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In writing this history, I set forth to determine what events in the lives of our founders shaped the progress of our church. Every individual is a product of his environment and experiences. I wanted to learn a little more about who I am and how I came to be. I wanted to learn more about my church, and I wanted to know more about how my family came to know God.
Our ancestors seem to have been more capable of solving many problems than we are. They endured more difficult times than the so-called "baby boomers" will ever know. Through such trying times as World War I, the economic struggles of the Great Depression, and the suffering of World War II, our predecessors seem to have gained perspective and learned how to struggle. Things that seem so important to us today were of no consequence to them, partly because they never learned to be dependent, as we have, upon some of our luxuries. They took life at a slower pace and enjoyed simpler things. Rather than searching for excitement in sin, they enjoyed each other. They spent time with their families. They learned to love one another.
It is my hope that New Clover Creek's Diamond Jubilee (60th Anniversary) will prove to be a turning point for many of us. It is my prayer that one redeeming result of our anniversary will be to not only look at our past but also to learn from it. God never promised the founders of New Clover Creek that the same fate of old Clover Creek and Cave Spring churches would not be our own. God never promised that New Clover Creek would exist without conflict; indeed, conflict can be beneficial to a group which seeks to learn from the experience, but truly learning from our past means that we must correct things for our future. If New Clover Creek is to continue to survive, we must make the proper adjustments. We never have to accept sin, but we must accept one another as sinners. While we recognize our own faults, we must strive toward correcting our lives and spiritual experiences in a manner which God would have us to.
With curiosity, I have studied some of New Clover Creek's most recent problems. Certain problems arise because of the innocent attempts of "baby boomers" to continually improve things, a consequence of their own placement in time. On the other hand, many of our conflicts with one another are petty, meaningless trites which are not only unnecessary but avoidable. A typical controversy begins with a thoughtless act or comment which offends another. What might result is unpredictable, but frequently, the victim will overreact and even retaliate. This is not the Christian example. We should be thankful that God's judgment of us will not be based upon spiritual or emotional maturity, for with all of New Clover Creek's talents and abilities, I fear many of us would fail such divine scrutiny. Human relationships do not naturally befall us. We forget that it takes effort to get along, and it takes commitment to put forth the effort. Looking to our past, we can learn from our ancestors, whose respect for one another was more salient than our own. It is our Christian duty to treat one another with kindness, understanding, and compassion. It is our duty to be slow to offend yet quick to forgive. We must be more perceptive of the needs of others than our own. It is our duty to love one another, even in the most trying of circumstances. Christ offers redemption and grace, not prolonged pain and anguish.
In conclusion, through prayer, faith, and commitment, the potentials of New Clover Creek to minister in our community and the world in which we live are boundless. No other church of its modest size ever had a membership body with more talent, more financial resources, more education, or more potential than New Clover Creek. Nonetheless, faith, hope, and charity are the essential ingredients to a successful fellowship. My prayer is that our church will continue to build on faith.