Since it is a three day weekend, we ventured into Rockingham County, about 20 miles from Greensboro to spend the afternoon on a friend's farm. The winding country roads are beautiful between Greensboro and Madison. Our friend lives at the end of a road that is not paved into her property. There are still roads like that in Guilford County, but they are getting harder to find. On the way back, we drove past Kallam Grove Christian Church. It was established in 1865, right in the middle of the Civil War era. The original meeting area was under a brush arbor.Eventually, a small, white, wooden church was built. Since the beginning, they have been a Christian church, operating on a congregational model. All church business is presented to the church and voted on by members.
The church building shown above is the 1992 iteration of the church. Off to the right is a sanctuary. In the background, you can see the cemetery with graves dating back to the 1800s. Driving on those winding, back country roads in this part of North Carolina, and stumbling upon a country church is such a special treat. They are everywhere with most likely struggling to maintain membership. But knowing all of the history of these churches, and the families that have donated land and supported them over the years, is a special part of the history of North Carolina. We drive around on these weekend jaunts, we are reminded of the second line from J.R.R. Tolkien's poem, "The Riddle of Strider". "Not all those who wander are lost." Indeed, when we are out wandering, we are not lost. And, we always know that we are only an online search away from getting exactly where we want to go. So, be adventurous and hear out and explore the roads within a 20 mile radius of Greensboro.
Happy Sunday!
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