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On December 4th, 2021, the Little Creek Fellowship Seventh-day Adventist church set fire to their 20-year mortgage for their sanctuary. A mortgage burning ceremony is a highly anticipated Sabbath, and thanks to the coronavirus pandemic this celebration had been postponed for more than a year. Little Creek members were thrilled to see this day finally come.
Rick Russell, Carolina Conference VP for Finance, shared a message the Lord placed on his heart entitled, “That They May Be One.” He illustrated his point by sharing the true story of how shoe giants Adidas and Puma originated as one family-run company, but dissension
caused a split. The split was damaging not only to the family, but also the town and employees. This resulted in another company, Nike, stealing their market and undermining
their success. Similar situations come when division is introduced in a church.
Following the message, as church leaders began the special portion of the service, Chad
Grundy, Undertreasurer for the Carolina Conference, pointed out the date the mortgage was granted, and that it only took seven years to pay it off. A 20-year mortgage being paid off in seven years is a testimony to the members and leadership in their dedication to stewarding God’s money. Now that their mortgage has been paid, the members have decided to take a portion of what they were paying on the mortgage and invest it in missions, helping to spread the Gospel to all the corners of the world. After the service, the members served a special meal, with socially distanced spaces to eat and fellowship spread around the church in classrooms, the fellowship hall and even the outdoor picnic pavilion.
— Story and photos by Courtney Herod