TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW MAY 19, 2006
Tennessee Conference Review May 19, 2006
________________________________________________________________
Index of stories in the May 19, 2006 edition of the Tennessee Annual Conference Review
1. Rev. Willie J. Burchfield Appointed as District Superintendent of the Columbia District
2. Rev. Loyd E. Mabry Appointed Director of Congregational Development for the Tennessee Annual Conference
3. Tennessee Conference Actively Prepares to Respond in Case of Natural or Man-made Disaster
a. Seven Attend Southeastern Jurisdiction Disaster Response Training Academy from the
Tennessee Annual Conference
b. Thirty-three United Methodists Receive Trained Crisis Responder Training
4. Potato Drop at the 2006 Session of Annual Conference
5. Marie King Wins Frist Humanitarian Award Nomination from the Centennial Medical Center
6. Children as Evangelists--five children at Paran UMC commit themselves to share God's love with their neighbors.
7. Stephen Ministry trains angels on earth
8. UMVIM Mission Work in Poland--two members of Westmoreland UMC report on mission work in a formerly "Iron Curtain" nation
9. Legacy of Bishop Walter R. Lambuth Binds Woodbine UMC and Japanese University
____________________________________________________
Rev. Willie J. Burchfield Appointed as District Superintendent of the Columbia District
Rev. Willie J. Burchfield
Bishop Richard J. Wills, Jr., has announced the appointment of Rev. Willie J. Burchfield, as District Superintendent of the Columbia District which embraces Williamson, Maury, Marshall, Lewis, Hickman and Perry Counties in middle Tennessee.
Burchfield graduated Cum Laude from Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi with a B.S. in Mathematics. His senior year was spent as Student Government Association president. He went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia and served as president of the Gammon Fellowship. While still in college at Rust he was licensed to preach and in 1975 was ordained Elder in the Iowa Conference. That same year he was listed as one of the Outstanding Young Men in America.
His ministerial experience is marked by variety. For ten years he served Marshalltown Multiple Ministries in Marshalltown, Iowa. This ministry included Morrow Memorial UMC, campus ministry to Marshalltown Community College and assisting urban development with low-income families. He also served as Church Revitalization Specialist for Center for Church Development.
In 1984 he was called to campus ministry within the Tennessee Annual Conference and served for 12 years as Director of the Wesley Foundation, Tennessee State University. For 8 years he served as programmer for Black United Ministries and Related Ministries in Higher Education, a program funded by GBHEM.
From 1996 to 2004 he was pastor of Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church in the Nashville District, and then was appointed senior pastor of Key-Stewart UMC in Gallatin, Tennessee. He also chaired the conference’s Standing Rules Committee from 1996-2004. Burchfield believes that all congregations should S.H.I.N.E.
Share the good news of the Gospel.
Help people become Disciples of Christ.
Involve others in transforming Bible Studies.
Negate the negative blocks of Kingdom Living.
Encourage evangelism through personal growth experiences.
Through the years he has taught numerous workshops within the Tennessee Conference as well as attended many United Methodist Women Regional Schools. His background allowed him to handle yearly mission themes as well as bible studies. Travels nationally and internationally have expanded his insights into the practices and customs of other cultures. In 1986 he was delegate to the World Methodist Council in East Africa, and in 1989 he was delegate to the West African Student Christian Federation. In 2005 he was certified as a Sexual Ethics Trainer.
Within the Tennessee Annual Conference he has been part of the Board of Ordained Ministry Executive Committee, served on the Episcopacy Committee, been vice-president of Black Methodists for Church Renewal, and a member of the Commission on Religion and Race.
He and his wife Sharon have two daughters MaSonya and Aisha, and one granddaughter, SaNiiyah.
If his experiences in ministry within the United Methodist Church have been marked with rich variety, the variety has carried over into his hobbies where he lists his special interests as chess, bowling and snorkeling.
