Part Two
The year was 1975 and I was a naïve young convert to the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ. There was so much that I needed to learn.

The PPCE services started with half an hour of pre-service prayer, then we had an hour of singing lead by the Pastor, then he preached for an hour, and lastly there was a call to the unsaved to come to the front and get their lives together, that took half an hour. The time went by very quickly.

During the hour of singing, people would get inspired. When there was a pause between songs, someone would sing out their inspiration. There is a place in the Bible that goes something like this,” I’d rather be a door keeper in the House of the Lord then spend a day in the tents of iniquity.”

The man who sang these words sang through his nose. Since I was so new, I had no idea what the Bible actually said. To me it sounded like the man was singing, ” I’d rather be a donkey burr in the House of the Lord than spend a day in the tents of iniquity.” When we sang we just belted it out. I remember the people around me looking at me sideways when I sang about the donkey burr.

Besides singing loudly we clapped our hands to the music and some jumped up and down, that we called dancing. The words of the songs were played on an overhead screen so we hadn’t any books to hold.

I soon found that the coveted position and the highest position members could attain to was Bible study leader. My mentor said that I was not leadership material. I was to be involved in support ministry only. I took that as truth and did not aspire to become a leader in any field, both in the PPCE and in my career.

My perception was that I had to be using every waking hour in the pursuit of Godliness. Everywhere I went in public, I took my Bible and read it and ignored everybody and everything.

I was sitting on a bus one day and reading when a fellow struck up a conversation with me. He told me he was a Christian and encouraged me to relax and take time to smell the flowers and enjoy life, and that I did not have to be studying every waking hour. That conversation was freeing.

On Friday nights we boarded the church owned school bus and headed downtown to talk to people on the streets about how Jesus Christ could change their lives. We called this talking ” witnessing “. If people listened to us, we invited them to come back to the church with us and join us at Coffee House where we witnessed some more.

There was always some live entertainment and a call for those wanting to get saved. The Friday night action was usually three hours or so in length.

In 1976 the Pastor embarked on a building program, that is, a new building. In 1976-77 the new building went up and we moved in. We got a new building and a new mortgage. Now the money was very important! The Pastor convinced us to give up our annual income tax returns.
Next, the Pastor convinced us to loan the PPCE interest free money that we could get back upon request.

Around this time the members started getting married. The PPCE had strict dating rules which were supposed to prevent people from getting hurt through failed relationships.

If I saw a lady I liked, I went to my Bible study leader and told him about the lady. He went to the Pastor for approval. Once approved, the lady’s Bible study leader was notified. Her leader went to her and asked her if she would like to go out with me. Whether her answer was no or yes, her Bible study leader went back to the Pastor and he notified my Bible study leader who gave me the answer.

If the answer was yes we can go out, then we could not be alone. We were only allowed to be together with a group of people, this went on for a month before we could actually be alone together on a date.

More rules came into play. No kissing on the lips until engagement and only a quick kiss allowed then. Holding hands was allowed but no other touching! My fiance and I went for engagement pictures. The photographer told my fiance that I was the coldest groom to be that he had ever photographed,( this I learned years later ). All the other grooms he photographed couldn’t keep their hands off their fiances. Me, I was the perfect, obedient, follower of the PPCE principles!

We had rules for everything. When men and women greeted one another they shook hands, men hugged men and women hugged women. The idea here is that men and women are too easily tempted sexually by hugging, as well as new ex-hippie converts like me didn’t smell all that nice, the men could stand me better than the women.

Unmarried men lived in single men’s residences and unmarried women lived in single women’s residences. Each residence had a leader who was approved by the Pastor and his wife.

Only “older in the Lord ” members could date and dating was approved by the Pastor. Those interested in dating could not pick outside of the PPCE congregation. The person you picked was the person you were going to marry. Dating to see who was best for you was not allowed. This was supposed to spare hurt feelings of rejection.

No listening to the radio allowed. In 1980 TV’s were allowed but they had to be set in a secluded area. The “devil’s eye ” would distract you if it was in your living room.

No card playing, that was too close to gambling. My question was, how is Crazy 8’s gambling? Oh well, be obedient.

No smoking, no drinking, and no sex before marriage. Everyone was employed, slouches were not welcome.

Read your Bible and pray every day. Attend all church services and functions. Everyone paid at least 10% tithe on all incoming money.

Children sit quietly during services and pay attention. This changed when the Pastor and his wife started having children of their own and they discovered how unrealistic this expectation was. Then the children were allowed to have a quiet toy and play on the floor around their parent’s feet.

We addressed one another as “brother ” or “sister ” and then spoke their first name such as brother Laird, etc.

In spite of the rules, life was good. I was at ease and contented with my new lifestyle and new friends. The PPCE emphasis had us all waiting with baited breath for the second coming of Christ. That was supposed to happen very soon!

To be continued next week.

ruralreportwithlairdsmith@gmail.com