Cross symbolism offers hope
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John D. and Dawn Snider, left, and Cindy and Pastor Ronnie Lambert check out the new tile flooring design near the altar in Faith Baptist Church, 101 East Ave. in Wellington. Dawn serves as pianist for the church and installs tile such as the cross creation design as her profession. She can be contacted at 806-886-1280. (Courtesy Photo)
By Bev Odom/The Red River Sun—
WELLINGTON – What began as a simple project to replace a stained area of carpet evolved into a beautiful work of art by Dawn Snider with inspiration from others.
“When Pat Roberson mentioned a cross would be pretty in a tile design, my mind started working,” said Snider. “And Pat donated the wood-look tile.”
With the plan, Snider took scrap pieces of tile and crafted them carefully around the cross.
“The floor area is sort of an oval shape – over 100 square feet – about 15 feet wide and extending seven or eight feet from the altar,” she said. “We bring our brokenness to Christ and he puts us back together. He makes us whole at the cross.”
And that is exactly what Snider described happened to her family at Faith Baptist Church.
“My father-in-law, Johnnie Snider, had attended church here,” she said. “‘Dad’ passed in September 2018 and his favorite thing to do was have all of his family go to church with him.”
The Faith Baptist Church family hosted the Sniders for a meal prior to the graveside service for the patriarch of the family.
“With such a fitting tribute to tell him goodbye, my husband John and I knew this might just be a good fit for us,” she said. “It reminds me of a little country church in northern Iowa where I grew up. The building has so much character.”
Nicknamed the “tile queen” in her profession as co-owner of the Master’s Touch Property Improvements in Shamrock, Snider spent approximately four weeks precisely placing each tile in the new floor design.
“The COVID-19 shutdown began at the perfect time,” said Snider. “It gave me the opportunity to slow down and do it exactly like I wanted – I could be as meticulous as possible. And the ladies of the church fed me. They brought me lunch every day.”
Snider explained that she and husband John have carried on the tradition that meant so much to “Dad.”
“We love to worship at Faith Baptist as a family,” she said. “The church family has become our family.”
A small Southern Baptist Church, Faith Baptist Church is located at the intersection of East Ave. and 1st St. in Wellington. Sunday school begins at 10 a.m. followed by worship at 11 a.m. Pastor Ronnie Lambert has been serving the church for the second time now for four and a half years.
“We have people attending regularly from Hedley, Lefors and Shamrock in addition to Wellington and have occasional travelers from Memphis and Quail,” Lambert said. “We are in such an amazing situation that is unlike any other church experience I have ever known. God is so good, and our Faith BC (Baptist Church) family loves each other so much. I am truly proud, humbled and honored to be your pastor.”
