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Photo by Oary Stewart
HELPINO HAND—A1 Wright, right, drops some money In the
bucket to aid the Kings Mountain MUnlsterlal’s Helping Hand
Fund, which helps the needy In the area at Christmas and other
times of the year. Ringing the bell to soUclt donations Is Rev.
Dwight Edwards of the First Wesleyan Church.
Local People Giving
Christmas To Needy
Kings Mountain’s Spirit of
Christmas giving is tran
scending the familiar pattern of
purchases for families and
friends.
No estimate was available or
complable on the amount of gifts
which will go to Indigent
families and their children, as
most all churches In the com
munity and civic groups, plus
Individuals, are playing Santa
Claus during the next few days.
The totals will be large.
Kings Mountain Firemen,
under the leadership of
Chairman Pete Peterson, will be
dlatrlbutlng toys to the area
needy on Oe«. at the Fire
Department Headquarters.
Needy families will receive
cards from their ministers to
present to firemen upon
presentation of the toys.
Firemen will also be calling on
shut-ins In the community
Christmas Eve to present gifts
of Christmas fruit baskets.
Kings Mountain ministers In
the Greater Kings Mountain
Ministerial Association are
ringing bells In the shopping
districts this week and all
proceeds are earmarked for
Operation Helping Hand, a year-
round project that provides
staple foods, fuel, and clothing
to area needy, not only at this
holiday but throughout the year.
Representatives of the
Ministerial Association will be
at Harris-Teeter, at West Gate
Plaza and Kings Mountain Plaza
every day this week and on
Saturday from 11 a.m. until 7
p.m.
Kings Mountain Lions Club
members will distribute gift
baskets to the blind this evening
(Thursday) In their annual
Chrlstmas-glvlng project.
Proceeds from the White Cane
promotion and holiday fruit
cake sale are used for this
project.
Christmas Eve Services
Planned By Area Churches
At lesMt three Kings Mountain
churches plan Christmas Eve
Candlelight services • Monday.
The traditional Candlelight
Communion service will be held
at 11 p.m. at FTrst Presbyterian
Church and traditional Can
dlelight services will be held at
11 p.m. at both Resurrection and
St. Matthew's Lutheran
Churches.
"Expectations and Reality", a
dialogue by Rev. Gary Bryamt
and Dave Lee, will feature the
First Presbyterian church
service. The 80-votce choir,
under the direction of Mrs.
Darrell Austin, will sing "Burn
Candle Bum", featuring Dave
Lee as soloist, and "A Thousand
Candles.” Mrs. Kathy Rhea
VOLUME 90 ■ NUMBER 100 - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1979
Most Employees Getting Bonus
Closed For Christmas
with few exceptions, Kings
Mountain citizens looked for
ward this week to some surcease
from work during the C^hristmas
season.
And, most Industrial employes
could look forward to holidays—
with pay.
Plant vacations - varying
from three days to 17 days ■ will
begin this weekend for most
Industrial employes. Shortest
holidays will be observed by
Burlington Industries, Park
Yarn Mills and Spectrum
Fibers, Inc. and longest holidays
will be observed by Nelsco Mills,
Pauline Mills and Eaton Cor
poration.
Nelsco and Pauline Mills
vacation schedule starts with
closing of the second shift
Friday with reopening date of
Jan. 7th. Turkeys will be
presented to all employes on
Friday and members of the
office staff and supervisors will
hold the traditional dinner-
dance Friday night at Klgns
Mountain Country Club.
Spectrum Fibers, Inc. will be
closed Christmas Eve,
Christmas Day and Dec. 26th.
Bonuses will be paid to all
employes, based on length of
service, and $15 gift certificates
will also be presented to em
ployes.
Park Dale Mills will close for
the holidays at 11 p.m. Dec. '22,
reopening at 11 p.m. Dec. 26th.
Christmas bonuses will be paid
(Turn to page 4A)
CHRISTIAN
‘ ''.1 *
IXIADINO UP—Rev. Charles Keyes and Mrs. Sunnle Greene,
on porch, and several of Rev. Keyes’ helpers load toys, clothes
and candy on the Parson of the HIUs’ truck from Mrs. Greene’s
Photo by Gary Stewart
home on West Gold Street. The parson for the past 4S years has
been feeding and clothing the poor In the backwoods motmtain
areas of North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee.
Rev. Charles Keyes Tends To Needs Of Poor
The Parson Of The Hills
Bumgardner will sing "Wliat
Child Is This?"
The Presbyterian sanctuary Is
decorated with Christmas
wreaths and a Chrismon tree.
Senior and Junior Choirs,
under the direction of Mrs.
Richard McGinnis, will present
special music at the St. Mat
thew’s service, which Is a ser
vice of scripture reading and
carols. Rev. Harwood T. Smith
will lead the service.
The Lutheran sanctuary will
be decorated with polnsettlas
and candles.
Donald Deal will direct the
special music by the choir of
Resurrection Lutheran (Jhurch
and Rev. Gerald Weeks will lead
the meditation. Each worshiper
will light a candle.
By GARY STEWART
Oo-Editor
The first time Rev. Charles
Keyes preached a sermon, he
was In a hen house and his
congregation was a flock of
hens. He was five years old at
the time.
"I was standing on an egg
crate and preached for about
two hours," he recalled. "When
it came time for the altar call, I
threw some com around the egg
crate and I had a flock of con
verts."
That was about SO years ago In
the small backwoods of the
Appalachian mountains near
West Jefferson, N.C. That
region now knows Rev. Keyes as
the "Parson of the Hills."
