Kings Creek Union Chapel

To give us your testimony, send an e-mail to testimonies@kcuc.net

I have really enjoyed catching up on this website. I
am not sure if my Aunt and Uncle (Elizabeth
Swearingen/Ronald Richards) were the first to marry
there but I can remember her stories of Mrs.
Arrington. It is evident how much she was/is loved.

As a child, I loved bible school. The dunking of
Oreo's in cherry KoolAid was so good:) The lesson's
were lead by so many wonderful people like--MaryAnn
Gaskins, Dan Wolverton, Carol Monigold, Jean Harrison
and her daughters. Christmas programs, youth groups,
and children's choir were a few of my favorite things.

I left Weirton in 1983. I live in Hampton, VA with my
husband Frank and we have two children. During our
numerous trips home, we would occasionally take our
kids to KCUC. One Christmas, they enjoyed the same
little box of candy that I remembered getting as a
child. It brought back fun memories.

Many of our trips home are for funerals. At those
funerals, poems are read. The encouragement Mrs.
Arrington gave to my Aunt Doris (Doris Swearingen) is
a gift that keeps giving. My Aunt Doris continues to
write poems that touch so many people. On April 16th,
my son was locked down in a dorm room because two
people were shot on the floor below him. That day
would only get worse for Virginia Tech. Aunt Doris
wrote a poem for Ryan and his fellow HOKIES.

Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA April 16th 2007

Tragedy has touched those that are here.
We will grieve
We will cry out in anger
We will remember.
We will not drown in fear.
We will revere
the lives that were taken the
perseverance of their dreams
for a better tomorrow.
We fill with sorrow
for silenced dreams.
Please know,
they leave something more than silence.
Collectively,
they leave a legacy of courage
on which we will build, believe, better
this space, this place where they were.
Their lives have been taken, but not their spirit.
It is here, it echoes everywhere.
It is every place we will ever be.

By Doris Swearingen
Aunt of VT Tech student
Ryan Saloka

She will never know how many people she has touched
with her words. I received a letter from Jim Ford, he
read the poem, and shared with me how much the poem
Aunt Doris wrote for his wife Donna meant to him. So,
because Mrs. Arrington made a difference in my Aunt's
life, she continues to make a difference in the lives
of others. Mrs. Arrington would be as proud as I
am--THANKS AUNT DORIS! I LOVE YOU! So many people at
KCUC made a difference--The Erwin's, Grays, Carson's,
Stoneking's, Monigold's, Morrison's, Wolverton's,
Gaskin's, Louise Fletcher and Virginia Conrad to name
a few.

I am active member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church but
King's Creek Union Chapel will always be my first
church. Thanks for the head start:) Keep up the good
work � Rejoice in the Lord Always!

Love,
Virginia Loy - Saloka

I hardly know where to start, but I'm that little girl who liked to go to Sunday School. My Mother and I always attended the First Baptist Church in North Weirton, on Ave D, I think. I loved my teachers and going and learning more about Jesus.

I never remember a time when I didn't pray and talk to Jesus. Sometimes to thank Him and some times to tell Him I was sorry for what I had done or said.

Quite often, I spend evenings with an elderly widow and we would sit on her porch and play word games. Quite often we talked about the Bible and Jesus. One evening we were talking and I began to count the number of children in our neighborhood who couldn't go to church.

The depression was beginning to weaken, but there still wasn't a lot of money for gasoline and such. So often, Mom and I couldn't go to church, as Dad often worked on Sunday. When times got better, the war began, and there went the gasoline again

Mrs. Logan, the widow, talked to Mom about our conversation and it got Mom to thinking. She had often thought about a Sunday School in our basement, but never got to it. Well, this lit the fire under her, and she began to work. First to find a place to have it and who to get to help. Help came from some unexpected sources. We found the dance shelter at the old picnic park and were told that we could use it on Sunday afternoon.

It took a lot of cleaning to get it ready for church, as they had held a dance there on Saturday. The adults and children cleaned as best they could.

We moved into the basement of "Gankee" and "Pop" Ross and were there a long time. Pop always had the electric on and heat and never charged a cent. We never know how God might use You.

We bought an old piano, and Dot Dawson played for us. When she was away, I practiced on the congregation and I'm sure at times I tried their patience. We later began to use an old army organ, the same type the chaplains used when in the field. It took a lot of leg power to keep that thing going....I was usually out of breath when a song was over.

The basement, that was built on the corner, just seemed like heaven to us when we moved in. We had many good times there. We put on plays, had weddings and so forth. I think Elizabeth Swearingen and Ronald Richards, were the first marriage, but I'm not sure. The main building went up while I was in California and I was surprised when I got home , to see how much had been done.

The church there is my home church, no matter where else I live. The Lord is there and He is still blessing.

I remember how good the people of the church were to me and my family during the illness of my first husband. I will always be grateful to them and love them for it.

