Darrell Dunn's Testimony

I was eleven years old when I first heard the word saved used in relation to salvation. But I didn't know what the word meant at that time. I only vaguely remember going to church a couple of times as a young boy. My daddy was unsaved and not interested in church (much less salvation) and made no pretense about it. So, as a family, we rarely ever went to church. However, my older brother Bruce and I had just started attending Sunday School at the invitation of our Boy Scout troop leader. Bruce, who was two years older then I, suggested we stay for church one Sunday. Out of curiosity, I agreed. The Rockwood Baptist Church would make a definite impression on the heart and mind of this eleven-year-old boy, especially in one particular way. I was about to introduced to a word that had very different meaning then my youthful ears had ever heard. I had no idea what it meant but I would never forget it. This was the first church service I vividly remember.

The service was fascinating, especially the song service. In Sunday school assembly before separating for classes we used chorus sheets when we sang. Neither Bruce nor I had ever seen a church songbook. So, we read and sang each song like you would read a regular book. To us, each group of verses was nothing more then a regular paragraph. So, that's the way we sang it. I remember wondering why everyone else was singing the wrong words. So, we both sang our words louder to help them find the right place!

When it came time for the offering our eyes were wide with astonishment. Even though some of it was pocket change there were man paper bills of varying denomination lying in the plate as it passed by us. For two young boys from a very poor family it was the largest amount of money we had ever seen in both our collective lives! We uh-h-hed and ah-h-h-ed when we saw it.

Finally, it was time for the Pastor to preach. We had heard about preaching, but had never experienced any of it before. This was part of the reason we had stayed, to see what all the talking was about. However, it didn't take long for us to lose interest in it. So, picked up a songbook again to write and draw a few things in it to have something to do until the Pastor finished. Oh, we watched the other people reacting to the sermon off and on, especially during heated or funny things that brought various responses from the little congregation of about sixty or seventy people. (All things considered, knowing what I know about churches today, this one must have been a good one. They obviously cared about lost souls and apparently preached the truth of how to be saved.)

Now that the preaching was over, I was about to hear the word saved in a way I had never heard. To our surprise, the Pastor asked everyone to stand and turn to a certain number in their songbooks. When all stood and began to sing, it confused and even scared me. I thought we would all be dismissed to go home. But, that is not what happened. It was as if they were starting the service all over again. In my ignorance and fear I thought, "Maybe this is like staying to see the same movie a second time." (Which we had done at the theater a few times.) Then came another thought. "Mother doesn't know we are staying for church!" We're in enough trouble already because we didn't go straight home. We can't stay for a repeat of the first service! We've got to get home..now!" Anxiously, I looked up at Bruce. But he only looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. Apparently, for right this minute we were stuck!

Within a minute or two, this second song service proved to be different from the first one. The small church auditorium consisted of two sections with about ten pews in each section. We were sitting (now standing) about half way back in the left section as you face the pulpit.

Suddenly, across the center aisle in the other section a woman broke into tears, slipped out of her place and went forward to talk to the Pastor. She whispered something in his ear and then knelt at the platform. He motioned for another lady to come and talk with her. I was startled, but more curious about what had just happened. I was wondering about all of then when a girl named Connie, who was in my fifth grade class at Rockwood Elementary went to the front crying. She also whispered something in the Pastor's ear and immediately knelt by the platform on the other side of the pulpit. The whole thing was mysterious, but fascinating.

To my amazement, a man sitting on the back row of our section started crying loudly, made his way out of his place and ran to the front throwing his arms around the neck of the Pastor and whispered something in his ear! The Pastor then told us all to sit down while he talked with the man. While the pianist played softly, I remember thinking, "Wonder what I would whisper if I went up there?" (I obviously had no idea what church was all about! Over a year, later I learned that this was what was known as an invitation at the close of a sermon.)

While we were sitting quietly in our pew wondering when and how we were going to get out of there, a woman sitting behind us, who was also the Sunday School teacher of my department, leaned forward and tapped us both on the shoulder to get our attention. We turned to look at her and she whispered, "Boys are you saved?" That was the first time I had ever heard the word saved used that way. I didn't have the foggiest idea what she meant! After all, I wasn't in danger of drowning; dying in a fire of being killed in an accident! I was in Church! How could I be in danger? It didn't make any sense to me.

To my amazement, Bruce whispered back to her, "Yes ma'am we are!" I couldn't believe my ears. He lied to her! How could we be saved? I didn't even know what she was talking about! Bruce and I just looked at each other. The Pastor then spoke to everyone, thanked us all for coming and said we could go. With an inward sigh of relief we got up and hurried home to tell mother what we had done and seen in church that day.

Click here to Continue to page 2 of Testimony