A place of worship in the West Mount community will hold its third annual gathering this weekend to honor first responders, law enforcement officers, active-duty military personnel and military veterans.
A service is set for 10 a.m. Sunday in a large open-air, pavilion-like structure on the grounds of Rock Haven Church in the 3400 block of South Halifax Road.
A free lunch and free T-shirts are going to be provided. The gathering is also going to include giveaways, with one item being a 2006 Yamaha V Star motorcycle.
The church calls it “American Heroes Sunday,” according to a flyer promoting the event.
The Rev. Lin Robinson, who established the church in 2008, said in a phone interview Wednesday that he is a strong supporter of first responders and law enforcement.
Robinson noted that for about three years he has been a first responder in his role as a firefighter with the Toisnot Rural Fire Department in Elm City in Wilson County.
Robinson also made clear that he believes first responders are under-appreciated and that he advocated for a pay raise for Nash County Sheriff’s Office personnel.
More specifically, Robinson said that he believes people who take help from fire departments, police departments and sheriff’s offices often take for granted those first responders until the moment they are needed.
Robinson also spoke about a disrespect for and a lack of concern shown for first responders and about the effects on officers and paramedics having to go to crime scenes or scenes of accidents.
“It is mentally taxing in so many ways,” he said.
He decided to act in 2022 by having an appreciation day to honor the first responders, the officers, the active-duty military personnel and the veterans.
“I’m the one with the crazy ideas in our church,” he said.
He noted that he and church members engage in roll-up revivals at Flying Iron Harley-Davidson off North Winstead Avenue and in the parking lot of the Hobby Lobby store at the intersection of Jeffreys Road and Sutters Creek Boulevard.
Robinson, who originally is from Rocky Mount, worked selling heavy truck parts for a time and worked selling automobiles for a time.
Robinson also served alongside his wife as youth pastors in Wilson County for about seven years.
“And I guess that just led to the Lord calling us to pastor,” he said.
The front of the Rocky Haven Church grounds is distinctive because of the presence of three crosses and a large American flag.
Robinson said numerous churches are in the West Mount area, but that Rock Haven is just up South Halifax from Ramo’s Pizza & Grill.
The gathering Sunday will mark the first time that a motorcycle is going to be given away at American Heroes Sunday.
Robinson said that the two-wheeler was donated by a veteran who wished to remain anonymous and told the pastor, “I want to do something better with this.”
The church is non-denominational.
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