Rev. Loyd E. Mabry Appointed Director of Congregational Development for the Tennessee Annual Conference
Rev. Loyd E. Mabry
Loyd E. Mabry, District Superintendent of the Columbia District for the past five years, has been appointed by Bishop Richard J. Wills, Jr., to the newly created position of Director of Congregational Development for the Tennessee Conference, with immediate supervision by the resident Bishop. In his new position Loyd will work directly with the Conference Congregational Development Team with a goal of revitalizing existing congregations and creating a training program for pastors who could undertake the start of new churches.
Loyd has had special training in both leadership techniques and church revitalization through the General Board of Discipleship, the Beeson Institute, and the School of Congregational Development (Tipp City, Ohio, 2004; Dallas, Texas, 2005). In addition he has completed conflict resolution training sponsored by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. He is excited about the possibilities of the new position. In his letter accompanying his resume he wrote, “Effectiveness and revitalization of congregations is a passion of mine. We are currently using Natural Church Development as a vehicle to promote healthy churches in the Columbia District.”
Since his 1977 Ordination as Elder in Full Connection Rev. Mabry has served six different congregations as pastor: Westview, Glencliff, Bellshire, New Providence, Hamilton, and Lebanon First. He also served for two years as Associate Minister at McKendree United Methodist Church in downtown Nashville, and has, on several occasions, written Daily Bible Study Curriculum for the United Methodist Publishing House. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Lambuth College in Jackson, Tennessee, and his Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology, Emory University.
“This job is not about buildings and property,” Mabry states, “I definitely affirm that we must invest in people not properties. Once a faith community is developed property can be secured. Without passionate spiritual leaders faith communities cannot sustain themselves.”
After the 2006 Session of the Tennessee Annual Conference Rev. Mabry’s office address will be 304 S. Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 1, Nashville, Tennessee 37211. His phone numbers will be 615-329-1177 or 1-800-403-5795.
He and his wife Deborah Pearce Mabry have two children, Matthan and Rachel.
Tennessee Conference Actively Prepares to Respond in Case of Natural or Man-made Disaster
Seven Attend Southeastern Jurisdiction Disaster Response Training Academy from the Tennessee Annual Conference
Seven persons from the Tennessee Annual Conference attended the Disaster Response Training Academy held at the M.E.R.C.I. Center, Goldsboro North Carolina, Monday April 24-26, 2006. Besides intensive workshops the group held plenary sessions on volunteer coordination, communication in the midst of crisis, annual conference training, working with VOAD partners, establishing a long-term recovery organization, damage assessment, case management, and maximizing the United Methodist “connection” during times of disaster. From right to left are Jason Brock, Coordinator of Annual Conference Love and Justice Ministries; Earl Davis, Columbia District Disaster Response Coordinator; David Lay, Pulaski District Disaster Response Coordinator; Bob Cate, Nashville District Disaster Response Coordinator; and Carla Nankervis, who was present studying disaster response with children. Missing when the picture was made were Tennessean Landon Taylor, a staff person with the Southeastern Jurisdiction Volunteers in Mission organization; and Tom Nankervis, Tennessee Conference Coordinator of Communication.
Networking was an important part of the Disaster Response Academy. Here Jason Brock, David Lay, and Earl Davis of the Tennessee Conference , exchange ideas with Joe Moseley, staff person in the Memphis Conference.
Rev. Brock was named convener of the SEJ VIM Disaster Response Network Steering Committee, a group whose basic purpose is to facilitate closer relationship/cooperation/communication among United Methodist disaster partners in the Southeast and to plan periodic training/networking events. Included on the Committee are Anne Travis, Director of Connectional Ministries for the Holston Conference; Julie Hager Love, Director of Connectional Ministries for the Kentucky Conference; Martha Burke, a lay person from the Florida Conference; Barbara Tripp, Executive Director of the M.E.R.C.I. Center, Goldsboro, North Carolina; Joe Hamilton, staff person with the SEJ United Methodist Volunteers in Mission; and Lee Bines, South Carolina Annual Conference.
