“Church was an exciting place, a colorful, vibrant place. For people whose lives were circumscribed by the rhythms and routines of hard, hard work, with relatively little time or opportunity for contact with others beyond their immediate neighbors, church was literally a time of congregation, a social event much like going into town, a chance to see and spend time with friends you might not see at all the rest of the month. You could feel the energy in the air as people arrived from all directions and gathered in groups outside the church building, everyone talking and hugging, just getting together.”