THE PEOPLES CHURCH
It was just a ramshackle building,
Built from old war-surplus lumber;
But we used to go there on Sunday,
To hear sermons of lightning and thunder
The church was built in Bible Hill,
Not far from the Pictou road;
Where the village first started out,
Almost three hundred years ago.
A community effort built that old church
And everyone pitched in voluntarily;
Building materials came from Debert, N.S.,
Which was a training centre militarily.
After the war, Debert Base was closed,
It wasn’t needed anymore;
The barracks buildings were all torn down,
From the rooftops to the floor.
Well, the lumber was remarkably good,
And it did the job just fine;
That lumber was used to build our old house
In that same 1948 summertime.
The Church was located on East Court Rd.,
Down the road from our house;
Adjacent to our neighbor Bertha,
Who was Davy’s soul mate and spouse.
Perry F. Rockwood started here,
He preached about Hellfire and Deity;
It was the origin of The People’s Church,
And would become a World-wide entity.
Rev. Rockwood opened another church,
On a downtown Truro street;
It was a very much larger building,
Than the one where we used to meet.
I remember we did a job there,
My father and our old truck and me;
We washed windows with water and vinegar
And dried them with newsprint complete.
Eventually the Church moved to Halifax,
And sent broadcasts all around the World;
They may still be doing that today,
Preaching sermons about the Golden Rule.
But back to the Church on East Court Road,
Mr. Johnson taught us Sunday school;
He was a salesman during the week,
And sold useful products and tools.
I remember Mr. and Mrs. White,
Mr. White was a minister too;
He preached his sermons every Sunday,
And he always wore a suit of blue.
The Church was a community centre,
For concerts and picnics and meetings;
We’d gather with all of our friends there,
Although there was limited seating.
The East Court Church has disappeared,
It’s gone by the way of progress;
But it’s where I went to Church on Sunday,
Dressed up in my Sunday best!
Bob Bartlett,
North Bay
