Christ Temple Suffers a Salvation Near Miss at Altar Call

BRUNDIDGE—Eternal Time stood still last Sunday at the Christ Temple Church in downtown Brundidge. It was a Sunday that the faithful will not soon forget. Jerry Martin made his first appearance inside the church since the funeral for his father, who passed in 1999. According to a witness for Christ, Martin’s appearance at the 11 o’clock service raised the congregation’s hope for a miracle salvation, and became the biggest event since prayers were said for the return of the collection plate stolen after last January’s New Year’s tithing. (It was found the following week by a highway department worker in a ditch about a mile from the church.) According to reports from several of the members of the congregation, Martin seemed poised to enter the aisle at the altar call as Preacher Dale pulled out all stops, moving expertly from invoking the Sweet Name of Jesus to painting the most glaringly vivid visuals of Hell anyone at Christ Temple had ever before seen. One member recalled how everyone in the church kept staring at Jerry, who became the center of attention as the tearful eyes of both saved and un-saved fixated on him while “Just as I Am” was played for the umpteenth time.


Tension in the flock was highest when Martin seemed to lean a little toward the center isle during the end of the third verse; causing Preacher Dale glanced over at the piano and nod for another round. This back and forth went on for about ten or fifteen minutes before a defeated Preacher Dale and an emotionally drained congregation finally gave up at around noon-thirty. Martin, head down and with the faintest wisp of a smile, never budged from the pew except to exit quickly by the side door at the front of the church after the service. “It was kind of quiet after Brother Dale let us go and we all walked outside. My dad gone stomach was starting to growl I was so hungry” said long time member Duncan (“Trip”) Griffith who summed up everyone’s feelings. Griffith, visibly upset at the scene in the church added, “Jerry knows good and well that the NASCAR race started at noon. He thinks it’s funny; that SOB did this just make us all late to get home. He’d better not bring his gimpy behind up here to this church no more. We’ll just send him across the street and let the Methodists have him! Just walk down and get saved for Christ’s sake!”—Clement P. Tate