Been to an Ingathering Lately?

Been to an Ingathering Lately?

 I don’t have a clue what day I asked Eva to marry me. I know it was late summer, 1981. We hadn’t really talked about a wedding date—I just planned to show up when I was told.

If I had asked her to marry me on the first Thursday in November, she would have immediately said no. And if I’d asked her why, she would have said without hesitation, “That’s my church’s Ingathering. I have to be there.”

Being a city boy from Lumberton, I had no idea what an Ingathering was. For the Old Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church, it’s a time to share their “first fruits,” the fruits of their labor as farmers. That’s certainly biblical—it’s where the idea of a ten percent tithe comes from.

The sweet potatoes they serve might not come from a church member’s field, and the hog might not come from a member’s farm, but all the work does. Every bit of it comes from members, former members, and friends of the church—and it’s fascinating to watch.

Here’s a recent Facebook post from the leader of their Ingathering:

“The church’s biggest need for new volunteers will be from 2:00 p.m. to roughly 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 5th. We’ll be chopping up the hog meat that comes off the grill and transporting it down to the serving shed. It would be nice to have roughly six volunteers in addition to church members. Don’t wear your best clothes!

At the serving shed, the meat will be seasoned, re-heated, and stored overnight. We need eight people stirring at any given time along with church members.

On Thursday morning, we’ll need roughly eight volunteers to reheat the finished pork BBQ. We’ll be heating it again and examining it one last time before it’s moved to the serving lines, where plates are being made. We’ll need stirrers from roughly 10:00 a.m. until about 12:30 p.m.

None of the work is particularly strenuous, but it’s nice to be able to swap out volunteers every hour or so. If a volunteer shows up and we don’t need you at that moment, check back later and take the place of someone who’s been there awhile.”

Eva will be there—our son Andrew, his son Jack, Eva’s four siblings, many of their children and grandchildren, cousins from far away, and former church members “coming back home.”

It’s quite an event. So, if you happen to be in Scotland County—about equidistant from Laurinburg, Wagram, and Laurel Hill—stop by the Old Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church. I promise you won’t leave hungry.

If you see Eva, tell her I’m on my way. And maybe it’s something we could start to help supplement the pastor’s salary—just a thought.

Have Fun, David