Christy Smith, UMCOR Consultant from the Memphis Conference, and Joe Moseley from the Memphis Conference tour the North Carolina Conference’s M.E.R.C.I. Center warehouse where supplies are collected, sorted, and packed for distribution in case of disaster.
Thirty-three United Methodists Receive Trained Crisis Responder Training
In a combined effort between the Air National Guard, St. Thomas Hospital, and clergy/lay persons from the Tennessee Annual Conference, Lt. Col. Charles E. Woods conducted the third Trained Crisis Responder event held in Middle Tennessee since 2001. Facilitators for the class, which attracted 65 registrants, were Dr. Ron Lowery, pastor of Cross Plains United Methodist Church, and Mary Lou O’Gorman, Director of Pastoral Care at St. Thomas Hospital. Of the 65 registrants 33 were United Methodist clergy and laypersons. Two congregations, Hendersonville First UMC (Cumberland District) and Blakemore UMC (Nashville District), brought response teams to the event.
Registrants from First UMC, Hendersonville.
Participants in the training are prepared to assist in crisis intervention situations after natural or made-made disasters. The recent tornadoes in western and central Tennessee provided the current backdrop for the workshop, accenting the need for persons with skills to work directly with individuals who have confronted disaster first hand and been affected emotionally, physically, even spiritually by the experience.
Lt. Col Charles Woods, Commandant of the National Guard Bureau (NGB) Academy for Innovative Ministry, has personally provided healing ministry in dozens of disaster situations in this country and around the world. He is much in demand as a workshop leader in all parts of the United States.
Registrants from Blakemore United Methodist Church, Nashville.
The personal assessment of one United Methodist participant reflected the reviews of the group. Chief William Rogan of the Vol State Campus Police Department wrote, “It gave me insight on how to professionally intervene/respond to individuals in crisis situations and directed me on how to approach individuals and groups during a crisis. I understand that I don’t need to grab my bible and do a bum’s rush toward victims and first responders.” Rogan added, “I need to listen, be a liaison and sometimes do nothing but be there. It is important for everyone to understand the psychological effect these events have on individuals. This type of training needs to be more available.” Rogan speaks from experience. His campus was hit by a tornado early in
April.
Discussion continued even during the break time.
Potato Drop at the 2006 Session of Annual Conference
By Del Ketcham*
There will be a potato drop at the Tennessee Annual Conference from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Monday, June 12, 2006. Annual Conference is being held at First United Methodist Church, 265 W Thompson Lane, Murfreesboro Tennessee. The Hunger and Cooperative Ministries Committee of the Tennessee Conference UMC, Tennessee Conference United Methodist Men and the Society of St. Andrew sponsor this potato drop.
About 44,000 pounds of sweet potatoes will be delivered and dropped (like a load of sand) onto the parking lot. The sweet potatoes will then need to be bagged into 5-10 pound bags. Many of these bags of potatoes will then be picked up by local hunger relief agencies and distributed to their clients. Others will be taken by conference delegates and delivered back into their own communities and neighborhoods. This is a golden opportunity to walk with the poor and marginalized in your area.
Potatoes that remain will be picked up and delivered by Feed America First. Tom Henry is the Executive Director and is an active United Methodist.
We will also need about 300 delegates (both laity and clergy) to assist in the bagging process. Bagging up 44,000 pounds is only easy when there are lots of participants. We believe that wearing appropriate clothing for that day is in order.
It is hoped that the potatoes will be delivered prior to 6:00 a.m. in the southwest part of the church parking lot. If 350 delegates to Annual Conference each take time to bag 150 pounds (Takes about 1/2 hour) the load will soon disappear and hundred of hungry people will be fed.
We do need an on-site crew who will help load up delegate's cars. Volunteers from Murfreesboro churches and/or men's groups are invited to do so.
