July 22, 2002
50-year director changes to praise choruses
___By Brandon Kirk
___Staff Writer
___ERATH COUNTY--Fanny Chambers has been the music director at Cottonwood Baptist Church for more than 50 years. Ten years ago, the church drew fewer than 30 people for worship, but Chambers now leads hundreds from eight surrounding counties in contemporary praise choruses.
___For as long as she could remember, Cottonwood Baptist Church had used a traditional worship style. "When we started, it was just from the old hymn book," she explained.
___But in 1985, the church began to incorporate praise choruses under new pastor Mike Fitscher and eventually stopped using traditional hymns altogether.
___"I felt kind of a sadness in letting go of the old hymns," Chambers acknowledged.
___The praise choruses were introduced slowly, but the drums seemed a bit much, Chambers said. She didn't mind when they started doing it on Wednesdays; in fact, she enjoyed the new type of music. But she cringed at the thought of using drums on Sunday mornings.
___"It wasn't just real easy for me," she said.
___However, most people seemed to prefer the new style of worship, and they even started incorporating hymns into the new style. In time, Chambers found herself welcoming the change. Then one Sunday when the drummer was absent, it was obvious to her the changes had been appropriate.
___"I knew it was for God's glory and it was right," she said. "I really feel like God was in the transition."
___Fitscher remembers how open Chambers was to the changes, and the pastor sees in her a great love for the church. "She's been so hungry to see a move of God and so excited to see that move happen," he said.
___As Chambers and her husband have taken over custodial duties of the church, she often has a chance to talk about music with Fitscher, who lives in a parsonage on the church grounds. "She understands my heart in it," he said.
___Chambers herself is part of a long legacy of supporters of Cottonwood Baptist. Few people can trace their family history in relation to an old church as well as she can. Her grandparents and great-grandparents were founding members when it opened in 1908. Her son, the church pianist since he took over the position from his grandmother at age 11, is a fifth-generation church member.
___"I just look back over the years with joy, and I feel so blessed," she said.
___Chambers remembers one time during the church's history when membership was down to six young men and seven young women including her. "We were on the brink of giving up," she said.
___But eventually, the adults started coming back one by one, and the church was revived. A pastor from First Baptist Church in Dublin would preach some Sundays, and seminary students came to teach for 18 months at a time until Fitscher came.
___Throughout the ups and downs, Chambers continued to hope, and it paid off in the end--even though the music sounds different now. Today, Cottonwood Church serves more than 600 people.
___"A friend of mine said, 'I believe with all my heart that God will reward the faithful few,'" Chambers said. "I thought of that so many times."
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