The old state song, “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny”, seems to have been the new theme song for the Davis family in recent weeks. Sandy & I never imagined that God would bring us back to the same city and state where we started out in ministry more than twenty years ago. But here we are, back in the Old Dominion after eighteen years and three other pastorates.
Prior to our return to Danville via Mount Hermon Baptist Church, all four of the churches I had served as pastor were in different states—Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky & Florida. I used to tell people that every time I left a church I had to leave the state as well! Now, God has shown me that I can actually go back again to a place I lived before. Thanks, Commonwealth of Virginia, for giving me a second chance!
Eighteen years to be away is a long time. Think about it. When Sandy & I left Danville back in 1988, Ronald Reagan was still president, the Soviet Union was still intact, little-known George W. Bush was working in his daddy’s campaign for the White House, Al Gore had not yet invented the Internet, and CDs were not something you listened to but something you invested in. Truly, a lot of water has gone under the bridge.
In the past few weeks, I’ve been eagerly anticipating my return to Virginia. Here are some of the things I’ve been looking forward to most.
1. Four distinct seasons. Living in Florida for more than a decade, it’s been a long time since Sandy & I have seen ice and snow. (In fact, we got caught by surprise on our first Sunday morning when we woke with frost on our car windshield.) I know it sounds strange, but I’ve really been looking forward to being cold again, especially at Christmastime. I can’t wait to get snowed in. In Florida, there were no snow days, only hurricane days! I also love the brilliantly-colored changing leaves of autumn. Sandy & I got here just in time to see them this year. And, speaking of seasons, there’s nothing more beautiful than springtime in Danville, with all the azaleas blooming. I look forward to that as well.
2. History. Wow, Virginia is the ultimate place for history buffs! As a college history major and a lifelong student of history, returning to a state with such a great heritage is going to be fun. Jamestown. Yorktown. Colonial Williamsburg. Mount Vernon. Monticello. Appomattox Court House. Arlington National Cemetery. The birthplaces of eight U.S. presidents. Battlefields galore. Not to mention that Danville itself was the last capital of the Confederacy. Truly, Virginia history is U.S. history. I’ll enjoy revisiting some sights that we saw years ago as well as getting to go some places we never got around to visiting before.
3. Baseball. I’m a big baseball fan. While I’m giving up the major league spring training games that I’ve enjoyed for years in Florida, I know that Danville historically is a great baseball town. It’s where my son first learned the game in the city’s excellent Little League program. And I’m delighted that Danville again has a minor league team. (They didn’t have one when I lived here before.) Look for me to be spending some of my free time next spring and summer watching the balls and strikes at Dan Daniel Memorial Park.
4. Brunswick Stew. In Virginia, "stew" is not merely something you eat. It's an event! Virtually everyone in Southside Virginia loves attending a good old fashioned stew in the autumn when the weather turns cool. On the Saturday night before our first Sunday at Mount Hermon, Sandy & I were invited to a stew at someone's home. Several people had worked all day preparing the delicacy. And then, just before dark, a large group gathered for the big feast. It was fun being outdoors on a cold night for a delicious time of hot stew and warm fellowship.
5. Speaking of food, I can't forget some of Danville’s unique local eating establishments. Places like Short Sugar’s Barbecue, Danview Restaurant, and Mary’s Diner. Mmm! Mmm! These restaurants were some of my favorite haunts years ago. I’m so relieved to find out that they’re all still in operation and doing well. I’ll surely be dropping by soon to reintroduce myself to some of their classic down home cuisine.
6. Sweet Tea. When you order sweet tea in Central Florida, they generally bring you a glass of unsweetened iced tea and several packets of sugar. Have you ever tried to sweeten tea after it has been chilled? As you know, sweet tea is a staple of the South. But “the South” is more than a geographical location. It’s a state of mind. And, as the folks in the Sunshine State often say, “In Florida, you’ve got to go north to go south.”
