Regular church attendance seen as family tradition
Geraldine and J.T. Ray attended a church in Barnardsville regularly for decades, though it only met twice a month. She believed in attending church as a tradition instilled in her from childhood.
Citing this Excerpt
Oral History Interview with Geraldine Ray, September 13, 1997. Interview R-0128. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007) in the Southern Oral History Program Collection, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Full Text of the Excerpt
- KELLY ELAINE NAVIES:
-
So, one of things that I wanted to ask you about that I
haven't touched on yet, is religion. All this time when you were
growing up were you attending church regularly?
- GERALDINE RAY:
-
Yes, every Sunday that we had it - bein out there in a rural
area, Reverend Hamilton was the pastor and he'd come I think two
Sundays out of a month.
- KELLY ELAINE NAVIES:
-
The Hamilton that married you?
- GERALDINE RAY:
-
Yes, so see he knew me from a child and he also knew J.T.
from a child.
- KELLY ELAINE NAVIES:
-
So, he'd come out to Barnardsville two Sundays out of a
month. Where would he preach at?
- GERALDINE RAY:
-
In the church, we had a little wooden church . . . real
small little church.
- KELLY ELAINE NAVIES:
-
What was the name of it?
- GERALDINE RAY:
-
Uh, was it Mountainview; I think it was
Mountainview. It was mountain - something.
- KELLY ELAINE NAVIES:
-
So, basically you guys only attended church two
times.
- GERALDINE RAY:
-
Oh well we went other places to church . . . we went to
Mars Hill Church, come out here if they had something. When we'd get
a way.
- KELLY ELAINE NAVIES:
-
So, did you consider yourself a very religious person when
you were growing up?
- GERALDINE RAY:
-
No, not really. That was just something you done. You went
to church, you went to church and uh you 'bide accordingly. See, the
older folks didn't play with you like the young folks. When you went
to church, you went and stayed all day. You was there for Sunday
School, you was there for service, then you was back at 2:00 or 3:
00, then you was back [in church] at night. So, you were in Church.
You didn't get up and run out like children do now. You went there
and you stayed. You went out, they'd get a switch and come and get
you. That's just the way it was.