I've seen so much happen in the church, I was married there, my father and son were baptized there the same day, my parents were both laid to rest from there along with my first husband.

One of the hardest things I ever had to do was to move away. I missed my church, my friends and my family....in that order. It is so hard to find a church where you can feel comfortable.

We have done well, since moving. I know it was God's will that we did so. The Lord has bless us so much, as an example, we promised the Lord $100.00 for Thanksgiving Offering. The next day, Jim got laid off. Now what, we had pledged it....God got Jim a job at Ormet, working three weeks, with some overtime and we could pay our pledge. We never missed a pay day and God then put him in Mobay with a good job.

We have had so many prayers answered and been blessed so much. I feel like we are some of the most blessed people around.

We started to church in Paden City and liked the church. Jim and I both have been active in various jobs and now that we are older, Barb and Todd have taken up the slack. We also have found a good church in Florida, where we spend six months each winter. God is every where, all we have to do is open our hearts, eyes and minds to find Him.

I love the Lord and want to serve him all of my life. My actions have not always been what they should have been, but God forgives because he loves us. Each day, I ask the lord to go with me through the day, to lead my thoughts, actions and words to help me to be pleasing to Him. He is my love......

God bless you all. It's such a pleasure to see all the names of people I do not know attending there, that means its growing and that keeps me happy. Our Dream Comes True.

I hope you don't mind my rambling on like this, is so, forgive me.

Betty (Arrington) Pratt VanCamp

Hi everyone, my name is Jay, son of Jim and Betty VanCamp ,grandson of Lou and Beaula Arrington. Its been quite some time since I've visited the church and when I heard you all had a web sit I had to respond. Kings Creek Union Chapel holds many fond memories for me. I wish I could say that I've lived in Gods will all my life, sadly that isn't so........I was saved at and early age, at a tent revival that the church was having, baptized their at Kings Creek with my Grandfather Lou. As I grew older the temptations grew and my walk with Christ seemed to be farther and farther each day. I knew his will but would not heed his word. I ran from those feelings as hard as I could, soon drugs and alcohol consumed my life. No matter how hard I tried, or what I tried. After failing at jobs, relationships, letting down loved ones, hurting those who loved me dearly I finally hit bottom....At the age of 30 I had driven away all those who cared, all they could do was pray for me. Sitting on a front porch of and old rented trailer, life had become more than I thought I could bear. God.......just let me die was my simple but earnest prayer. His answer was not what I thought it would be. As clear as someone sitting right beside me a voice said "it doesn't have to be this way.......I love you, my son died for you and I have a plan for you........I couldn't believe my ears. After all I had done, as far as I had run, God still loved me. Memories of the church, my parents, my grandparents flooded my mind, emotions overwhelmed me. tears began to to flow from my eyes. How could I have been so foolish. It had been a very hot and muggy afternoon and a gentle rain began to fall, the drops felt cool to my skin, washing away the heat of the day. Again the voice........Just as the rain washes away the heat, Christ's blood has washed away you sin........I must have looked like a fool, sitting their crying in a now pouring rain. Forgiven, what a feeling ,burdens lifted, my step seemed a bit lighter. I wish I could say life
has been a breeze since, it hasn't ,and it wont be in this old world, it has however been blessed, and those blessings continue for me as now I'm a grandparent, and I see those small little eyes, I know how my grandparents must have felt.........Thank you Lord for a praying grandma, but mostly, Thank for for the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. I'm not perfect, but I'm forgiven love you all and will always cherish the memories of the church............I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ,Phillipians 3.14
Jay D. Pratt

Dan Wolverton: An angel saved my life one day in Viet Nam. We were on patrol going into a burned-out village, we patrolled this place many times and every time we got to the village we would get ambushed, so everybody was tensed up on the ready. There was a river that run along side the village and we were told that it was a free fire zone and that every American solder was told to stay off the river in san-pans or anything else. when we reached the village I looked out towards the river and saw three san-pans full of people going down the river about one-hundred yards away, I yelled at everybody, there were twelve of us, plus our platoon sergeant, we all opened fire on these men, and they immediately opened fire back on us. We all got down behind a rice paddy dike and continued to fire our weapons, with everyone firing their weapons on automatic no one can hear the man next to them yelling anything at all. I hear someone yell I'm hit, I'm hit, only my chest and head were exposed to enemy fire, I was their squad leader so I was responsible for the man that was hit, so as I stood-up and turned to my right I saw a yellow flash, someone in the san-pan fired aM79 grenade at me, I was knocked-out from the concussion, they said I was blown five feet in the air, I don't know, I remember seemingly floating through the air for a moment and felt like a feather hitting the ground, I came-to as soon as I hit the ground and the first thing I said to my platoon sergeant was ,who got hit? He said you did, I said somebody did because I heard them yell, he said, no, you are the only one that got hit. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it was an angel that yelled I'm hit I heard it as clear as if someone said it beside me in a quiet room, he save my life because if I would have stayed knelt down behind the rice paddy dike with only my chest and face being exposed I would have been hit in the face and head with the grenade and would have meant sure death, standing-up and turning to my right saved my life, I was only wounded in the leg and hand, spent two weeks in the hospital and went back to the field. I praise God that he sent HIS Angel that day, God is so good to us, I would have died a lost twenty year-old that day in Viet Nam and would have spent eternity in a devils HELL. Thank you GOD for your angels, and most of all for SAVING MY SOUL!!! Dan Wolverton