7. Trains. When I was a boy growing up in the mountains of Kentucky, I used to lay awake at night listening to the sound of train whistles, dreaming of all the places I might go. The coal mining regions of Appalachia, like the farming and manufacturing areas of the Piedmont, historically were train country. (Danville, of course, is notable in history as the site of the wreck of the Old 97. And Joan Baez’s 1971 pop hit, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” opens with the line, “Virgil Caine is my name and I served on the Danville train…”) I haven’t been around the familiar sound of train whistles in a long, long time, but I was delighted to discover that I can hear them from our new home on Westwood Drive. It brings back a lot of good memories.
8. Southern Hospitality. Courtesy. Manners. Etiquette. Politeness. Decorum. Respectfulness. Thoughtfulness. Gentleness. Kindness. Friendliness. You experience it from both acquaintances and strangers alike…in restaurants, stores, and even out on the street. As an outsider coming back in, I can unequivocally say that a lot of what has been largely lost in American culture in recent years is still alive and well in Southside Virginia. Praise the Lord. What a delight to be back among such graciousness.
9. Good People. The state’s longstanding promotional campaign says that “Virginia is for lovers.” I have to say that some of the most loving people I’ve ever met are in Danville, Virginia. Sandy & I still have many friends here from back in the 1980s. At that time, we knew many Southside Virginia residents to be good, honest, hardworking, patriotic, down-to-earth, God-fearing people—whether they were Wahoos, Hokies, or whatever. Our precious memories of Melville Avenue Baptist Church—our first church which loved us and gave us such a great start in ministry—have been something we have cherished throughout the years. We now look forward to meeting & making a whole host of new friends at Mount Hermon Baptist Church and throughout the community as well.
10. Mount Hermon Baptist Church. This is the main reason we’ve come back to good ol’ Pittsylvania County. God has called us back for a new ministry assignment with Mount Hermon, a great church family with a solid foundation and a bright future. I’m excited about being the pastor of such a strong congregation, which I’ve always admired for their commitment to missions and their love for the Word of God. I am confident that the Lord has put us together to do and experience some things that we never could have done alone. Sandy & I truly look forward to what God is going to do in all of our lives in the years ahead.
God bless you all. It’s really good to be back in Virginia.
Pastor Danny
Prior to our return to Danville via Mount Hermon Baptist Church, all four of the churches I had served as pastor were in different states—Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky & Florida. I used to tell people that every time I left a church I had to leave the state as well! Now, God has shown me that I can actually go back again to a place I lived before. Thanks, Commonwealth of Virginia, for giving me a second chance!
Eighteen years to be away is a long time. Think about it. When Sandy & I left Danville back in 1988, Ronald Reagan was still president, the Soviet Union was still intact, little-known George W. Bush was working in his daddy’s campaign for the White House, Al Gore had not yet invented the Internet, and CDs were not something you listened to but something you invested in. Truly, a lot of water has gone under the bridge.
In the past few weeks, I’ve been eagerly anticipating my return to Virginia. Here are some of the things I’ve been looking forward to most.
1. Four distinct seasons. Living in Florida for more than a decade, it’s been a long time since Sandy & I have seen ice and snow. (In fact, we got caught by surprise on our first Sunday morning when we woke with frost on our car windshield.) I know it sounds strange, but I’ve really been looking forward to being cold again, especially at Christmastime. I can’t wait to get snowed in. In Florida, there were no snow days, only hurricane days! I also love the brilliantly-colored changing leaves of autumn. Sandy & I got here just in time to see them this year. And, speaking of seasons, there’s nothing more beautiful than springtime in Danville, with all the azaleas blooming. I look forward to that as well.
2. History. Wow, Virginia is the ultimate place for history buffs! As a college history major and a lifelong student of history, returning to a state with such a great heritage is going to be fun. Jamestown. Yorktown. Colonial Williamsburg. Mount Vernon. Monticello. Appomattox Court House. Arlington National Cemetery. The birthplaces of eight U.S. presidents. Battlefields galore. Not to mention that Danville itself was the last capital of the Confederacy. Truly, Virginia history is U.S. history. I’ll enjoy revisiting some sights that we saw years ago as well as getting to go some places we never got around to visiting before.
