c. 1998 Religion News Service

UNDATED _ The Rev. Neal Brower was six months younger than Ron”Opie Taylor”Howard when”The Andy Griffith Show”debuted Oct. 3, 1960.

A North Carolina native, Brower was not only captivated by the show, which was based in the fictional hamlet of Mayberry, N.C., but he especially related to Howard, one of the youngest child actors then on television.

Ever since, Brower has been a devoted fan of”The Andy Griffith Show”(or TAGS, as the most ardent fans call it). As a United Methodist minister, he occasionally uses the show to illustrate a sermons.”I’ve always enjoyed watching the show, and it’s just always been a part of my life,”Brower said in a telephone interview from his home in High Point, N.C.”I don’t use it a lot in my sermons, but if it ties in and is appropriate, then I’ll use it.” Although his Fairfield United Methodist Church doesn’t offer a formal class to study the show, Brower has spoken to many congregations and community groups about the moral merits of Mayberry.

Today, he has taken his TAGS fixation to other avenues by teaching a course called”`The Andy Griffith Show’: An In-depth Study”at six community colleges in North Carolina. And he has written a new book,”Mayberry 101: Behind the Scenes of a Television Classic.””Like the ministry, I feel it has been a calling,”said Brower.”It’s very special to me and sometimes I wonder why I was placed in this spot. I take it very seriously.” Brower said the show has special meaning to many North Carolinians.”It was fun hearing the names of the towns such as Greensboro and Raleigh, and I had relatives in Siler City, which (the TV characters) always talked about,”said Brower.”Everyone around here is familiar with what you are talking about when you refer to something on the show.” In his 10-week, 30-hour course, Brower discusses why the show is popular, the biographies of the cast members, the different types of music used, and how the show geared down in its final year.”People relate to the show and I think people want to believe there is a real Mayberry,”said Brower.”It shows the best in people, and there are no major problems. We long for a place like that.”

MJP END WHITE