Scalf Chapel

                   The early history of Scalf Chapel Church was provided

                                           To Loretta Irwin by 

                        Beckham Garland (09/23/1902-07/16/2000)

 

 

In the late 1920’s, a small group of citizens of the Yeager, now Bimble, community saw the need of a Church and Sunday School for Pentecostal believers. Tom Callihan, Walter Disney, Beckham Garland and Bill Huddleston met and made plans for a Church. The only suitable place for meeting was the Yeager school house. In those days, it was common practice for Churches to use the one-room school houses for church purposes. The Knox County Board of Education was approached and reluctantly agreed the school should be shared by both the Baptist and the Pentecostal Church. Most county Churches had only one service each month, and Sunday Schools were held with one denomination in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Very often the person carrying the school house keys could not be located and the Pentecostals had to meet elsewhere. In such cases, they would gather at the Callihan garage. They sat on motor blocks, running boards of 1920 model cars, concrete block, nail kegs, and various other objects. The speaker or preacher used the car hood as a pulpit.

 

Interest increased and the number grew larger. It was soon decided the group needed and deserved something better than the luxury of a garage and the occasional use of a school house, so they began looking for better accommodations. In October 1934, Frank Scalf observed the need and, seeing the odds against the group, wanted to help. He proceeded to deed a Church site lot, with a request that the Church to be built would be called “Scalf Chapel Pentecostal Church.” There came a man in the midst, “Uncle Charlie Frank” so enthusiastic about building a Church that he got everybody fired up. He, with some others, went to an abandoned mining camp at Varilla, Kentucky, about six miles north of Pineville on Highway 119, and there they bought two houses for $35.00. Volunteer workers took the houses down, volunteers hauled the lumber, and volunteers built “God’s House.” It was a humble but proud beginning! When the Church was dedicated to God, about the year 1936, Maggie Liford was contacted by Reverend Oscar Martin to provide singing for the special service.

With the coming of electric lights, gas line, telephone line, and water, the building and parking area was soon outgrown and members began looking for another location.

  In 1964, the Church purchased the property of Bodie and Ethel Messer and soon started building a new Church. It was completed in 1966. Evangelist Joe George conducted the first revival in the new building in February 1967. The growth of the Church has been constant. The first beginning was shade trees, an automobile garage, and an occasional service in a borrowed school house. Next, a new house with no wiring, no plumbing and no bathrooms. Now, there is a large modern brick building, containing Sunday School rooms, nursery, baptistery and a fellowship hall with cooking and serving facilities.   

  On April 20, 2002, Scalf Chapel Pentecostal Church purchased property from Ethel Sowders Partin, Anna and Donald Sowders and Shirley and John Byassee in the amount of $150,000.00. Then, on January 28, 2003, another parcel of land was purchased for $180,000.00 from Dorothy Mills, E. G. and Patsy Patterson, Johnny Sie Patterson, Fred Patterson, Jr. and Rosa Lee Patterson. With great anticipation, Scalf Chapel is looking forward to the future when God will accomplish great things in our Church and we begin the process of building a Church and auxiliary buildings that will be pleasing first of all to God and also our members and community.

 

Scalf Chapel Pentecostal Church has had six pastors, (1) Oscar Martin was the first. He served out of pure love for the Church, receiving the most meager offerings. (2) Brother Aaron Cupp succeeded him. During all these years, most rural churches had services only once a month and the members visited other surrounding Churches the rest of the time. After Brother Cupp left, (3) Reverend C. G. Marion pastured for a time until he was called to a pastorate in Detroit, Michigan. Succeeding Brother Marion came (4) Reverend John W. Sullivan from a Church in Middletown, Ohio. Brother Sullivan was pastor during the time the present Church was started. He pastored a number of months in the first section of the new Church. Age and health led him to leave and (5) Reverend James E. Mooneyham was elected to pastor the Church on March 28, 1966.                      The Church made great progress during Reverend Mooneyham’s years of pasturing. His reputation is wide and good and his character even better. He enjoyed the title his affectionate followers called him, the “Saw-Mill Preacher.” Attesting his popularity is the fact that he was called to officiate in more funerals than any other minister in Knox County. On March 21, 2004, Brother Mooneyham retired as Pastor of Scalf Chapel with 38 years of faithful service. He went home to be with the Lord on October 18, 2009. 

 

          On January 2, 2005, (6) Dr. Ted H. Satterfield came from Enterprise, Alabama, to become the current Pastor of Scalf Chapel Church. He is no stranger to this area as he served as Pastor at Heidrick Holiness Church, worked at the Pentecostal Children Home and was employed by the Knox County General Hospital for many years prior to leaving the area. Dr. Satterfield is deep in Godly faith and highly respected; it is a blessing to have Pastor Ted and his wife, Judy, at Scalf Chapel.

                          WYWY RADIO PROGRAM                                                             Scalf Chapel’s first radio program aired on WYWY Radio on May 16, 1966 (formerly WBVL). This program is on Sunday Morning at 8:00 a.m. and has aired continuously and lasted longer than any radio broadcast in Knox County. Charles Lee has coordinated the program since he began filling in for former Pastor James Mooneyham.

 

On November 12, 2013, Scalf Chapel launched a television Program entitled “Moments to Live By” at Barbourville Channel 4 TV Station. You will hear special singing along with a message from Pastor Ted. Tune in every Tuesday Evening at 6:00 p.m. This program is also being streamed to various states and foreign countries. Charles Lee, Herman McCreary and Pastor Ted are coordinating the program.

 

Let us introduce you to L.O.L.A. Many years ago, Marie Mooneyham Nunnery had a vision to start a ladies fellowship meeting; so, on May 5, 1990, the ladies of Scalf Chapel got together and established a Ladies of Love Auxiliary (L.O.L.A.). This is the ladies of the Church joining together to do work for the Glory of the Lord.

 

They organize and carry out many social activities in the church, including Vacation Bible School, funeral dinners, annual birthday dinner, homecoming dinner, the country ham breakfast, Manna Meals, among many other activities. They have done fund raising and purchased items for the Church which included the stain glass windows, tables and chairs for the Fellowship Hall, the glass bible stand podium and various other items. L.O.L.A. works with our Board of Directors in planning Church beautification and redecoration as the need arises. They share craft, cooking and homemaking ideas and, best of all, fellowship together. All girls and ladies can be a part of L.O.L.A. by coming to the monthly meeting. We pay a non-mandatory $5.00 fee each month which goes into a fund for purchasing items for the Church.

 

The monthly L.O.L.A. meeting is held the last Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Currently L.O.L.A. is working on scheduling a speaker for the monthly meetings. We encourage all ladies of the Church to join us and be involved in the decisions that are made. Kay Dixon is our Ladies Leader.

 

                                        WEDNESDAY MANNA MEAL

                                                                                                                         The   Wednesday Night Manna Meal was birthed at Scalf Chapel on March 2, 2011. In 2013, forty-six meals were provided on Wednesday Night for all the Church family and Wednesday Night Bus Kids. Attendance has increased from less than 5 kids to a high of 100 kids and adults.We have seen great things come out of the Wednesday Night Manna Meals and Youth Services. It is our prayer that young lives will be forever changed and the world will become a better place because of the wonderful work Scalf Chapel is doing to make a difference in the lives ofthe children at our Church and to spread the love of Jesus. Tammy Lockard is our Youth Director.