art: first baptist church tapestry

“Yet Not as I Will,

But as You Will.”
STORY CONTRIBUTED BY FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, BROOKHAVEN
PHOTOS BY JONATHON ALFORD

50 • south mississippi scene

south mississippi scene • 51
 Reverend Greg Warnock, pastor of First Baptist
Church, welcomes many visitors to Brookhaven who
are interested in viewing the magnificent tapestry of
Jesus’ experience in the Garden of Gethsemene.

The magnificent tapestry of
Christ praying in the garden
was handmade in a small vil-
lage near Beijing, China. For
many years members of the
First Baptist Church in
Brookhaven, Mississippi, had
wanted something worshipful
and beautiful to be placed in
the baptistry area. This was
discussed with Mrs. Dawn
Brown, an interior decorator
from Covington, Louisiana,
who suggested using a tapes-
try.
Pastor Robert E. Self and
others decided to use Christ’s
experience in the Garden of
Gethsemene, as portrayed in
one of the stained glass win-
dows in the Fellowship Hall,
because it was Jesus’ obedience
to God’s will at this time that
led to His crucifixion and res-
urrection.
Asem Zeini, a local painting
contractor and talented artist,
rendered his interpretation of
the scene in an oil painting.
Mrs. Elay Doyle, owner of Peel
& Company in Covington,
Louisiana, took the painting to
China, where arrangements to
have the tapestry woven had
been made. Mrs. Brown and
Mrs. Doyle made several trips
to China to assist in color
selections to be used in dying
the wool and to oversee the
weaving of the tapestry.
The tapestry is 22 feet high
and 24 feet wide and, accord-
ing to the weavers, is the
largest ever made in their area.
There are 100 knots per square
inch, making a total of 7.6 mil-
lion hand tied knots in the tap-
estry. There were as many as
18 weavers working on the tap-
estry at one time, and it took
almost two years to complete
all phases of the work.
Initially, the Chinese were
reluctant to undertake the tap-
estry because of its size.
However, upon learning that
the man in the painting was a
spiritual leader and that the
tapestry would be used in a
place of worship, they felt hon-
ored and agreed to make the
tapestry. When the weavers
expressed a desire to know

52 • south mississippi scene

more about this man Jesus, Mrs.
Doyle was given copies of a
Chinese Mandarin Bible and a
little red book entitled “The
Sayings of Jesus Christ” to take
to them on her next trip.
The tapestry was placed in the
church in September, 1996. It is
hoped that all who view it not
see dyed wool and millions of
knots, but a loving, caring
Savior, who, in HIs trial prayed,
“My Father, if it is possible, may
this cup be taken from me. Yet
not as I will, but as you will.”
(NIV)