Minutes of Sacred Harp Singings

The annual Sacred Harp singing at Hopewell Primitive Baptist Church in Roopville, Georgia, was held on the third Sunday in June. The class was called to order at 10:00 a.m. by Karen Rollins leading 32t. Ted Brown offered the morning prayer. Karen Rollins welcomed the singers and visitors to the 150th annual singing at Hopewell Primitive Baptist Church.

Leaders: Philip Denney and Gayle Denney 84; Cecil Roberts 138b; Winfred Kerr 225t; Margie Smith 512; Glenda Collins and Bert Collins 100; Robert Chambless 145t; Oscar McGuire 344; Jeannette DePoy 55 (in memory of her father); David Brodeur 125; Sonny Erwin 493; Bentley McGuire 505; Margaret Gillanders 354t; Kathy Williams 343; Scott DePoy 65 (in memory of his father); Rick Foreman 301; Derek Buckland 515; Rebecca Over 521.

RECESS

Hayden Arp and Philip Denney brought the class back to order leading 40. Leaders: Andy Ditzler 57; Helen Brown 61; Jonathon Smith 133; Robert Stoddard 500 (in memory of Hugh McGraw); Nathan Rees 298; Joanna Bennett 189; Chris Brown 480.

Members of the Rogers family gave the history of the family and the church, talking about the end of the Civil War, the trip home for the solider who bought the land and donated part of the land for the church, and started the singing in 1867.

Leaders: Ted Brown 187; Anna Hinton 383; Cheryl Foreman 472; Judy Whiting 212; Elizabeth Stoddard 29t.

LUNCH

Hayden Arp brought the class back to order leading 123t. Leaders: Ray Rechenberg 148; Inga Huebner 361; Eli Hinton 99; Jesse Karlsberg and Lucey Karlsberg 392.

Karen Rollins conducted the memorial lesson talking about families and how our own families are so important and how our Sacred Harp family is important to each singer. The following deceased were remembered: Hugh McGraw, B.M. Smith, Lynn Swafford Key, Geneva Pritchard, Johnny Lee, Delorese Lee, Janelle Davis, Doris Rogers, Edna Ruth Phillips, Toney Smith, Lavoy Smith, Gail Jackson, Harold DeLong, Verlyn Denney, Casey Hester, W.C. Yarbrough, Louise McCormick Houston, Gene Ward, Ruth Steggles, Gravis Ballinger, Levon Wootten, and John Bayer. The following sick and shut-ins were mentioned: Eloise Wootten, Floy Wilder, Curtis Owen, Edith Owen, Melanie Hauff, Tommie Spurlock, Concetta Branson, Jack Denney, Louise Holland, Calvin Phillips, Travis Yearwood, and Mike Taylor. Karen Rollins, Karleen Williams, Paige Harrod, Sherry Lovvorn, and Denney Rogers led 45t. Cecil Roberts offered the memorial prayer.

Leaders: Lonnie Rogers’s grandchildren 143; John Plunkett 33b; Sharon Denney and Joan Denney 339 (in memory of their mother); Malinda Snow 422; Kacey Cook, Seth Denney, and Philip Denney 87; Lauren Bock 434; David Smead 413; Phillip Langley 172; Karis Askin 556. Opal Cannon gave a talk about how important the Sacred Harp singing at Hopewell Primitive Baptist Church had been to the Rogers family. Leaders: Matt Hinton 460; Lisa Bennett 560; Isaac Green 411; Hayden Arp 542; Donna Bell 545 (in memory of her daddy); Erica Hinton 309; singers from out of the USA 475 (in memory of B.M. Smith); singers not from Alabama or Georgia 432; Judy Chambless 527 (in honor of Karen Rollins).

After announcements, Karen Rollins and Philip Denney led 46 as the closing song. Rick Foreman offered the closing prayer.

Chairman—Karen Rollins; Vice Chairman—Philip Denney; Secretary—Judy Chambless