By Connie Davis Bushey
News Editor, Baptist and Reflector
Praying for a man who had just become a Christian are Tennessee Baptists, from left, Tony Broyles, Phil Whitaker, Liz Thompson, Tal Thompson, Les Guinn, Beverly Jones, and George Jones.
— Photo by John Thomas
DAMASCAS, Va. — Tony Broyles was a little out of his comfort zone. A lot of the folks he was meeting at Damascas Trail Days for “through hikers” of the Appalachian Trail were different from most folks he knows.
“Back in the 60s, when folks like these became popular, I was just a kid,” explained Broyles. And he didn’t live around any such folks. He has always lived in rural East Tennessee.
Of course, there were regular people attending Trail Days, he added.
Many of the people at Damascas Trail Days were happy to meet Broyles and the other Tennessee Baptist volunteers.
They were excited about the hot showers Broyles and other volunteers were offering at the shower trailer, dubbed the “Clean Machine.” Some had not had a hot shower in months because they were hiking the Appalachian Trail.
As he was “still processing what we could do for these folks,” he quickly learned they were not only interested in a shower, even if they had to wait, but they were interested in conversation. So they were glad to sit under an awning near the Clean Machine and enjoy some bottled water and snacks and visit.
Broyles began visiting with folks and, as the Holy Spirit led, witnessing to them.
Amazingly, one man Broyles, George Jones, and others witnessed to made a profession of faith.
The new Christian was the only person who made that decision among the hundreds witnessed to by the about 25 Tennessee Baptist volunteers at Trail Days.
Broyles of Cherry Grove Baptist Church, Jonesborough, and Jones of Tennessee Avenue Baptist Church, Bristol, ministered at the Clean Machine of Holston Baptist Association along with Les Guinn, a DR chaplain, of Cherry Grove Baptist; Tal Thompson, retired director of missions, Holston Association; of Tennessee Avenue, and his wife Liz. Also from Tennessee Avenue were Beverly Jones; Paul Thompson, student pastor; and Phil Whitaker, minister of music.
Providing a similar ministry was a larger group from First Baptist Church, Sevierville, operating its laundry/shower trailer. About 20 volunteers from the church were led by Tennessee Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers John and Kaye Thomas (see story).
The annual Damascas Trail Days was held May 12-15 and draws about 15,000 hikers and former hikers of the Appalachian Trail to the small town. Through hikers who converge there began hiking the trail in March in Georgia and often have not had a hot shower since, explained Kaye Thomas. They also desperately need the few clothes they can carry laundered.
Some of the hikers are counter-cultural and others are “people just like us,” described Kaye Thomas. The Thomases developed the ministry four years ago as a way to minister and use the equipment. Holston Association has been joining them for two years.
Besides witnessing through conversation, the First, Sevierville, volunteers placed Bible verses and spiritual tracts in the pockets of the clothes they washed and dried, added Thomas.
Tal Thompson noted that many of the hikers he met were students who were searching for “direction in life. It is an ideal time to approach them about spiritual matters and who they should follow.” He added that none were rude or negative toward engaging in “Christian talk.”
Broyles said some people he met said they were agnostics.
“Many of them wouldn’t open up. But you go along with them (in conversation) and serve them,” he explained.
Some of the hikers he visited with were “under conviction” and eventually “very open,” to his witness.
He tried to be “a fruit inspector” who wasn’t judgmental, he added.
“Most were very respectful, very attentive to what we were talking about, and very thankful, …” said Broyles.
“They were there for the showers, but it wasn’t about the showers.”