3. Baseball. I’m a big baseball fan. While I’m giving up the major league spring training games that I’ve enjoyed for years in Florida, I know that Danville historically is a great baseball town. It’s where my son first learned the game in the city’s excellent Little League program. And I’m delighted that Danville again has a minor league team. (They didn’t have one when I lived here before.) Look for me to be spending some of my free time next spring and summer watching the balls and strikes at Dan Daniel Memorial Park.
4. Brunswick Stew. In Virginia, "stew" is not merely something you eat. It's an event! Virtually everyone in Southside Virginia loves attending a good old fashioned stew in the autumn when the weather turns cool. On the Saturday night before our first Sunday at Mount Hermon, Sandy & I were invited to a stew at someone's home. Several people had worked all day preparing the delicacy. And then, just before dark, a large group gathered for the big feast. It was fun being outdoors on a cold night for a delicious time of hot stew and warm fellowship.
5. Speaking of food, I can't forget some of Danville’s unique local eating establishments. Places like Short Sugar’s Barbecue, Danview Restaurant, and Mary’s Diner. Mmm! Mmm! These restaurants were some of my favorite haunts years ago. I’m so relieved to find out that they’re all still in operation and doing well. I’ll surely be dropping by soon to reintroduce myself to some of their classic down home cuisine.
6. Sweet Tea. When you order sweet tea in Central Florida, they generally bring you a glass of unsweetened iced tea and several packets of sugar. Have you ever tried to sweeten tea after it has been chilled? As you know, sweet tea is a staple of the South. But “the South” is more than a geographical location. It’s a state of mind. And, as the folks in the Sunshine State often say, “In Florida, you’ve got to go north to go south.”
7. Trains. When I was a boy growing up in the mountains of Kentucky, I used to lay awake at night listening to the sound of train whistles, dreaming of all the places I might go. The coal mining regions of Appalachia, like the farming and manufacturing areas of the Piedmont, historically were train country. (Danville, of course, is notable in history as the site of the wreck of the Old 97. And Joan Baez’s 1971 pop hit, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” opens with the line, “Virgil Caine is my name and I served on the Danville train…”) I haven’t been around the familiar sound of train whistles in a long, long time, but I was delighted to discover that I can hear them from our new home on Westwood Drive. It brings back a lot of good memories.
8. Southern Hospitality. Courtesy. Manners. Etiquette. Politeness. Decorum. Respectfulness. Thoughtfulness. Gentleness. Kindness. Friendliness. You experience it from both acquaintances and strangers alike…in restaurants, stores, and even out on the street. As an outsider coming back in, I can unequivocally say that a lot of what has been largely lost in American culture in recent years is still alive and well in Southside Virginia. Praise the Lord. What a delight to be back among such graciousness.
9. Good People. The state’s longstanding promotional campaign says that “Virginia is for lovers.” I have to say that some of the most loving people I’ve ever met are in Danville, Virginia. Sandy & I still have many friends here from back in the 1980s. At that time, we knew many Southside Virginia residents to be good, honest, hardworking, patriotic, down-to-earth, God-fearing people—whether they were Wahoos, Hokies, or whatever. Our precious memories of Melville Avenue Baptist Church—our first church which loved us and gave us such a great start in ministry—have been something we have cherished throughout the years. We now look forward to meeting & making a whole host of new friends at Mount Hermon Baptist Church and throughout the community as well.
10. Mount Hermon Baptist Church. This is the main reason we’ve come back to good ol’ Pittsylvania County. God has called us back for a new ministry assignment with Mount Hermon, a great church family with a solid foundation and a bright future. I’m excited about being the pastor of such a strong congregation, which I’ve always admired for their commitment to missions and their love for the Word of God. I am confident that the Lord has put us together to do and experience some things that we never could have done alone. Sandy & I truly look forward to what God is going to do in all of our lives in the years ahead.
God bless you all. It’s really good to be back in Virginia.
Pastor Danny