From: Barb Palmer

       Hello, My name is Barb Palmer and I am the daughter of Jim and Betty (Arrington) VanCamp and of course my grandmother was Beulah Arrington. I was really thrilled to finally log into the KCUC website.
    My parents live in Florida for 6 months during the winter and I pick up their mail each week. I always read the newsletter before I send it to her. I enjoy keeping up with what is going on at the Church.
   I only attended KCUC until I was 6, then we moved to Sistersville, WV. KCUC will always be a special Church to me because of the heritage of my Grandmother.
    I guess you could say that I thought of my Grandmother as a "Saint" in the Church. I have no doubt that she is in Heaven with the Lord today celebrating. I thank God that I was privileged enough to have someone like her in my life. Many times I think of walking to Church with her, she would be carrying her Bible in one hand and her purse in the other. I remember all of the talks that we had about Jesus on her front porch swing and how I was like a sponge and would try my best to absorb every word that she said. I can remember talking about death with her when I was young and I told her that I didn't want her to leave, she said "I'll just be moving to a better place"
    I know that she had a burden for missions and did what she could to support them. I am sure that she did more than I will ever know. I think that she would have been a good missionary in another country, but she was a great one here to me and so many others.
    I was able to help take care of her the last couple years of her life and I wouldn't change that for anything. I remember the good times (spoiling her with sweets when my parents were gone, her favorites were chocolate covered cherries and vanilla ice cream cones dipped in chocolate). I also remember the nights that I would hear her crying with pain and I would pray for God to heal her or take her home.
   I know that she always enjoyed getting tapes from the Church and listening to the sermon and choir. I think that it made her feel like she was back home.
   I was with grandma when she took her last breath and she had the most peaceful look on her face. I knew then that she had moved to that better place. Many times I wish that I could talk to her and tell her what an inspiration she was and has been to me in my life. She was a very special lady and I thank God for allowing me to have her as MY GRANDMA
Keep up with the good work on the website. I will keep checking from time to time to see what's new.
                                                                             Thank you for listening and God Bless you and the KCUC.
                                                                              Barb Palmer

Hi Barb,

I just read your testimony here on the Kings Creek Chapel
site, and wanted to comment on it.
Your grandmother was and always shall me a pillar of
our church. I hope that you have shared this good testimony
with all of your family. It is important to pass down the
life of someone who loved the Lord so much.

Beulah certainly was a great influence in my Christian
life. I gave my heart to the Lord in Jan. 28th 1979 at
Kings Creek Chapel. Pastor was Rev. Gene Erwin at
that time. I wrote my first Christian poem for Easter
services there in 1979. I was unaccustomed to speaking
in front of people and so very nervous when I got up to
read it. My eyes went to Beulah, and I asked her to
come up and read it for me. She gladly came and
stood there beside me, instead of reading it for me
she said you can do this. You wrote it for the Lord, you
can read it for him. She stayed there beside me and I
was able to read the poem myself.

Beulah, was an encourager, and her love for the Lord was
so visible. Being a new Christian her faith just amazed me.
It is so nice to hear that you still like keeping in touch
with the church. If you send Brenda Bennett your address
she will send you a newsletter of your own.
I wrote a poem for Beulah on June 23rd 1984 in
honor of her birthday. I am going to post it here for others
to read.

Beulah

Beulah is kindness. Her love for Christ
is reflected in her concern for others.
She is teacher.
She was one of the first teachers in our Sunday School.
As teacher she is wise enough to learn from her teaching.
She is friend.
The love of Christ precedes her every action, every deed.
She is the kind of Christian I shall try to be.
She is an example a new Christian would do well to heed.
She knows Christ is the way,,
the solution to every need.
God has been good to her and she has been good to us.
She is a lover of of His Word.
Hungry for the Scriptures, she reads her Bible
knowing with every precious line
there is something new to be learned.
She has deep faith.
She has walked His way even in times of darkness
bowing to his will, having the patience
to wait on God's decisions.
Beulah, how appropriate her name.
She shall dwell in that land forever one day.
Her steadfast and love for the Lord assures
others of being there, because she cared.
Beulah, you have all our love and appreciation
for the kind and caring person you are.
You are an example of how one person in Christ
can become Christian generations.

Happy Birthday Beulah,
we all love you.
Written By Doris Swearingen