Carry Me Back
by Jonathan Daugherty, a friend and now neighbor

I knew it was time to move our family south when the Unitarians burned a question mark on our front lawn. No, not really. But while this is not a factual account for our family, the joke does hold a fair deal of truth.

Nearly two years ago, my wife, Katie, and I met the people of Saint Peter Presbyterian Church as we worshipped with them one Lord's Day while on vacation in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Laurence introduced himself after the service and we all talked awhile. He invited us to his home later that afternoon before the evening Bible Study and we accepted. After only about an hour we knew that we had just met dear and life long friends. We drove on later that night. As we were leaving Bristol, Katie, only barely over the sound of the car engine, softly suggested, "Let's move to Virginia." Since then we have made several visits to the area, and have fallen in love with the people and the work they are doing.

Last week, we moved ourselves to Old Virginia. Our home in Northwest Ohio, where Katie and I have lived all our lives, was not one which was easy or pleasant to leave. We left our family and friends, who are not difficult to love, for a new home in the Mid-South. If the Lord wills, this is where our children will be from. Katie and I were both raised in good Christian homes and were both brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. But like all parents, we want our children to take their heritage further. We want them to be wiser and more godly than we.

Northwest Ohio is virtually a desert as far as the Reformed Christian faith goes. So, a little over a year ago we decided that we would like to join the folks in the Bristol area. Last October, we became part of Saint Peter Presbyterian Church since we were already working on moving to the area and desired to be under the authority of a session that we were confident would guard us and discipline us and keep us.

So, why did we move 600 miles away from our family, friends, and home? We did it because we want a church home where our children may grow up with other children who are being raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. We want to join these like-minded folks who have a love for truth, beauty, and goodness. We want our home to be part of the work and life of the closely knit Reformed community here in the Mountain Empire. We want to be under good preaching and teaching. We are trying to live simply, separately, and deliberately. We want to be accountable and responsible. We want to learn from and with the families we have already gotten to know. To be most honest, we moved here to be part of this church.

One of the things that we like the most about the people here at Saint Peter Church and the other Reformed churches in the community is their willingness to put their worldview into practice. They seem to be living their lives for the Gospel of Christ, and not just reading it. They want to be doers, and not just hearers. Their Christian faith is in their hands and feet as well as their heads and hearts. These folks have deep sense of responsibility and know the goodness of enjoying good things God has provided.

God has certainly provided for us to move here. He has kept us safe and healthy on the road. He has provided more than enough paying work to for me to provide for my family. He has, at just the right time, provided a house where we can live where we have godly neighbors and godly landlords. We have been provided helping hands to help us move all our belongings and care for our family during the process. All of the details have been worked out for us. Before we left our home in Ohio, an older business gentleman warned me, "You know, your children will grow up to be Southerners?" I gently laughed and I thought, "Boy, I hope so," while he went on to say, "They teach them that stuff in the schools down there." Well, I really doubt that it comes from the government schools, but we will do our best with our own children. The culture is noticeably different down here from where we come from. And, I am convinced that it is a better culture for raising a family. I want my family to be real Christians and real people. (You know we can now say the same thing about Evangelicalism as we do about Los Angeles? There is no there there.) I want them to know where they come from.

With the warmest kindness, the community has welcomed us in. They have been looking forward to our moving here as we have also. They have already made us a part of themselves as we have already made them a part of ourselves. They have made us truly feel glad for making the move. We are still unpacking boxes of books and getting ourselves settled into our new home. It is going to take some time and patience to learn just how we fit into all this and what role we play. But, I know that we do.

Yes, it's good to be home. We have so longed to be with our church, and worshiping and fellowshipping with her. Last night, Dakota Tremayne delivered our "pounding" to us (which was actually a very kind gesture). And before he left he said to us, "We already love you." All I could say was, "Yes, you do." Just this morning, I spoke to my father on the telephone and he mentioned that the temperature had gotten up to 94 degrees there yesterday. I'm not sure that it's any hotter down here, but sure is a lot warmer. Oh, it's so good to be home.