick change to casual clothes and a quick burger, maybe McD and we should be able to find our way to the space camp. Someday I'd love to visit both a PB and a PBU church.

Unless of course our GPS goes nutso like it does once in a while and starts screaming "make a u turn make a u turn" on an interstate again.

Our grandchild has grown up in tiny churches and we use trips to try to find some medium (50) or large (over 100) to get the idea across Baptists are not really an endangered species. Imagine what the shock was on our trip to Ark. when we visited Cross Church and heard Ronnie Floyd preach, LOL.

[Rvaughn]

You're welcome. Oddly enough (or perhaps not) we have a friend who goes to Cross Church in Springdale. The two times we've been there I begged off and visited one of the old time Regular Baptist churches in the area. I'm asking a friend in Huntsville if he might make a recommendation that would be kind of specific to what you're looking for.

[Haruo]

Isn't Keith in Huntsville?

[Rvaughn]

Here's some information from a friend in Huntsville. Weatherly Heights Baptist Church sings hymns from a hymnal and have piano and organ accompaniment. It is a traditional service and isn't a praise type service. About 120 attendance is typical. It is about 20 minutes from Space Camp.
http://www.weatherly.org/

[William Thornton]

If I were in or through Huntsville I'd visit Keith's church. While it wouldn't be my choice for a permanent church home, I'm sure it would be an enjoyable and probably profitable experience.

...unless it was Climate Change Sunday.

I remind my mod/lib friends that the single best sermon I've heard since retiring was in the most lib ex-SBC church around.

[Tim Bonney]

I remind my mod/lib friends that the single best sermon I've heard since retiring was in the most lib ex-SBC church around.

Just goes to show that us liberals aren't entirely UN-redeemable.

[Stephen Fox]

I would take it over FBC Huntsville though both have sterling worship services traditional with hymns

If you stick around North bama till the fourth sunday come over to Collinsville for four hours of Sacred Harp Singing at Pine Grove, dinner on the ground both days Sat and Sunday.

I may introduce you to the 4x great granddaughter of the pastor who preceded Jonathan Edwards.

She comes down from Yale where she studies Geology. Stoddard is her last name like Edwards predecessor

[Sandy]

If I were in or through Huntsville I'd visit Keith's church. While it wouldn't be my choice for a permanent church home, I'm sure it would be an enjoyable and probably profitable experience.

...unless it was Climate Change Sunday.

I remind my mod/lib friends that the single best sermon I've heard since retiring was in the most lib ex-SBC church around.

Where was that?

[linda]

Thanks! Will discuss with dh and decide. This trip we only have one Sunday in Alabama. Don't think our daughter wants to house sit longer for us.

[Rvaughn]

Linda, if you have any questions about Weatherly Heights not mentioned or not found on their web site, I can ask my friend. Feel free to let me know.

[William Thornton]

Sandy, the historic, strategic FBC Athens. The church where my momma (and grandmomma) was baptized. I think Baxter was pastor then, still is...

[KeithE]

Linda,

Sorry I’ve missed this until now - been busy.

If you like good traditional music/worship service and a moderate sermon, visit my church Weatherly Heights BC. Our services begin at 10:10 (yes that'ss right) and ends usually by 11:15 - plenty of time for lunch before Space Camp. SS the starts at 9:00 and you could even come to my class that I will be teaching that week (I realized that this might not be a draw).

If you prefer a more conservative sermon but still good traditional music/worship service, visit First Baptist Church-Huntsville which has recently taken a turn to more conservatism with new Pastor.

If you prefer contemporary music/worship and quite conservative, visit Willowbrook BC.

If you want an adventure, charisma and rock music, visit The Rock. Not a Baptist church and hymns will not be sung.

If you want a smallish Baptist Church near the Space Center try Sherwood Baptist Church

But whatever you do, let’s do meet up at some point. I'll PM my phone number and address.

[KeithE]

Linda, if you have any questions about Weatherly Heights not mentioned or not found on their web site, I can ask my friend. Feel free to let me know.

Whose you friend at WHBC? Me? I hardly know you.

[Rvaughn]

KeithE, I know ye not, except as a name and face on BaptistLife. The friend from whom I got information is a well-known Sacred Harp singer, which probably tells you who he is.

[KeithE]

KeithE, I know ye not, except as a name and face on BaptistLife. The friend from whom I got information is a well-known Sacred Harp singer, which probably tells you who he is.

That identifies him to me. His daughter and family also go to Weatherly. Both his wife and daughter have beautiful voices and sing in the choir.

[Rvaughn]

He graciously offered to welcome Linda, unless he happened not to be there the Sunday she attends, but I didn't want to freely splash his name around a discussion board where he is not a member. Probably wouldn't matter, but I just chose that approach.

As they say, "It's a small world."

[Rvaughn]

Both his wife and daughter have beautiful voices and sing in the choir.

Relatives of his wife (brothers or nephews of her ancestor, I think), John Birdwell Isbell and Allen Richardson Isbell, moved to this county where I live. J. B. Isbell was a Baptist preacher and in the 1890s pastored the church that I would later grow up in. A. R. became the namesake of the cemetery where he is buried and the church beside it, though they currently (mis)spell it Isabell Chapel. Their maternal grandfather, John Birdwell, was an early settle in our country, and he and his wife Mary Allen were charter members of what would become First Baptist Church of Huntsville, Ala. (called Enon at the first, I think).

[linda]

Still considering. I think we are looking more conservative than Weatherly Heights. Still checking on 1st, but have about decided to visit 1st Nazarene. Nazarenes have been a good home for us when we lived where the Baptists were nonexistent or were at variance with our beliefs.

[linda]

Hey thanks. A quick online look and it appears Sherwood would be a good fit for us, and is close to our motel as well as the space camp! Should be an easy drive unless garmin goes nuts again

[KeithE]

Hey thanks. A quick online look and it appears Sherwood would be a good fit for us, and is close to our motel as well as the space camp! Should be an easy drive unless garmin goes nuts again

Good choice for nearby shopping and restaurants as well (if you have any time at all). BridgeStreet outdoor mall is about 1/4 mile west of Sherwood BC on Old Madison Pike. Connors and PF Chang’s are my favorite restaurants there. And a Barnes and Noble!

[KeithE]

How was Huntsville?

[linda]

We took our sweet time getting home, but Huntsville was great. We really enjoyed our visit to Sherwood! Thanks for the help!

[Rvaughn]

Glad to hear you had a good time. God bless.