He studied at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and for a time contemplated a career in the ministry. Griffith was born June 1, 1926, and as a child sang and played slide trombone in the band at Grace Moravian Church. The Associated Press provided this nugget: Likewise, the Los Angeles Times' obituary failed to include terms such as 'religion,' 'church' and 'faith.' The story cited family wishes as the reason for the quick burial. The real-life Andy's death Tuesday at age 86 made me curious about Griffith's own faith background - and whether obituaries would make note of it.ĪBC News noted that Griffith was laid to rest quickly, buried by family less than five hours after he died. Think of it as the 'Gospel According to Andy.' The nationwide Mayberry movement started three years ago with a summer quarter class at the Twickenham Church of Christ in Huntsville, Ala.Īs my 2001 column noted, the churches enlisted the homespun lessons of 'The Andy Griffith Show' - attributes such as honesty, integrity, character, forgiveness and responsibility - as modern-day parables. 'If it's hokey and campy, we do it,' associate pastor Thomas Harrison said. Sometimes, real-live Darling boys, barefoot with overalls on, show up and make music with jugs and washboards. This time, though, I came to this fictional North Carolina town as your representative - to report on Oklahoma churches that have ventured here.Īt the Broken Arrow Assembly on Sunday mornings, for example, congregants with deputy badges sip coffee at the Mayberry Cafe and browse announcements in the Mayberry Gazette. Occasionally - and I'm ashamed to admit this - I'd see town drunk Otis in jail and cackle at his pitiful existence. I'd stop by Floyd's for a haircut, let Gomer fix my transmission, go fishing with Opie and trade smooches with Thelma Lou. In the past, when Sheriff Andy Taylor lured me to his hometown, I'd chuckle at Barney Fife's nervous trigger finger and savor Aunt Bee's apple pie - but definitely not her pickles. I'd traveled here before, but never on business. More than a decade ago, while serving as religion editor for The Oklahoman, I visited Andy Griffith's television hometown and wrote a column about it:

Football story by andy griffith