180 Year Old Church Presents A Unique Supper

The founding fathers of the event, (pictured left to right) front row: Danny Ruff and Joe Owen. Back row: Dewayne Sherman and Dwayne McDowell.

Most fund raisers at churches consist of a poor man’s supper, spaghetti, or barbecue plates. Four years ago when the brotherhood at the 180 year old church, Coopers Gap Baptist, within the Lake Lure Community wanted a fund raiser, they decided on a unique supper. They decided it would be in February because of the hunting season and they called it a Wild Game Supper. Wild it was and every game they could gather was stewed, cooked and grilled until they offered 30 or more kinds of wild game. Included in the menu was all parts of game, from pigs feet to chicken legs to hogs heads. The list went on and on: Pig ears, raccoon, ground hog gravy, wild boar, turtle stew, deer steaks, hog jowls, rattle snake, pig brains, chicken feet, pig tails, squirrel dumplings, turkey, bear stew, frog legs, lamb, boar, fish, buffalo chili just to name a few! This years mystery meat was cow tongue. If you didn’t come out to eat, you came out to take the tour of what’s cooking at this super supper. If it wasn’t eaten, it was “food for thought” and good conversation for any and all that attended. Each dish was displayed with a sign behind it to tell what it was! We overheard a few attendees offering bribes to others if they would take a taste.

Then there were those adventurous folks that wanted to eat and taste everything! They became the proclaimed heroes of the supper. Salads, fruits, desserts and drinks were also included.

To top off this evening of adventure and fun Barney Fife and Thelma Lou showed up in a Mayberry Squad Car to give a bible message and entertain the wild game folks. “Fearless Fife” and Thelma Lou, Ronnie and Elease Felker, were very entertaining and even brought the preacher on stage and some say his kinfolk to show a good time and share some good jokes. The evening entertainment concluded with a prayer and over 200 people who probably will return next year. 

Just think this annual event is probably better than going to a zoo. The only difference is that they seem to offer everything in the zoo in the past tense for supper. It all began when four members of the brotherhood came up with this “wild” idea! Dwayne McDowell, Danny Ruff, Dewayne Sherman and Joe Owen were the idea men behind this unique fund raiser for the 180 year old church. The novelty presentation is well worth a donation to go and just have a good time with some great folks.