According to the March 22, 1927 Stanly News-Herald, an accident had been avoided the previous Sunday at Central M.E. Church in Albemarle. Local newspaper editor J.D. Bivins was helping with the offering during the service when one of the other church members let him know he was on fire. Bivins put down the offering plate and hurried out of the building. Spectators who happened to be outside said that “Mr. Bivins did some of the most hasty footwork during his entire career.” Thankfully he was able to extinguish the fire. Later, when talking to a reporter, Bivins explained he had been smoking his pipe before the service. When it was time to head inside, he placed the pipe in his pocket, not realizing it was still smoking. A short while later the fire started, and it burned a hole in his coat pocket. Due to the observant church member and Bivins quick action, once he got outside, a tragedy was avoided. The News-Herald article finished with a quote from Tom Bumgardner who said, “the affair was the funniest thing ever seen in a church.” {Lewis Bramlett – Stanly County Historical Society}