Bible Bowl champions from Springfield Baptist and Mt Carmel Baptist Church combined are (front row) Teneyah Barnes, Robert Gresham, Dionysus Gartrell, (back) Coach Robin Booker, Tavian Binns, Dauri Binns, Jonathan Flint, and Coach John Jackson. It is imperative that every community, county, state and nation have deeply rooted institutions to remind its members of the values, traditions, precepts, and culture of that entity from generation to generation. The Black Church and more specifically, for purposes of this article, The Wilkes County Sunday School Union has been a strong and viable institution in the religious, cultural, social, and civic development of the young people of Wilkes County for more than 120 years.

The Lincoln, Elbert, Wilkes County Sunday School Union was set in motion on May 5, 1889, when Brother G.B. Blakey of New Ford Baptist Church brought a resolution to the New Ford Sunday School proposing the organization of the Sunday School Union.

Bible Bowl runners up from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church are (l-r) Sharkeia Wright, Bridget David, Jamal Johnson, Jazmine Johnson, Naliah Jones, Jamia Johnson, and Coach Jamie Johnson. Coach Francine Towns is not pictured. With the concurrence of the pastor, Rev. Calvin Lockhart, New Ford decided to accept the challenge so long as there was no conflict with regular Sunday worship services. Pastor C.H. Holloway of Gibson Grove Baptist volunteered to “open the doors of Gibson Grove for the Union to come in and organize.” On June 18, 1889, four buggy loads of dedicated Sunday School attendees traveled to Gibson Grove and established the Union. Founders are G.B. Blakey of New Ford Sunday School, G.W. Walton, Superintendent of New Ford Sunday School, Rev. C.H. Holloway, pastor of Gibson Grove, Rev. R.V. Sutton and Brother J.C. Sutton of Mt. Carmel, S.C. The Union elected A.M. Holloway of Lincoln County as its first president and Amanda Dallas of Lincoln County as its first Secretary.

Over the years there have been as many as forty Sunday Schools enrolled. Union presidents over the years have included Deacon Sam Anderson of Mulberry Baptist Church, Deacon Albert Rucker, Sr. and Rev. Albert Rucker, Jr. of Mulberry Baptist Church. Deacon Statham McLendon of Trinity Baptist Church, Deacon Cary Ware of Pompeys Chapel, Deacon Edward Drinkard of Pompeys Chapel, Deacon (now Rev.) Tommy Johnson of Pleasant Grove, Deacon Eddie Bankston of Pleasant Grove, Deacon Larry Smith of Trinity, Deacon Jamie Johnson of Pleasant Grove, Deacon Charles Morgan of Springfield and many others.

Secretaries/assistant secretaries over the years have included Ella Ware of Springfield, Verna Bradley of Trinity, Doris Irvin of Mt. Carmel, Robin Booker of Mt. Carmel, and Melvene Binns of Mulberry. Presently Robin Booker and Melvene Binns have served more than 20 years each as secretary and assistant secretary, respectively, of the Sunday School Union and they have been quite active in the development of students in their Sunday Schools and in the community.

Deacon Willie Moses Jenkins of Hilliard Station Baptist Church served as Treasurer for more than 24 years until his recent passing.

Literally hundreds of Wilkes County young people made their first public speech at a Sunday School Union event. Hundreds more were elected to serve in their first elective office as a youth or adult. Sill more were helped through college or trade school with scholarship assistance from the Union. Most present day Wilkes County Sunday School superintendents, teachers, and other church workers got their start in their Sunday Schools and in the Union. Many young people first met the person who was later to become their spouse during quarterly Sunday School Union activities.

In recent years, a new category of dedicated Sunday School Union participants has evolved. They are the coaches of the Bible Bowl teams. They are involved Sunday School superintendents and teachers and parents who spend a great deal of time throughout the year teaching, re-teaching, drilling, and coaching our young people on the contents of the weekly Sunday School lessons as they prepare to demonstrate their knowledge of the Word of God during Bible Bowl competition.

Among these outstanding Bible Bowl coaches are John Jackson of Springfield, Francine Towns and Deacon Johnny Bankston of Pleasant Grove, Robin Booker of Mt Carmel, and many others. Much appreciation also goes to Rachael Jackson of Gibson Grove for her impeccable scorekeeping, Kathryn Anderson of New Ford for her precise operation of our electronic buzzer system, and to all the adults who work so hard to have a meaningful Bible Bowl each quarter.

While the above listed adult Christian leaders are “unsung heroes” for their work in the vineyard over the last 120 years, our young students who are preparing themselves by participation in the Bible Bowl and other Union activities are “unsung heroes” as well. They will be tomorrow’s Sunday School superintendents, teachers, church officers, preachers of the gospel, and leaders in the community. They are all unsung heroes.