Additional info and questions may be directed to 615-620-7268 or hratn@endhunger.org
*Del Ketcham is Hunger Relief Advocate for the Society of St. Andrew.
Marie King Wins Frist Humanitarian Award Nomination from the Centennial Medical Center
Tennessee Conference deacon Marie King won the Frist Humanitarian Award for the Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, and in doing so was nominated for the national Frist Humanitarian Award.
Marie King
The Frist Humanitarian Award was created in 1971 to honor outstanding individuals for their humanitarian and volunteer activities. Named in honor of Dr. Thomas F. Frist Sr. (1910 – 1998), a founder of HCA, this award recognizes individuals whose daily dedication and care giving epitomize the highest standards of quality and personal commitment.
Two national awards are given annually. One recognizes an HCA employee who goes beyond day-to-day responsibilities in their overall service to the community. The other recognizes an HCA volunteer who gives unselfishly in their service to patients within our facilities.
“I was not a National recipient,” indicated King, “but it was an honor to be listed among so many well-serving individuals. It definitely was an honor to be the Frist Humanitarian Award recipient for the Centennial Medical Center.”
King, a Clinical Educator at HCA, has been active in the Annual Conference in support of local church Parish Nursing programs, and she is the present chairperson of the Committee on Disability Concerns. She was grateful for friends who supported her nomination with letters, and for the persons that have made an impact on her life. “Dr. Frist was known for saying, ‘Good people begat, good people’”, she says, and I thank God for the good people in my life.”
An important mantra in her life are the words of John Wesley:
"Do all the good you can,
by all the means you can,
in all the ways you can,
at all the times you can,
to all the people you can,
as long as you ever can".
Children as Evangelists
by Rev. David R. Sauer*
A few months ago, a group of people at Paran United Methodist Church intentionally began to gather for prayer before the Sunday School and Worship Service. They boldly and intentionally pray evangelistic prayers, asking God to move in the hearts and lives of all people and to help each of us to be the witnesses God desires for us to be.
In a rural setting, location and proximity to your neighbors may be a hindrance to effective witnessing for some. Five children, Courtney, Brittany, Rachael, Heather and Tasha conspired together not for mischief, but to share God’s love with their neighbors. The children had heard the message that Jesus taught, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” and to share the gospel with all people. On a Friday evening, the five children with ages ranging from 6 to 11, made arrangements with an adult to drive the church van to take them around their surrounding neighborhood.
The children asked the driver to take them to various houses that they knew had children. The children knocked on the doors, introduced themselves and invited the children and parents to join them at church. The children tirelessly knocked on doors, introducing themselves and explaining their mission for two and a-half hours without a single complaint. Not once did they ask the driver for advice or to accompany them to the door, to meet the strangers.
The faithful five had immediate results as parents would come to the van and tell the driver how impressed they were in our children and their dedication and mission. The following day, two of the families joined us in a community event and one family with three girls has been regularly attending our services.
One of the wonderful things about children is their exceptional talent to adapt. “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” (1Timothy 4:12) In this case, no one told them that they couldn’t be witnesses, as Jesus calls the children to Himself.
Stephen Ministry trains angels on earth
A UMC.org Feature by Marta W. Aldrich*
In the course of two tumultuous years, Kathy Sansom experienced five major stressful life events.
After her husband died of cancer in 2002, she married a childhood friend. The marriage soured quickly and was annulled. In the midst of it all, her mother died, and Sansom moved to a new city.
"When I moved to the Houston area at the end of 2003, I was totally exhausted - emotionally, physically, every way you could think of," says Sansom, who joined Klein United Methodist Church in Spring, Texas. "I was in a new city and didn't know many people. My pastor suggested I start seeing a Stephen Minister."
Stephen Ministry is a program matching specially trained lay members of a congregation with people going through a tough time. The care receiver meets weekly with the Stephen Minister, who provides one-on-one Christian care under an organized structure of confidentiality, supervision and accountability.
