Billy Bam II: ‘Almost to Hell and Back’

The glimmering new Faith Tabernacle Christian Center of Asheville sits on a hill overlooking the community of Shiloh, not far from it’s original spot.

By Roy R. Harris

The unmarred driveway which leads to the church holds two church vans strategically placed at the entrance. Along with the other well-appointed amenities is the church cornerstone which reads “Founded on March 8, 1981.” Additionally, wrapped around the new facility is the condominium community of The Grove Apartments.

Rev. William Robertson      Photo by Renato Rotolo

Asking
why there was so much controversy surrounding The Grove community being
built in Shiloh, Rev. Robertson smiles and humbly says, “My whole life
has been one surrounded by controversy.” He takes a deep breath, and in
that instant looks down for a split second, then looks towards the
heavens.

He pauses for a
moment and says once he had cursed the church and all that it stood
for. In fact, his denial of God’s love caused even his street friends
and family to shun him.


In 1948,
Robertson started a life’s journey that took him from Circle Street
overlooking downtown Asheville, to the Army and back to Asheville. From
the day he was born, he’d been fighting for respect. If you called his
name, some will immediately tell you about his past street life, some
will go to the day he was converted and accepted Jesus Christ and some
will smile and tell you how he’s been a great influence on their
Christian life.


Billy Bam, as
some call him, has vivid stories about his life. Life hasn’t been easy
for him, and by his own admissions, some of his trials and tribulations
were self-inflicted and some were cultural.


“From early in
life I felt as though I was fighting the whole world. I had a difficult
time in school, and yes, I fought a lot. I was rejected by society but
accepted by the streets. One Sunday morning while still on the streets,
Hill Street Baptist Church called and told me I was going to get
baptized that Sunday morning.”


“After a long
sigh, I put out my cigarette, borrowed a white shirt from a street
friend, went to church and was baptized. Within the hour, I returned to
the street life I knew,” Robertson said. “All I wanted was to be able
to have a church name to put on my dog tags when I went to the Army.”


“I was so bad at
one point in my life the street people rejected me; they didn’t want to
be associated with someone who was cursing God. During the late 1960s
and early 70s, I became associated with the Black Panther Organization
which took me further away from the church and God’s will. Luckily, I
had family and friends that saw me through these trying times.”


However, his
conversion to Christianity came full circle on the day the doctors told
him he had a brain tumor. As he lay in the bed at the VA Hospital
awaiting surgery, he cried out to God. A Gideon bible had been placed
on the table beside his bed. He opened it, not knowing where to start,
only to be led by the Spirit to read Psalms 51: verse 1, which reads,
‘Have mercy upon me oh God.’


“I cried out to
the Lord, ‘I don’t want to go to Hell,’ and I accepted God
then-and-there as my personal savior. I’ve been a foot-soldier for
Christ, and I’ve been in the ministry ever since,” said Robertson.

Every Sunday
morning at eleven o’clock, the doors of Faith Tabernacle Christian
Center of Asheville swing open. In flows a congregation of black,
white, young, old, rich and poor, young mothers and grandmothers.
Upbeat praise music surrounds the congregation and it’s not five
minutes into the service that everyone is up praising God.


Robertson’s
beloved wife Rosalind also serves as a minister, and works hand in hand
with him in the everyday ministries of the church. As Robertson joins
the congregation of worship and praise, somehow his voice resonates
above the crowd singing with such a strong conviction… “Amazing
grace-how sweet the sound- that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost
but now am found, was blind but now I see.”


The church
family of Faith Tabernacle Christian Center invites you to come and
witness God’s amazing grace. The center is located at 600 Brooklyn Road
in Asheville, N.C. If you would like to contact the church, phone (828)
274-7678