Barbecue Event

Is A Team Effort

For 30 Churches

By BILL JONES

Staff Writer

Four-thousand tickets for the Saturday, Aug. 23, Baileyton Benefit Barbecue that is being planned to help rebuild Baileyton United Methodist Church have been distributed for sale by some 30 participating Greene County churches.

The tickets were distributed on Tuesday, June 24, during the third in a series of planning meetings for the fundraising event.

The Aug. 24 meeting was held at Sulphur Springs United Methodist Church, according to John Fox, publicity chairman for the barbecue.

The first ticket for the upcoming barbecue was purchased on Saturday, June 28, by the family of the late David Johnson, a Hardins Chapel United Methodist Church member who played a key role in planning a similar benefit barbecue of the Sulphur Springs United Methodist Church several years ago.

Dan Duggar, a retired educator and Hardins Chapel UMC member who is coordinating the upcoming barbecue to raise funds to help rebuild the fire-destroyed Baileyton UMC, began the June 24 meeting by identifying each church in attendance, and thanking the representatives for attending, Fox said.

"About 60 people, representing about 30 churches, were present for the meeting," he said. "The meeting was very upbeat with enthusiasm from all churches about the expectations coming from all the planning Dan Duggar so expertly laid out."

Nancy Casteel, the treasurer for the event, reported that about $500 in donations already had been received.

Tickets $7 In Advance

"We're going to have another 1,000 tickets printed," Fox said.

Tickets will be sold in advance for $7, while tickets will sell at the door at Baileyton Elementary School on Aug. 23 for $8 each.

"There will be a drive-through line as well as eat-in areas in the school cafeteria and outdoors under the shade trees on the school campus," Fox said.

Serving will begin at 11 a.m. and continue until 8 p.m. at Baileyton Elementary School on Aug. 23.

In addition, he said, there will be gospel singing in the school auditorium, and a benefit auction on the afternoon of Aug. 23.

"Please take a look at items you would like to donate for the auction, and put them aside," Fox said. "We will provide a place to bring the donated items as we get nearer to Aug. 23."

The next planning meeting for the Baileyton Benefit Barbecue will be held at Ottway UMC on Ottway Road at 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 8.

"Those having experienced a Tennessee style barbecue dinner made with Hardins Chapel's secret recipe know from experience just how mouth-watering good the barbecue is," Fox said. "Please mark your calendar for Saturday Aug. 23 and come enjoy the barbecue."

The 102-year-old Baileyton UMC building was destroyed by fire last November.

The congregation has been meeting since at Baileyton Elementary School and has been raising funds and developing plans to build a new, larger church on the same site.