Steve Fouche and Sam Purushotham are Stephen Ministers at Belmont United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., one of the 2180 United Methodist churches with a Stephen Ministry program. A UMNS photo by Harry Leake.
"It was great," recalls Sansom of her relationship with Stephen Minister Barbara Purser. "We would meet once a week for coffee or dinner or just to talk. She would call and check on me and pray for me. Basically, I'm a very happy person inside, but having a Stephen Minister helped me over a very rough time."
Such is the mission of Stephen Ministries, a nonprofit, nondenominational Christian educational organization founded in 1975 in St. Louis. Currently, more than 9,000 congregations from more than 100 Christian denominations are enrolled, with the United Methodist Church accounting for approximately one-fifth.
Slipping through cracks
The Rev. Kenneth C. Haugk
Stephen Ministry is the brainchild of the Rev. Kenneth Haugk, a clinical psychologist who was associate pastor of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church in St. Louis when he saw people slipping through the cracks within his congregation because of too many needs and too few staff members.
Studying Ephesians 4:12 and God's provisions "to equip the saints for the work of ministry," Haugk (pronounced Howck) concluded that one of his pastoral roles should be to equip lay people to use their spiritual gifts to minister to others. So he developed a training program in Christian care giving, recruited and trained nine "Stephen Ministers" within his church, and matched them with people in crisis.
The impact was immediate. People began receiving the focused Christian care they needed, and Haugk had more time to perform other pastoral duties. Later, two Stephen Ministers raved that "this is good stuff" and insisted Haugk take Stephen Ministry to other churches.
"Thirty years later, we've trained over 50,000 Stephen leaders, and they, in turn, have trained over a half million Stephen Ministers," says Haugk, now 60 and executive director of Stephen Ministries. "We struck a chord because we live in a world where hurts happen and hurting people are in need of care. Parents die, people get divorced, illness strikes, all sorts of stuff."
WWJD?
Stephen Ministry is named for St. Stephen, the first layperson commissioned by the Apostles to provide caring ministry to those in need. Stephen Ministers undergo 50 hours of training and serve for at least two years. Among other things, they develop skills in reflective listening, learn guidelines on confidentiality, and prepare to minister to people in specific situations such as terminal illness, grief and divorce. They are also trained to recognize when to refer someone to a helping professional.
A Stephen Minister prays with her care receiver. A UMNS photo courtesy of Stephen Ministries
Stephen Ministry is based on "incarnational theology," which means that "when you care for another person, Jesus is in that person and you are the incarnation of Jesus Christ," says Haugk.
In other words, what would Jesus do?
"If Jesus had a friend going through a divorce, he'd probably listen to them. If Jesus had a friend die, he'd cry, which is what he did when Lazarus died. This stuff is simple, but profound," says Haugk. "Sometimes in the church and certainly in society, we're not very good listeners. We tend to talk too much, myself included. We have to learn to bite our tongue and listen more. It takes discipline."
With 2,180 churches enrolled, the United Methodist Church has more churches involved in Stephen Ministry than any other denomination - a distinction Haugk attributes to United Methodist-based discipleship experiences such as DISCIPLE Bible study and Walk to Emmaus.
"I think a lot of United Methodists who become Stephen Ministers have participated in these experiences and are asking, 'Now what do I do with all this?' Perhaps Stephen Ministry is a logical step," he says.
Help in adversity
Klein United Methodist Church launched its Stephen Ministry in 1984 at the urging of its pastoral staff. "We're a 3,000-member church, so the ministers can't possibly provide one-on-one care to every single person," says the Rev. Bryan Harkness, associate pastor of congregational care. "But a Stephen Minister can be there for someone who's in the midst of a life challenge … so they don't have to walk through the valley alone."
