George Long was the 15^th pastor to our church from 1964 to 1986, almost 22 years, far longer than any other. He and his wife, Katherine Philips Long, still worship with us. Dr. Long graduated from Wheaton College, Columbia Seminary and completed his doctoral degree with the University of Edinburgh. He was in the 6^th generation of his family that operated a Kanawha River Valley farm in West Virginia. He joined the Air Corps and flew a P-51 fighter named "Kitten" over Germany in World War II. In 1947 he married the girl for whom that plane was named and resumed his college education as a married veteran under the G. I. Bill. He pastored the First Presbyterian Church in Chickamauga, Georgia and the First Presbyterian Church in Tupelo, Mississippi before his call to Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church.

The description most often and most widely heard about George Long during his pastorate was that he was "a man of God." This was based upon his faithful preaching centered on the Word, the extent to which he abided in the Word in his daily walk, and his role as husband and father of four and the witness of his fine family who grew up among us. The major events in the life of the congregation under his leadership were the Small Group Ministry, the Lay Renewal, saving King College, and the transfer of denominations.

Small Group Ministry

In the late 1960's George became aware of the value of small groups studying the Bible together and praying for each other as a means to help the congregation develop a closer walk in Christ. His search for an associate pastor experienced in small group ministry led to the Reverend Roger Gulick, who became our associate pastor in 1970. Small group bible studies for adults proved to be the key remarkable growth in the lives of those who participated. Each group consisting of twelve or less people learned how to study God's word inductively, exploring what it says, what it means, what it means for us today, and how to apply it to one's daily life. Encouraged that God was clearly changing people's hearts, Roger next initiated training classes for small group leaders.

The Lay Renewal

God startled us with His presence

In 1974 when the Session was looking for something new in place of the traditional Spiritual Enrichment Week George Long suggested a Lay Renewal. In 1975 Bob Fenn of Covenant Fellowship brought 40 lay witnesses to live among us for several days and simply share what Christ had done in their lives. As Dr. Andy Jumper, from Central Presbyterian Church in St. Louis, preached his "Convinced or Converted" sermon a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit happened. One third of the congregation answered the call to commit or rededicate their lives to Christ. Right away the number of small groups grew till it seemed like everyone was devoting one night a week to Bible study, prayer and fellowship at someone's home on the mountain. Before long we had begun our own lay renewal ministry sending teams to 16 different churches over the next ten years.

Saving King College

King College, a 112 year old P.C.U.S. school, was in a financial bind about to close in 1978. With solidl backing of our Session and congregation by our congregation, George Long and Hugh Maclellan, Jr., along with Pastors Cortez Cooper and Clayton Bell, and also Tom Cummings of Nashville, offered to restore the school to its Reformed Presbyterian teaching. They were given full responsibility for the college in 1979. King College, maintaining strong Presbyterian connections, became independent at that time with a new president, Dr. Donald R. Mitchell, and an entirely new board of trustees including Dr. George Long, and with our Ruling Elder Hugh Maclellan, Jr. as Chairman. The college has far surpassed its previous enrollment, endowment and facilities.

Leading us through a change of denominations:
Leaving the PCUS to join the PCA

About the time he came to our church in 1964, many felt that our Southern Presbyterian denomination, the Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS), seemed to be losing its way by endorsing the National Council of Churches and a merger of Presbyterian denominations, which involved many confessions of faith. George was used in a mighty way to pilot us through the clouds and fog just ahead. In the late 60's the PCUS had begun considering a change in policy regarding ownership of the church property. There was escalating concern in the 1970's regarding our denomination. The Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS) was considering a proposed new Confession of Faith and considering a change of ownership of church property requiring that all ownership be vested not in the local church but in the denomination. Dr. Long and our Session spent hours in prayer and discussion of these matters, later discussing their concerns with the congregation. Particularly troubling to our elders was the trend toward multiple confessions. Instead of saying the Bible "is the only infallible rule of faith and practice" some moved to substitute the word "contains" which would depart from the Westminster Confession of Faith, watering down belief in the deity of Christ and undermine the authority of scripture. Weaker ordination vows, likewise, were being proposed.

On Oct 18, 1981 our church voted 267 - 60 to be dismissed from the Knoxville Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in the United States (P.C.U.S.) and to merge with the Tennessee Valley Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America (P.C.A.), a smaller denomination which had been formed in 1973. The final agreement with the PCUS was executed January 25, 1982. At this time there were some 800 churches with less than 100,000 members in the PCA.

In "retirement"

George Long retired in 1986, but George didn't really retire. For the next five years he evangelized and discipled foreign students on American campuses as minister-at-large for International Students, Inc. Then he worked for another ten years in the Barnabas Ministry of Covenant Seminary encouraging and advising over 500 younger pastors all across the United States. He continued to utilize his skills as a pilot throughout all of his ministries and Kitten was able to accompany him on many missions. By the Grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, our beloved retired pastor-in-residence is still casting Long shadows across God's Kingdom.