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Earnest Hemmingway\u2019s novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls, published in 1940, immortalized the closing line of an abstract poem, No Man Is an Island, by John Donne: \u201c\u2026never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.\u201d In his unique way, Donne was referring to the practice of \u201cfuneral tolling,\u201d which was common in his time.<\/p>\n
However, instead of \u201ctolling\u201d for those facing physical separation through death, a Pentecostal Holiness Church in the Appalachian Conference rings a bell each time a person in their congregation surrenders his of her life to Christ.<\/p>\n
When Jeff and Tammy Pickett accepted the pastorate of the Hillsville congregation, the church had no bell. Actually, there wasn\u2019t much of a need for one. Their first service included only eleven people in a building in desperate need of renovation.<\/p>\n
Jeff married Tammy Ashworth in 1985 but he took the addiction and abuse with him into the marriage. Their relationship went smoothly for a few years; however, by the end of 2001, the couple\u2019s homelife had become so toxic and intolerable, Tammy packed her bags, took their two daughters and walked out.<\/p>\n Tammy\u2019s decision served as a wakeup call for Jeff. You might say God rang a warning bell somewhere in his conscience, nudging him into thinking seriously about the direction of his life and the losses he stood to encounter, unless he made some serious changes. He knew what he had to do. So, on Christmas day, sitting alone at a picnic table, he had a heart-to-heart conversation with the Lord. God told him he was at a stop sign and he need to make a decision, not only for his marriage and family, but also for his soul. He began serving the Lord every way possible, knowing that a deeper calling awaited his surrender. Jeff was ordained as a minister of the gospel in 2008. A year earlier, in January 2007, as Jeff and Tammy sought the Lord on a Danial Fast, their conference superintendent, Bishop Ray Kingrea, approached Jeff with a pastoral opportunity: three congregations in the conference were in need of pastors: Pine Mountain, St. Paul, and Hillsville.<\/p>\n Though the St. Paul church building had been renovated recently to accommodate a growing congregation, Jeff\u2019s desire was to pastor Pine Mountain. \u201cSo, I \u2018tried out\u2019 for the church and was not chosen,\u201d he says. But Bishop Kingrea was persistent, urging him to pastor in his hometown of Hillsville. Jeff finally relented and agreed to minister there for three weeks. \u201cIf it isn\u2019t a \u2018fit,\u2019 he said, \u201cI will wait until another opportunity appears.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/Picture1-1.jpg\")
<\/a>Pastor Jeff admits to being reluctant to accept the role of pastor in his own hometown. \u201cEverybody knew me and could remember my past,\u201d he says. \u201cI was a drunk; a functional alcoholic.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nThat was the turning point for Jeff\u2019s life. He vowed that, with God\u2019s help, 2002 would be more than a new year. It would be a second chance for him and his family. He enrolled in a local rehab center for recovering addicts and attended the daily meetings faithfully. He never missed a session for over a year.<\/p>\n
\nGod, who had confirmed that Jeff had a pastor\u2019s heart, restored the Pickett\u2019s marriage and set them as a team on a course of service in His kingdom. When the family began attending the Pentecostal Holiness Church in Galax, Virginia (Tammy\u2019s hometown), Pastor Ron Fredericks asked Jeff if he would be willing to preach at the local rehab center. He accepted the challenge. That ministry helped prepare him for God\u2019s plan for his future.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/Picture1-2.jpg\")
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\nThat was 18 years ago, and the Picketts are still leading the Hillsville Pentecostal Holiness Church. Under the hand of God, the building and the congregation changed quickly. From ministering to a group of 11 people, Pastor Pickett found himself preaching in two Sunday morning services by 2010. Two years later, he knew the church must purchase property for a new building that would serve his growing flock and their vision and goals for reaching the lost.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>The Hillsville congregation dedicated their new facility in 2014. Then in 2016, they added a gymnasium. Today, in a small town with a population of 2400, the church ministers to over 1200 members, some of whom drive an hour-and-a-half to worship at the Hillsville PH.![\"\"](\"https:\/\/iphc.org\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2026\/02\/Picture1-4.jpg\")
<\/a>Now, about the bell: one day, a local farmer contacted Pastor Pickett and made him an offer for consideration. \u201cPastor, I have a large bell in my barn,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has been there for years, gathering dust. If you want it, you can have it for church.\u201d<\/p>\n