Sarah Carty, a Stephen Minister at First United Methodist Church in Franklin, Tenn., says she feels that she is the one blessed in her relationships with care receivers. "It's a huge honor for someone to share confidential things with you knowing that you're not going to judge them," she says. "And it's an honor to know that God is the one helping the care receiver and that I am just the hands and feet, the physical presence, of Christ to them."
For Kathy Sansom, her experience as a care receiver has led her, at age 65, to train to become a Stephen Minister. She will be commissioned this spring.
"The difference between talking to a good friend and talking to a Stephen Minister is that a good friend still can be judgmental and have a tendency to want to fix things. But that's not really what you need during a difficult time," she says. "You don't need someone to tell you what to do because, in your heart, you know. You just need someone to listen. Maybe I can be a good listener now for someone else."
*Aldrich is a freelance journalist based in Franklin, Tenn.
UMVIM Mission Work in Poland
From the April 21, 2006 issue of the Cumberland District Review and reprinted here with permission.
Jo Miller and John Murphree recently went on mission to Poland as part of the UMVIM program. They are members of Westmoreland United Methodist Church. This is their report on our mission work:
In 1795, after almost eight centuries as a country, Poland ceased to exist. It was divided by the leaders of Russia, Austria, and Germany and removed from the map of Europe. In 1918, at the demand of President Woodrow Wilson following World War I, Poland was reborn.
After the rebirth of Poland, the Polish Prime Minister, Ignacy Paderewski, the famous pianist/composer, appealed to the American people for assistance in rebuilding his country. Among the first Americans to respond to Paderewski’s appeal were a group of Methodists from the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Upon arriving in Poland, they established a medical clinic, soup kitchens, a job training center, and, in 1921, the English Language College where we have been working since February 1st of this year. The first director of this school was a Methodist from Nashville, Tennessee, Dr. Thomas Williams.
At the beginning of World War II, the American missionaries were interned by the Germans and the school suspended until 1946. In 1949 all Americans were forced to leave the country, and in the difficult years that followed, the school was under constant pressure from the communist intelligence service, but because of the excellence of the program, enrollment in 1956 reached 6000 students. Today there are six branches of the school in Poland. The Warsaw school where we are located has about 1000 students and 100 teachers.
Jo Miller and John Murphree in front of the United Methodist building in Warsaw Poland. This building, which is owned by the church, houses the United Methodist Chapel, the English Language School, and the administrative offices of both, as well as the apartments of Polish Bishop Edward Puslecki and the assistant director of the school, Jolanta Kuczma.
We have been privileged to be part of this school’s work by meeting and talking with individual students and with classes. One question we are frequently asked is why we came to Poland (in the winter—the coldest in a century). We always begin our answer with the words, “We are Methodist and this is a Methodist school.” Then we tell how the school was established and how we are part of the worldwide Methodist volunteer program.
Our lives have been blessed by the people whom we have met and worked with, and we have immensely enjoyed our stay in this country of magnificent castles, palaces, and churches.
We will always have the fondest memories of our little apartment overlooking Plac Zbawiciela. Zbawiciela, we learned after being here several weeks, means “Savior”.
by Jo Miller and John Murphree
Legacy of Bishop Walter R. Lambuth Binds Woodbine UMC and Japanese University
Walter Russell Lambuth is arguably one of the best known names in the history of American Methodism. In November 1854, Lambuth was born in Shanghai, China, to missionary parents James William Lambuth and Mary McClellan Lambuth. His childhood and youth were spent both in the United States and in the Orient but at age 15 he returned to America and lived in Lebanon, Tennessee, and ultimately received his college education from Emory & Henry College in Virginia from which he graduated in 1875. From 1875 until 1877 he studied theology and medicine at Vanderbilt University.
He had been licensed to preach during his first year in Emory & Henry, joined the Tennessee Conference in 1876 and was ordained deacon. The following year he was ordained elder.
