HARLAN, KY — A wall clock above the rear sanctuary doors at Calvary Ridge Baptist Church has displayed 11:14 a.m. since approximately February of 1987, a fact the congregation confirmed this week with something approaching collective pride.

The clock, a honey-oak-framed schoolhouse model donated by the Dunnaway family following the 1984 renovation, has required a battery since the second Reagan administration. No replacement has been ordered. No elder has flagged it. The deacon board, reached for comment, was unaware the clock was not functioning, having long since stopped looking at it.

“I knew something felt off when guests started asking me what time we got out,” said head usher Gerald Pratt, 71, who has served in the role since 1991. “I told them around noon. That’s always been correct, give or take. I didn’t see how a clock was going to improve on that.”

“The clock may be stopped, but the Lord’s timing never is. We feel that’s actually the more relevant data point.”

Pastor Dale Harmon, 58, acknowledged the clock’s condition during Sunday’s announcements but stopped short of authorizing a repair, noting that no one had ever formally complained and that the church’s current operating budget was committed through 2027.

A motion to replace the battery was introduced at Tuesday’s deacon meeting. It was tabled pending confirmation of the clock’s brand, the correct battery size, and whether the Dunnaway family would need to be consulted given the memorial nature of the donation.

At press time, the motion had been referred to a subcommittee, which will present findings at the June meeting. The clock still reads 11:14.