PIEDMONT, W.Va. (WV News) — What began several years ago as a vision from one of Piedmont’s most respected pastors finally became reality with the dedication and opening of the Andrew Community Center on Friday, May 12.
“Bishop Henderson Wheeler had a vision around 2000, and he brought it to the church,” Benita Denmark explained to the Mineral News & Tribune just prior to the dedication program.
“He talked about Jesus and the first disciples who were called,” she said. “He said to call it the ‘Andrew Coalition’ because Andrew and Peter were the first disciples and Christ called them to be fishers of men.”
When Bishop Wheeler became ill, Denmark said she went to the Lord in prayer to ask for guidance.
“He spoke to me and told me, ‘I want you to take on this assignment,’” she recalls, adding that she “wasn’t too sure about that” but nevertheless began to move forward in faith.
Denmark said it was Bishop Wheeler’s dream that “everyone who enters this building be blessed in some kind of way.
“The whole purpose of this center is that people will be edified, but God will be glorified,” she said.
The Andrew Coalition for Community Services Inc., which operates the Andrew Community Center at 77 Ashfield St., the former home of the Flower Bay, was formed shortly after Bishop Wheeler revealed his vision, and Louise Redman Gilmore became the president.
Others soon signed on and went to work, but unfortunately the vision took many years to become reality and over those years, some of the members — including Gilmore — were lost.
They will never be forgotten, however, as the first thing that greets visitors to the Andrew Center is an artist’s portrait of Bishop Wheeler surrounded by photos of all those who served on the committee.
Of that original group, only two remain — Benita Denmark and Stephanie Jones.
Ms. Gilmore — a well known hairdresser in the Keyser and Tri-Towns areas — is also remembered in another, even more personal way, with a small library across from the portraits.
“Louise was going to do hair in there,” Denmark said. “But when she passed away, the Lord said, ‘This will be Louise’s Library,’ and so it is!”
The little library features a very personal touch, with several of Mrs. Gilmore’s prized hats prominently on display.
Just outside Louise’s Library is the Piedmont Hometown Pride display, with photos and short bios of many of the Piedmont residents who went on take their place in history — Renowned Black history scholar Dr. Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Wereth 11 member Aubrey Stewart, jazz great Don Redman, Kix frontman Steve Whiteman, and more.
The main feature of the center is a community room, where groups may meet, make use of the piano or treadmill, or just enjoy some fellowship.
Denmark says the coalition hopes to bring speakers in to help with a number of topics — anything from computer skills to taxes, bullying to help with homework.
The possibilities seem to be endless.
“If we can’t help you, we’ll get the people who can,” she said.
“We just want to be a blessing to the community. We desire to help everyone — kids in school, middle age, and our senior citizens,” she said.
“We hope our facility will be a great thing for our community and for the Tri-Towns,” coalition member Brenda Coleman said.
“There is so much that can be done,” Stephanie Jones said, adding that, “What Piedmont needs, God already knows.”
The Andrew Community Center is open for now on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with plans to add more hours and activities as time goes by.
Everyone is invited to morning prayer and Bible study at 10:30 a.m. every Monday. Short courses on various topics of interest are planned for Thursday evenings.
The Andrew Community Center exists solely on donations of time and money.
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