Bishop Walter R. Lambuth’s picture is displayed prominently at Woodbine UMC
While a student at Vanderbilt he was under appointment and served first Woodbine Methodist Church and then became an Associate at historic McKendree Methodist Church. Two months after his marriage in August of 1877 Walter Lambuth and his wife Daisy sailed for China. The couple served in China as medical missionaries, and then in Japan. He ultimately returned to America in charge of all missionary work as General Secretary of the Board of Missions. In 1910 he was elected Bishop by the M.E. Church, South, and was assigned to Brazil. He subsequently was responsible for establishing Methodist work in the Belgian Congo as well as in Belgium, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Siberia. Until his death in 1921 he supervised missionary work worldwide. He died while on a trip to Japan and his ashes were buried in Shanghai, China, next to his mother.
He was a major force in creating a vital Methodist missionary program and was responsible for starting schools, clinics, and churches around the world. It was fitting that his name would be honored and Lambuth University in Jackson, Tennessee, and Lambuth Inn at Lake Junaluska were both named after him—as was Lambuth Memorial United Methodist Church in Gallatin.
Woodbine United Methodist Church in the Flat Rock section of Nashville was a country parish when served by Walter Russell Lambuth. In fact, Lambuth was Woodbine’s first appointed pastor after it was officially recognized as a Methodist Church in 1875, and it is at Woodbine that the legacy of Bishop Walter Lambuth emerged anew in the year 2004.
The Woodbine church building was constructed in 1915 and by 1919 the congregation was out of debt. During the early 1920s, in preparation for the congregation’s 50th Anniversary in 1925, the decision was made to add some beautiful stained glass windows. The first window on the sanctuary’s right side would, appropriately, be in memory of Bishop Walter R. Lambuth “First Pastor of This Church.”
That window reminded generations of Woodbine members of their historical connection with Bishop Lambuth, and the story of Lambuth was passed down to the present day. All was well until the window was vandalized by an intruder intent on breaking into and robbing the church. He smashed the Lambuth memorial window and crawled into the church through the opening. Fortunately a sensor noted his presence inside the sanctuary and an alarm sounded which frightened him away before he could do further damage.
Kwansei Gakuin University created a commemorative sticker honoring the 150th anniversary of Bishop Lambuth’s birth
In Japan at about the same time, the students, faculty, and administration of * were beginning to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the University’s founder—Walter Russell Lambuth. The University had a warm spot for the Lambuths and what they had endured to get the university started. To quote W.W. Pinson’s 1924 book on Lambuth: “It was a small beginning. An old and uncomfortable house was secured, and with characteristic self-denial the younger Lambuths moved into it in order to meet the requirements involved in the purchase, slept in the loft while building was in progress, and gladly endured the discomforts and inconveniences” so that the foundations of the school could be laid. With no money, no collateral, and no security available, Lambuth was forced to obtain a personal loan in order to secure the property. “It was pay or lose the property.”
As part of the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of Walter Lambuth’s birth, the University arranged some tours in the United States of sites associated with Lambuth’s life. So it was that Professor Jun Ayukawa, a professor of law and politics at Kwansei Gakuin University visited Woodbine United Methodist Church, the first congregation Lambuth had served. Don Choate, Woodbine pastor at the time, greeted Professor Ayukawa and showed him around. Though she was not present, church member Nancy Ezell remembered that her sister Lucinda Neff had taken pre-vandalism pictures of the window honoring Lambuth and sent them on to Ayukawa who responded with a thank you note: “I’m going to make copies of them, and to send them to the office of the history of Kwansei Gakuin University . . . I hope the repairing of the window will be successful.”
