Ghost Stories

Church Revival

This story was told from my great-grandfather, who told my grand-mother, who in turn told it to me.

Here we go...

My great-grandfather and his wife lived in Kenbridge, VA all their life and there everybody knew everybody. Every night when they left work to go home, they would take the same stretch of road going past a church. In the country, the churches usually had a cemetary beside or behind the building. One evening as they started on their way, they noticed that the church had its lights on. With no hurry to get home, they decided to go and see if it was a church revival. As they started up the path, they heard the music. Sounded like folks were having a good time and the closer they came, the louder the music was. When they finally reached the church they noticed that there were no means for transportation around but at the time that didn't matter. They figured the people walked just like they did. The gospel music was still playing and the church folk were catching the spirit and my great-grandfather wanted to go inside so they could enjoy the worship service and his wife agreed. When they opened the first set of doors the music faded down as if the hymn was over and when they opened the second set of doors they were greeted by a ghostly congregation along with the pastor that was preaching that night. According to the story, no one turned around to see the visitors but were in a trance-like state. My great-grandparents quietly slipped out and hurried back down the hill and quickly went home. And as they went on their way the singing and the music started back up again.

Come to find out the very church they went to was not there the next week. That church had been bombed during their revival week and the congregation that my great-grandparents witnessed were the ones that were inside when the bombing took place.