Newspapers / The Kings Mountain Herald … / Jan. 12, 1978, edition 1 / Page 11
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SECTION B ’t Thursday, January 12,1978 Mirror-Herald Living Today Rev. R.J. Hannagan A Story Of Faith In Action By faith and at God’s calling, Noah disregardad tba laughter of hU Mends and neighbors and buUt an Ark which would protact his family and animals during a SiMiay and ni^t flood which would destroy the remainder of creation. By faith and at God’s calling, Moses left bis booM for a strange land to lead By faith and at God’s calling, R. J. church which couldn’t afford to pay him a salary, yet Ms needs are being met... Ihe first two stories, you’re probably familiar with. The third, maybe you’re not, so here It is: Rev. R. J. Hannagan is an Iowa native and a former banker with an annual salary of $15,000 per year. But he left that vocation several years ago because God called him into the ministry. In November of last year. Rev. Han nagan and his wife left their home in Macon, Ga., where they had pastored a good-sized goapM church, to accept their second call to the Foursquare Gospel They didn’t know when they left Georgia that they would not receive a salary, nor did they know that the small church here had fallen on hard times financially since they left two years ago. After only two weeka, the Hannagans could plainly see the congregation of 25 couldn’t afford to pay them a salary, but that didn’t bother Rev. Hannagan, who says he has never been concerned about salaries, anyway. ’’Wejust turned it over to the Lord,” he lag*. ”We know that this fewhwrs Ha noonth, things like car payments, utility bUB, etc. But they’ve not missed a payment, and don’t foreaee ever having ta Their dally bread is supplied by their members. Each We<hiesday night the Hannagans bring a grocery Ust to prayer meetiiM, the members checking off what they’ll supply and come Sunday morning it, and more, ia there. “God has met every need through them and others,’’ says Rev. Hannagan. “And It doesn’t Just stop with groceries. One man who doaan’t even attend our church recently gave me a beautiful blue suit. But no glory comes to us. This is all God’s doings. “We’re all depending completely on the Lord,” he adds. “The church is providing every need we have and some extras we don’t need. He’s siqtplying them and because of their obedience to God, they’re supplying our needs. It’s all coming from the Master Supplier.’’ Foursquare, by some, may not be looked at as a big church. An attendance of 25 and an offering of $100 would be regarded as a good Sunday, if one looks at success in that manner. But Rev. Hannagan doesn’t measure success by numbers. “We were salaried in Macon and the church building here would fit into the sanctuary there. We had 60 to 70 in at tendance each Sunday. But the size of a building doesn’t have anything to do with the size of the church. We have one of the biggest churches in the country because a church’s size as far as I’m concerned is measured by how great its love is.” Rev. Hannagan, who came here the first time in ’72, sent in his resignation from the Macon diurch to Rev. Glenn Burris of Charlotte, the District Supervisor of Ministers, last faD. “We didn’t have any idea where we’d be re-appointed,’’ he recalled “I’ve never examined a church before. I’ve always trusted the lord All I have to do is obey and go where He sends me. The rest Is His responsibility.’’ Shortly afterward. Rev. Hannagan received a call from Rev. Burris and was told the KM church was pastorless, and was asked if he’d consider returning “I was a little surprised,” he recalled. “I was not aware the church was open for a new pastorate.” But be knew God was leading him back here, and he accepted. “God even provided the means to move us,” be said “We didn’t have any money.” Rev. Hannagan’s first term at Kings Mountain resulted in the church growing from six members to 25. The church, wMch bad been in existence for some 14 years but had been pastorless fw about four to six years, was chartered In ’73. “It was a little church,” he recalled: when be came, “and had only $200 in the bank and no parsonage. “We conUcted a local real estate broker and he showed us a house he had ftr sale on Amhurst Drive,” be recalled. “We backed the U-Haul truck up against the church bufldiiwsonoonecouldgetin ■I Rev. and Mrs. Hannagan open wide the doors at Foursquare Gospel Church... Story and Photos By Gary Stewart it and steal our belongings while we snd five women from the church went to look “He told us what the down payment would be, but we didn’t have any money. We formed a semi-circle right there in the carport and laid our hands on the bidldiiM and claimed the house for the Lord. He told us with that kind of faith we wouldn’t have any problems and handed us the key.” K ij t\ y r 1- T v-r X TODAy ' r0)?EV£i? and Rev. and Mrs. Hannagan back in pulpit at Foursquare Gospel Church... ’The people siq>plied the $1,500 down payment, never missed a house payment or utility payment and a year later sold the house and bought one beside the church on Second Street. With the profit, they installed central heat in both the church and the new personage. When Hannagan first came to Kings Mountain, he also worked for a year with tbe citv and hoapitaL “But the Lord spoke to us to go into fldltime ministry end God hds been providing ever since,” Rev. Hannagan, was, snd still is, a fund raiser, having once staged a Walk- A-Thon from Kings Mountain to Charlotte and another time climbing the tower at Radio Station WKMT to secure funds for the Foursquare minUtriea. Already, the church has resumed its weekly radio broadcasts (airing each Saturday at 1:30 p. m on WKMT) and Rev. Hannagan foresees many more progranu in the near future. For starters. Rev. Ralph Ludlam will cone here the first of February as Youth Minister and a full slate of summertime activities is already being planned. As for long range goals. Rev. Han nagan hopes to someday see a day care center to care for the children of working mothers, a Christian school for the elementary grades, a complex to provide care for the eldeily and a chUdren’s home. Some of the programs, he feels, can be accomplished by his congregation and others may Uke the cooperation of all the churches in the dty. “Ourprayerls that the community win open their hearts,’’he says. “Everything we want Is for the betterment of the community and the glory of God. “As soon as the church (worldwlds) returns to the Bible, the better off we’U be,” be says. “It every Christian would be true to Ms caUng, thare would not be so many old peopio dying of lonallneaa.” Liiawiae, he aays, there are many cMhfeen in the area who have bean aMmad, and in serious need of help. “We’d Just like the community to know ltatwewaiitlohMp,”hesaya “My wife and I, and our church members, are avaUaMe anytime, night or day. We’ve aH put God first in our Uvea. We’re human. We make mistakes, but we keep strlvliM fer the mark of die high calling. •..U- / Rev. Hannagan looks over pledge card on bulletin board. r — V studying for Sunday’s sermon... \
The Kings Mountain Herald (Kings Mountain, N.C.)
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Jan. 12, 1978, edition 1
11
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