NORTH -- The two churches are separated by a half-mile of woods, a half-dozen houses and a former convenience store. But after arson claimed one congregation's facility, the neighboring churches came together to worship as one.

"I've really enjoyed it, I've learned a lot," said the Rev. Monroe Danley, pastor of Jerusalem Baptist Church in North. "Sometimes, the worship and prayer is different. But that doesn't mean we can't worship together."

It was Feb. 8 when a fire later determined to be arson gutted the red brick building of the Jerusalem congregation, and the 125 members were left without a church home. For a while, they worshipped in the Wolfton Fire Department facility a short distance away.

But now, Jerusalem members join Fellowship Baptist Church's congregation for a joint Bible study at the latter's facility just down the road.

It doesn't matter that one church is black and the other is white.

"It's been a joyful experience, I just can't explain it." said Fellowship's pastor, the Rev. Don Smoak. "When you have a white church and a black church coming together like we have here, we just hope we are setting an example for the community."

Smoak says the idea for the joint service was not born out of a desire for earthly recognition, but rather came from the very Scriptures they study.

"It was the right thing to do," Smoak said. "We're that close together and didn't have any communication. What a terrible thing if we didn't meet our brothers' need."

Both pastors admit that some of their church members may not attend the Bible study because of the mixed congregation.

"All I can say is God knows what he is doing," Danley said. "There may be people who don't like it. But I would say there aren't many."

The rest seem to be enjoying the combined congregation, mixing a group of traditionally reserved parishioners with those a bit more animated, says Fellowship choir member Bubba Whittington.

"I think we're fortunate to have great music that won't let you just sit in your pews," Whittington said. "I know it's really exciting our pastor."

During a recent meeting, Whittington joined the Jerusalem men's quartet for several numbers before the service.

"I think they're really teaching us a lot," he said. "They've got their harmony down, and they've got a great choir."

Dorothy Brannum, a lifetime member of Jerusalem, says the music might be a different tempo, but no matter how you slice it, it's all worship.

"It's the same song," she said. "But we might get up and sing it a little faster."

In her 60-plus years, Brannum says she can't recall a hardship such as the one her church faced after the fire. But with nearby Butler African Methodist Episcopal Church allowing the use of their facilities during off hours and Fellowship inviting them to join their services, the burden has been lightened.

"It's just a wonderful experience, and you get to shake hands and get to know those you don't know," she said. "Everybody's just looking forward to Wednesday nights."

Danley and Smoak alternate weeks presenting a short message during the service.

Congregants say they have adopted one another as siblings in Christ.

On a recent Saturday, Fellowship held a fund-raiser dinner to collect money for facility improvements. As Fellowship volunteers showed up, so did those from Jerusalem.

Following the first joint meeting, which Brannum says was like a revival service, Fellowship members provided a full meal. The following week, Jerusalem church members brought the meal.

"It's what you call hand-in-hand," Brannum said. "We're learning of a different culture, and some things we even do just alike."

When the work begins on Jerusalem's facility later this year, Smoak says Fellowship plans on standing with its new brothers and sisters to help. And when Jerusalem returns to its facility a short distance away, the bridge established between the two churches will remain open.

"We're going to have some things a couple of times a year," Smoak said. "We plan to have a service to commemorate the frie-ips we've made."

The churches have come a long way since their initial meeting several weeks ago. Smoak recalls going into the Fellowship parking lot to greet Jerusalem members at that first meeting. He credits Jerusalem's parishioners with making the services work.

"They're the ones who had to take a bigger leap of faith," Smoak said. "They had to step a lot further than we did. They had to cross that boundary and do more than we did."

Today, there is no hesitation in the parking lot, unless it's to walk inside with a fellow worshipper.

"We are just praising God together," Smoak said.

It's been a trying year, but looking back, Brannum sees the February fire as a blessing in disguise.

"All I see is good coming out of it, though it's coming from a tragic incident," she said. "The ones who weren't coming out on Wednesday night are now coming out."

T&D Staff Writer Richard Walker can be reached by e-mail at rwalker@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5516. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

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