71 YEARS OF LORD'S DAYS

Sundays have changed!

When I was young, I woke up and ate my mom’s banana nut bread for breakfast; it was a Sunday morning tradition. 

Then, we went to Sunday School and morning worship.  We came home and had our biggest meal of the week; it always included mashed potatoes!  [We would eat leftovers for several days!]  Quite often my mom invited people for Sunday dinner; like Debbie, her gift was hospitality!  They would visit for a while and then we’d just be lazy in the afternoon.  My dad would read the Sunday paper in the living room while snacking on green leaves and salted, red-skin peanuts.  No television until after Sunday night church.  No outside playing.  Occasionally we’d play a game, but no cards.  Youth group was at 6:30 and then evening church followed.  It was usually 9:00 PM when we got home. 

College changed all that!  I still got up and had breakfast.  Not many came so they would fix almost anything I asked for.  It was my favorite meal of the week!  Then I taught a boys Sunday School class at Pearce Memorial Free Methodist Church (on campus).  After that I attended worship.  Afternoons were for study.  Sometimes I went back for evening church.

Married life brought more changes.  We began in Wilmore, KY, where I attended seminary.  We attended the Wilmore FMC.  Again, we went home to our big meal of the week!  Later, I became the student-pastor at the Tunnel Hill FMC in English, IN.  We drove 150 miles to get there and stayed in their trailer/parsonage for the weekend.  Then after Sunday night church, we drove back to Wilmore!  Travis was born during this season! 

Then, I was appointed to the Jeannette, PA FMC where I officially began my ministry.  Wow!  Lots of changes!  A brand new church building and about forty people!  I did my best, but struggled with the isolation after having lived in the seminary community.  We went to the farm on my Mondays to relax and get away.  We had Sunday School, morning worship and evening worship.  The church grew – more than doubled in size in two years, but I was so strongly opposed by the key leaders in the church that I asked for a move [something I’ve regretted ever since]. 

While at McClellandtown, PA FMC, Troy and Tracie were born.  It was a coal-patch town.  Attendance was about 60 when I got there.  During our four years, the church grew – again doubling in size.  But key leaders opposed the building of a new church on property they already owned on a major route a mile away.  The official board did vote to go ahead, but with a slight majority vote.  Shortly after, I was moved to East Liverpool [Oakland FMC] where we stayed for thirteen years.  Travis started and finished school there.  The church nearly tripled in size, but I didn’t have the knowledge or skill to help it grow larger. 

I was exhausted after this appointment due to the stress of a divided congregation, so left the Pittsburgh Conference and took a church in Spencerville, MD [FMC].  A small, country church saddled between a mega-church and a fast-growing post-modern church.  In spite of this, we saw significant growth and nearly doubled in size until a family crisis necessitated our moving back to Pennsylvania.  I was unemployed for over four months and we were essentially homeless.

Then by God’s grace, we landed a job running a licensed home for severely behaviorally challenged children in Akron, OH.  We began attending the Cornerstone Church!  I was immediately hired part-time.  Shortly after, I was made the Lead Associate Pastor.  The church exploded with growth, with three packed services – largely due to Brenda Young’s leadership and preaching/teaching!  It was a great joy to be a part of this!

Then, I was asked to lead the New Middletown, FMC, and Debbie accepted the assignment since it would put us close to her family 😂.  Although I had the hardest beginning to a ministry that I’d ever experienced – within six months peace had been restored and twenty new members were received!  The growth continued until we ultimately started seeing over two hundred in worship and went to two services!  After nine years, we felt the call to missions and decided to go to China!

Our three years in China deserve a book of their own.  Sundays were very different, but a pure delight!  We worshipped with our team in the mornings.  Then, after dinner, we went to an international church with [60-80] from many nations [where I was sometimes asked to preach]!  At 2:00 PM we attended a Chinese/English service led by college-age young people and held in another official Chinese church!  IT WAS AMAZING!  I had many opportunities to preach here, as well [through an interpreter, of course]!

Then, home, where we felt truly lost for a long time due to culture-shock!  I accepted a commuting/part-time pastoring role at the Kittanning FMC.  Travis died!  Then, Deb’s dad died.  We were devastated!  After two years and some significant growth, I knew I wasn’t cut out to be a commuting pastor.  I retired.

Life since then has been an ongoing adjustment!  I miss leading the church, even though I realize that I don’t have the energy to do that anymore.  However, I do still have the passion!  Debbie was ordained this morning as an elder at the Bethel Evangelical Presbyterian Church.  She’s quite a leader there now: elder/session, leads the library, on the Vision Team.  I’m a regular attender and, so far, the pastor has used me to preach on occasions.  I’ve also taught Sunday School some.  I’m a retired pastor in process!  😊

I’ll be 71 this month, so it’s been a seven-decade journey!  I have a new ministry that’s very lyfting!  I’m learning to be content with it!  God still has a lot of work to do in me and hopefully through me.  To God be the glory!