The Henderson Settlement

 

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” *

Imagine a courtroom scene during the 1920’s in a town in the Appalachian Mountains. A judge is presiding over a murder case, with witnesses coming to take the stand. One by one the witnesses refuse to talk. Finally, the judge raises his hands in frustration and addresses the people in the room.

“Go back to the hills and kill each other off then,” he says.

Was it a fight over the illegal bootlegging trade so prevalent in that area or maybe someone encroaching into another person’s territory? The people being called up on the witness stand know that if they testify about what has happened, sooner or later there will be retaliation. They have grown up with family feuds, lawlessness and poverty.

This scene is not far from what actually happened in Pineville, Kentucky, 1925.  A pastor, Hiram Frakes, was present in the courtroom. He was dismayed when he heard the presiding judge tell the people that they could just kill each other off.

Soon after, Pastor Frakes felt called by God to move into that isolated area. There he met Bill Henderson, who although a bootlegger, wanted his children to get an education.  Bill Henderson donated his own land for the purpose of starting a school. The one-room log cabin schoolhouse marked the beginning of the Henderson Settlement, named after the donor and supported by the United Methodist Church.

To raise money for the school, Pastor Frakes traveled with a quartet of female students, the “Sunbonnet Quartet.” The girls even performed at the White House in 1932, for President Hoover!

One of those girls was Mable Henderson, Bill Henderson’s daughter. Mable graduated from high school at the settlement and went on to Berea College. She then returned to teach, fulfilling the vision of her father. Eventually five of his children graduated from that log cabin schoolhouse.

Since many of the students came from remote areas, the school expanded to include a residential hall and dining room. After public schools became available, the focus shifted

to helping the community in a variety of ways, as well as providing facilities for work groups who came from around the country.

 Just this past year, volunteer work teams completed the 39^th home in the community. There is a new director of the settlement, as well as a youth director who is from the area,  is familiar with its problems and challenges, and who is raising her family there as well. Services provided now include a health clinic, a social worker on the staff, several different pantries, a thrift store and a volunteer fire department.

Recently, a team of six women spent a week at the Henderson Settlement as part of a mission outreach from their church. According to Sue Walters, the team leader, a typical day consisted of teaching life skills to kids, having crafts, games and activities in the morning.  The afternoon was spent helping to restock the baby pantry or work in the thrift shop, for example.

 For Sue, this ministry has been “one of the biggest blessings” of her adult life! The whole purpose of going is to build relationships with the people. “We have watched kids grow up in the program…how they have reacted to our caring and love over the years. They do recognize this and reciprocate.”

What keeps her going back year after year?  “The people wrap right around your heart. They are really grateful for what we have done.”

The mission statement of the Henderson Settlement is to “lift up Jesus Christ by providing basic needs in Appalachia through God’s love.” Life is still hard in that impoverished area, with drug and alcohol abuse rampant.  However, the Henderson Settlement staff, all of the faithful volunteers and donors, have brought hope to the people who live there.

Every state, every community in the country has its own “Appalachia.” May the Lord continue to raise up people who obey His call and may He continue His work of transformation  in the lives and hearts of the “least of these,” people whom Jesus called His brothers.

Many thanks to Sue and the team for their faithfulness in serving the Lord through the Henderson Settlement.

*Matthew 25:40 NIV