EDMOND—Over 200 Philadelphia Church of God brethren from Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Nevada attended the 11th annual Texas pine car derby and silent auction on February 8. The event and Sabbath services prior to it took place in a spacious hall in Denton.

Services began at 1 p.m. as Herbert W. Armstrong College senior and Texas native Bailey Crawford delivered his first Sabbath sermonette, to the surprise of friends and family. He spoke about waiting on God in the midst of pre-Passover trials. For special music, hwac senior Christopher Eames performed “Friend in Flight” on the oboe. Evangelist Stephen Flurry gave the sermon about the spiritual parallels of the British royalty.

After services, brethren chatted for approximately an hour before departing for dinner, returning by 6:45 p.m. to register their pine cars and prepare for the elaborate opening ceremony. Texas member Bob Grenchik sang the national anthem while 4-year-old Katrina Szabo interpreted it in sign language.

Next, brethren watched a nine-minute video about current events, made by Texas deacon Jeffrey Miller and his brother, Timothy. It included scenes of a declining U.S.: the Boston bombing, the Moore tornado and marijuana legalization; then transitioned to scenes of Germany, Russia and China rising; it concluded with Key of David presenter Gerald Flurry proclaiming the hope behind the troubling times as beautiful landscapes filled the projector screen.

Jeffrey Miller estimated the video took about 30 hours to complete, since his computer crashed the day before and lost half the video. “It was one of the weirdest years trying to put it together because of the technology problems,” he said, “but it was a labor of love.”

After the video, 2-year-old Austin Szabo, dressed in a lamb costume, toddled to the stage and handed the black-and-white checkered race flag to Regional Director Brian Davis, who slashed it throught the air and shouted, “Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!”

Approximately 50 cars raced in the two-lane, double-elimination tournament. Unique car names included: Sugar Rush, Durantula, Bar None, Holey Cannoli, Lindsanya, Key of David, Dust Buster, Bling Thing, BARKtholoMEW, Jack Be Quick, Nutty Squirrel, Bulls Tractor House and Aged Cheese.

Evangelist Wayne Turgeon, creator of BARKtholoMEW, gave the car its name because of the dog and cat glued to the top. “It’s all in the name, baby,” he said.

“Aged Cheese—that’s what I feel like,” Texas member David Rehberg said of his car’s name.

The derby was shrouded in a bit of humorous controversy. Owners of more successful cars were playfully accused of using “illegal graphite.” Edmond youth Micah Turgeon’s car, Durantula, named after Oklahoma City Thunder basketball player Kevin Durant, had three black spider legs on each side that held back its competitor before catapulting to the finish line. After the car won several races, race officials noticed the unfair advantage. “They made me fold the legs up,” Turgeon said, “but it was great while it lasted.”

Meanwhile, children and adults perused tantalizing auction items on the far end of the hall, including books about Samuel Adams and Theodore Roosevelt, a plastic toy kitchen set, a motorcycle helmet, a weekend at the home of Preaching Elder Jim Cocomise, several Fossil watches, purses, a plethora of gift baskets and much more. The Herbert W. Armstrong Café, situated just around the corner, served up free hot dogs and sundaes to hungry bidders. Local Church Elder Larry Walker reported that the auction raised $4,055 for the pcg building fund.

“I am amazed at how this event has grown over the years,” Mr. Walker said. “This year, we had approximately 50 brethren in the congregation serving in one capacity or another. We always try to tie everything we do to God’s Work. After all, that is why we are here.”

The final races finished around 9:30 p.m. Roary Lynn, cousin to hwac mascot Roary the Lion, presented the awards. America’s Team, owned by Arkansas teen Jesse Zoellner, won first place, just edging out Texas youth Raphaella Rehberg’s Cruella Deville. Texas member Bobby Morrison’s Showtime took third place. Edmond youth Alec Brown’s Espresso won the most creative car award in the children’s division. The Cocomise family’s Holey Cannoli won the award in the adult division.

“What sticks out to me every year is that this event is geared for everybody,” Nevada member Rachel Szabo said. “It’s an event that not only helps support the Work but brings in a true family feel. Although you’re racing cars, you’re raising money for the Work, and it builds unity. That’s why we came here from Las Vegas. We made sure to plan our trip around this.”