The Christmas Story
And It came to pass In those days, that there
went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all
the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenlus
wps governor of Syria)-
And all went to be taxed, everyone into his own
city.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of
the city of Nazareth, Into Judea, unto the city of
David, which Is called Bethlehem, because he
was of the L:ouse and lineage of David)
To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being
great with child.
And so It was, that while they were there, the
days were accomplished that she should be
delivered.
And she brought forth her flrst-bom son and
wrapped him In swaddling clothes, and laid him
In a msmger; because there was no room for
them In the inn.
And tnere were in the same country shepherds
abiding in the field, keeping watch over their
flocks by nlglit.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them
and the angel of the Lord came upon them and
the glory of the Lord shone round about them;
and they were sore afraid.
And the angei said unto them. Fear not; for,
behold, I bring you tidings of great Joy, which
shall be to all people.
For unto you Is bom this day In the city of
David a Saviour which Is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find
the babe wrapped In swaddling clothes, lying In a
manger.
And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of heavenly hosts praising God and
saying.
Glory to God In the highest and on earth,
peace, good will toward men.
And It came to pass, as the angels were gone
away from them Into heaven, the shejAerds said
one to another, let us now go even unto
Bethlehem and see this thing whclh Is come to
pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
And they came with haste and found Mary,
Joseph and the babe lying In a manger.
And when they had seen it they made known
abroad the saying which was told them con
cerning this child.
And all that heard It wondered at those things
which were told them by the shepherds.
St. Luke 2:1-8
The parson came to Kings
Mountain Tuesday to pick up a
van full of toys, clothes and food
for his annual Christmas
caravan through the mountains
of North Carolina, Tennessee
and Kentucky. Sunnle Greene
collected supplies from her
neighbors and filled up two
bedrooms and the living room of
her small West Gold Street
home.
TTie parson, headquartered In
Hickory, spends most of his time
ministering to the needs of the
poor people of the Appalachians
and from November until March
each year takes his caravans to
distribute clothes, food and toys
to children and old people who
otherwise would not have a
Christmas.
He takes supplies In by the
tractor-trsiller loads, all of It
donated by people like Mrs.
Greene, and also tends to the
people’s medical and spiritual
needs.
His ministry actually began at
the age of 12 when he sold
peanuts on the streets of West
Jefferson to buy suckers for
some poor children.
"I was bom and raised In the
mountains,” he recalled, "and
all my life I’ve been In homes
where there’s no Christmas at
all and kids wondered why there
was no Santa Claus.”
After his first project of
selling peanuts, he walked In
snow wralst-deep to mountain
cabins, delivering sack fulls of
suckers. From that moment, he
knew he would spend the rest of
his life ministering to his people.
Rev. Keyes takes no credit for
the success of his mission, but
instead gives the praise to God,
whom he says has "provided
every need every year." Every
year means 48.
The parson can cite a number
of examples when there wm a
need and no means to supply It
except prayer. In every In
stance, he says, the need has
been filled.
"A good example,” he says,
"was when we came here to pick
up this truck full of gifts from
Mrs. Greene,” he said. "We
were coming into Kings
Mountain and were Just about
out of gas and had little
money...not enough to fill up the
tank. I told the guys with me
that the Lord would make a way
for us to get gas.
"We passed by three stations
and something told me not to
stop there," he added, "and we
came to a station on up the road
and pulled In. The man (later
learned to be Otis Falls of Falls
Exxon) filled It up and told us It
was free. Then one of his em
ployes gave me five dollars. I
continue to be astounded at how
(3od operates."
The parson also cited an
example of a need for 8,0(X)
boxes of crackerjacks to put In
children’s treat bags Isist week.
Crackerjacks, he said, are not to
be found In the regions of his
mission.
"I Just prayed for 8,000 boxes
of crackerjacks," he said. "I
didn’t advertise It at all. Believe
It or not, a couple of days later a
big truck from PTL drove Into
our parking lot with 3,000 boxes
of crackerjacks."
Though the parson Is perhaps
best known for carrying
CSiristmas Into the mountains,
he says the main purpose of his
ministry Is to bring the people to
God.
"We had two parties last
Sunday in Tennessee,” he said,
“and as our caravan moved
along the road, hundreds of
people were lined along the side
of the road. After the party, I
preached to them for about 20
minutes and five were con
verted. They said ’all we want
for Christmas Is to be saved.’ ’’
Rev. Keyes organizes chur
ches wherever and whenever
possible. He’s an ordained
Methodist minister and studied
at Duke University, but said he
doesn’t preach any one doctrine
but a love for Christ and others.
"These people have no
religious training,” he said. "We
go into homes and have Bible
study and prayer meetings and
before long the people get en
thused about a place to worddp.
We convert chicken houses into
churches. I’ve had chicken
houses Jammed with peoide
wanting to worship. In one place
right now, there’s a chicken
house that Is a beautiful Biq>tist
church. When people get in
volved together, something’s
going to happen.”
The parson often takes doctors
with him on his trips. Former
Governor Bob Scott once ac
companied him. When
hospitalization Is necessary, if
there’s no hospital willing to
offer free treatment, the psuaon
foots the bill himself.
Rev. Keyes does not draw a
salary for his work but Instead
makes his living selling
ceramics. He has published one
book from which he receives a
royalty. His wife and son help
him make and sell his ceramics.
Ifls son, David, is an expert
(Turn to page 2A)
Herald Will
Publish Once
Next Week
The Herald will publish only
one paper next week, on Thurs.,
Dec. 27.
Otir offices will be cloned on
Christmas day so our employes
can celebrate the holidays with
their families. We will close at 12
noon on Monday, Christmas
Eve.
Advertising desulllne for the
Thursday paper is Friday at 6
p.m. News deadline Is 8 a.m.
Wed., Dec. 26.