“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” The title of this book and the above quote on the cover led me to believe that this was going to be a true story similar to “The Amityville Horror” and other “true stories” of demons and possession. I was surprised when I proceeded to read it that it IS a true story. It will be hard for you to believe all the things that happened in a small town and how a minister and his family were terrorized in America in the 1970s. That’s right, the 1970s …
The author, Rebecca Nichols Alonzo, tells the story of her childhood in the town of Sellerstown, North Carolina. His father, Robert Nichols, was a minister and he and his wife had moved into the community as he would be the new pastor of The Free Welcome Holiness Church. Rebecca hadn’t yet arrived on the scene because her mother was pregnant when they moved in, and a brother Daniel would join them later as well. A young family starting a new life in rural America would normally provide no reason to write a book, yet Mr. HJ Watts would ensure that their lives were anything but peaceful.
The anonymous phone calls to her parents began when Rebecca was just eighteen months old. The caller threatened Mr. Nichols and then hung up. This was in 1971 when caller ID did not exist, and even traces on phone calls were unusual and only used in extreme cases. Unfortunately, he would get to that point, albeit too late to help the Nichols family. These phone calls continued for years, at all hours of the day and night, making it impossible for the family to relax and enjoy their home and community. Anonymous unsigned letters were also sent to them, threatening to harm them if they did not leave the church and leave town. The stress imposed by these phone calls and letters alone must have been enormous, yet it went far, far beyond that.
Mr. HJ Watts was a wealthy resident who had his hands in most people’s businesses, and also had virtually total control of The Free Welcome Holiness Church. When Mr. Nichols arrived as the new pastor, he began to change the way things were done. As church membership grew primarily due to Mr. Nichols’s popularity, Mr. Watts lost much of his influence and, judging from his reaction, must have been furious on the inside. He attended church every Sunday and sat in the back of pew number seven. He made faces at Mr. Nichols during the sermon, looked at his watch, and did everything he could to disrupt the service. He would often leave before the service was over and banged loudly on the door when leaving to be sure others knew of his displeasure. Despite their antics, the vast majority of the community was pleased with the way the church was thriving, although they literally did nothing to stop Mr. Watts from his brutal harassment.
Instead of chronicling all the unthinkable things that Mr. Watts and his accomplices did, I will relate a case that will astonish you. On the night of July 1, 1975, DYNAMITE ignited outside the Nichol home, causing the windows to smash (that’s how close it was) and nearly killing Daniel, who was just a baby. Broken glass covered his crib where he slept and the room he was in, yet he did not even scratch himself and slept during the incident. This was not the first time dynamite had been used in his home or church, but it was the first time he came very close to injuring or killing someone. Public harassment in the church, threatening phone calls and letters, home invasions, shooting at the house while they slept, and yet another bombing should have caused the Nichols to pack up and leave, but they decided to stay based on their firm belief. in God. . This decision would later cost Rebecca and Daniel their parents when they were still young children.
At the beginning of this review I quoted “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” This is what Mr. Nichols preached to his daughter, and this was the reason he did not leave. He could also have taken matters into his own hands and dictated his own justice. Robert Nichols was 6’3 “tall, muscular, and a former Navy combatant and could easily have physically beaten elderly Mr. Watts if he wanted to. Instead, he stayed and prayed that the Lord would take care of them. and that eventually Mr. Watts would see the error of his ways Since this decision would cost him his life, Rebecca would have to forgive Mr. Watts when he finally repented and asked for forgiveness.
The related events in this book are incredible, and it amazes me that this could have happened anywhere, much less in a small town in America in the 1970s. Mr. Watts was eventually prosecuted and sent to prison, without However, the damage he inflicted on a young family could never be repaired with a jail sentence. Rebecca and Daniel have to be two of the strongest, toughest, and most understanding people I’ve ever heard or read about. Her story will bring you joy at times and make you cry at other times. It will also give you hope that anything can be overcome through faith and forgiveness. That’s the message Rebecca has given her from her father: faith in God and forgiveness from others (and yourself) will allow you to lead a blessed spiritual life. If Rebecca had brought the bitterness towards Mr. Watts that she must have felt, or even if she had blamed her father for not leaving when they had every reason and opportunity to move on, her life could have been very different.
I would definitely recommend this book. Whenever you are upset with someone for a perceived slight they have caused you, try to remember Rebecca and her family. Life is not always easy and others will never do exactly what we want and expect them to do. Also remember what Jesus said when he was being crucified: “Forgive them Father, because they do not know what they are doing.”
Laughter and love
Rick fess
“The Devil in Bank Number Seven” Rebecca Nichols Alonzo Tyndale House Publishers Inc. http://www.tyndale.com