by Ruth Robinson
posted December 15, 2008
A book recounting the centennial history of Union Chapel, The Little Brown Church in the Wildwood, written by Walden resident Karen Paul Stone, should be in area bookstores this week. It's just in time for Christmas giving, the author said.
"The Little Brown Church in the Wildwood draws people from the Signal Mountain, Lookout Mountain, North Chattanooga/Rivermont and Red Bank areas. As a matter of fact, people are known to drive regularly from Dayton, Soddy-Daisy and South Pittsburgh to attend," Ms. Stone said.
The book is hardcover, bound in foil-stamped linen, with a full color jacket featuring a photo of the 200-plus people who were present for the Centennial observance in July, 2008. Attendance that day was 214 (plus seven dogs) and contributions were $2,925.64. It contains about 150 photographs of local people throughout the 448 pages. An index will help readers find the names of family and friends in the text.
Union Chapel of Walden's Ridge was founded in 1908 to meet the need for a summer Sunday school when the trip to Chattanooga from the mountain took four hours. It has operated every summer since then. There is no official membership and it draws worshipers from all Christian denominations without benefit of clergy or paid staff.
Lessons are taught by lay teachers at 10 a.m. every Sunday from the first of June until the end of August. A child leads the day's Responsive Reading and children take up the collection. At the end of the service, the children also ring the bell while the congregation sings lyrics adapted for them in 1932 by R.H. Williams from the original song, "Little Brown Church in the Wildwood."
Originally, several Sunday School classes met simultaneously in the one-room chapel. In 1937 an area was added at the rear. In 2002 the rear section of the chapel was removed and completely reconstructed in conformation with the preexisting design concept, except that three restrooms were added. A stone patio along the side and another in front accommodate the growing congregation and provides handicapped access.
The projects were underwritten by individuals and no money from benevolences was diverted for the work. One hundred percent of funds collected each Sunday goes to support Christian works. Weddings are often held at The Little Brown Church and rents pay for all chapel expenses.
The author has attended The Little Brown Church from birth and now serves as Historian.
"It is a miracle to me that the people of the Little Brown Church have been meeting together to worship for 100 years and in all this time we have never had a preacher or a paid staff," Ms. Stone said.
"All of our lessons – and we have lessons, not sermons – are taught by lay teachers. It has been this way from the beginning when the founders agreed to have an interdenominational Sunday school. They decided to use a Methodist song book and the Presbyterian lesson plan and decided to pay $5 each Sunday to preachers of different Christian denominations.
"However, something went wrong the first Sunday and the preacher couldn't come. One of the ladies taught instead and everyone said, 'That was such a good Bible lesson, why don't we just teach ourselves, save the $5, and give it to charity instead?'"
"Five dollars was lot of money in 1908. So here we are, after 100 years, still learning Bible lessons and given 100 per cent of our collections to charity. There has never been one single Sunday since the founding of Union Chapel that classes weren't taught here."
There is a board of trustees with five members who are elected for life or until they resign. It is the custom that on the last Sunday in August the chapel closes with homecoming services by singing "God Be With You Till We Meet Again."
Books can be ordered by phone, by mail or online at www.waldenhouse.com. They can be shipped anywhere or may be picked up at Waldenhouse, c/o Karen Stone, 2611 East Brow Rd., Signal Mountain, Tn. 37377. To pick up a copy, call 423 886-4568 first. The cost for the six by nine-inch hardcover with full color jacket is $36. Tennessee residents need to add $3.33 sales tax, or a total of $39.33. Cash, checks, Master Card and Visa are accepted.
| Dining Out | Business | Movies | Focus | About Us |
| Church | Living Well | Memories | Outdoors | Real Estate | Student Scene | Travel |
