New light was shed on Shady Grove Baptist Church, Burnsville, as it celebrated its homecoming July 25.
Thirteen leaded stained glass windows lined the sanctuary for the first time, casting soft, multicolored light on those attending the celebration.
Made possible by the generosity of five families belonging to the church, the windows depict scenes from Jesus’ life and were dedicated during the Sunday service.
The homecoming service for the 176-year-old church featured John Corey as the guest speaker, Larry Morris as the music leader and Kaye Poe singing a solo. Glenn Langner is the pastor of Shady Grove.
The Selma Association church — founded in 1828 — also honored one of its own earlier this year.
In May, Shady Grove Baptist named its fellowship hall the Jack S. Hubbard Fellowship Hall.
Dedicated to the memory of Jack S. Hubbard, the fellowship hall stands as a testimony of the church’s appreciation for the many ways he blessed the church and the community.
The hall’s location is especially appropriate, because the site has been a focal point of Burnsville since the late 1800s. Burnsville school was located there, which is where Hubbard and many others in the community attended classes as they were growing up.
Hubbard moved to Burnsville with his family in 1928 as a young man and began attending Shady Grove Baptist Church. After serving in World War II, Hubbard returned to Burnsville in 1946 to marry his wife, Grace.
From then until his death in 1998, Hubbard used his talents in carpentry and gardening to serve both the church and the Burnsville community, making furniture for the church that children are still using.
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