Then, unexpectedly, in April of 2005 Ezell received another letter—this one from Michiya Hata, Chancellor of Kwansei Gakuin. Chancellor Hata commented on the broken windows: “Last winter, you sent Prof. Jun Ayakawa a picture of the broken windows commemorating Dr. Russell (sic) Lambuth. Our school owes its origins to the educational ideals and vision of Dr. Lambuth, so we were particularly sorry to hear about this accident. We wish to contribute to Woodbine United Methodist Church to help with the restoration of the Lambuth stained glass, so we have sent a check for $1000.” Kwansei Gakuin University was also responsible for additional gifts of over $200. Though the basic breakage was covered by insurance—the Kwansei Gakuin gifts helped with the deductible, and the congregation was extremely grateful. Thanks to painstaking work by Nashville’s Emmanuel Stained Glass Studio the window is now back to its original condition. The Woodbine congregation savors an art work version of the window done by Woodbine children. The art work, mounted on plexiglass, filled the space left by the broken window. “We’re going to frame the art,” notes Nancy Ezell, “and make sure it get’s displayed.”
The restored window at Woodbine UMC carries on Bishop Lambuth’s legacy.
The story of the gift from Japan has special meaning for the membership of Woodbine UMC. “The idea that Bishop Lambuth’s legacy lives on,” states Ezell, “and that years after his death somehow his spirit and legacy transcended time and connected Christians living in different parts of the world—now THAT’S something to remember.”
*The school started with 19 male students and now has two campuses with an enrollment of about 19,000 including approximately 300 foreign students.
________________________________________________________________
Index of stories in the May 19, 2006 edition of the Tennessee Annual Conference Review
1. Rev. Willie J. Burchfield Appointed as District Superintendent of the Columbia District
2. Rev. Loyd E. Mabry Appointed Director of Congregational Development for the Tennessee Annual Conference
3. Tennessee Conference Actively Prepares to Respond in Case of Natural or Man-made Disaster
a. Seven Attend Southeastern Jurisdiction Disaster Response Training Academy from the
Tennessee Annual Conference
b. Thirty-three United Methodists Receive Trained Crisis Responder Training
4. Potato Drop at the 2006 Session of Annual Conference
5. Marie King Wins Frist Humanitarian Award Nomination from the Centennial Medical Center
6. Children as Evangelists--five children at Paran UMC commit themselves to share God's love with their neighbors.
7. Stephen Ministry trains angels on earth
8. UMVIM Mission Work in Poland--two members of Westmoreland UMC report on mission work in a formerly "Iron Curtain" nation
9. Legacy of Bishop Walter R. Lambuth Binds Woodbine UMC and Japanese University
____________________________________________________
Rev. Willie J. Burchfield Appointed as District Superintendent of the Columbia District
Rev. Willie J. Burchfield
Bishop Richard J. Wills, Jr., has announced the appointment of Rev. Willie J. Burchfield, as District Superintendent of the Columbia District which embraces Williamson, Maury, Marshall, Lewis, Hickman and Perry Counties in middle Tennessee.
Burchfield graduated Cum Laude from Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi with a B.S. in Mathematics. His senior year was spent as Student Government Association president. He went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia and served as president of the Gammon Fellowship. While still in college at Rust he was licensed to preach and in 1975 was ordained Elder in the Iowa Conference. That same year he was listed as one of the Outstanding Young Men in America.
His ministerial experience is marked by variety. For ten years he served Marshalltown Multiple Ministries in Marshalltown, Iowa. This ministry included Morrow Memorial UMC, campus ministry to Marshalltown Community College and assisting urban development with low-income families. He also served as Church Revitalization Specialist for Center for Church Development.
In 1984 he was called to campus ministry within the Tennessee Annual Conference and served for 12 years as Director of the Wesley Foundation, Tennessee State University. For 8 years he served as programmer for Black United Ministries and Related Ministries in Higher Education, a program funded by GBHEM.
From 1996 to 2004 he was pastor of Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church in the Nashville District, and then was appointed senior pastor of Key-Stewart UMC in Gallatin, Tennessee. He also chaired the conference’s Standing Rules Committee from 1996-2004. Burchfield believes that all congregations should S.H.I.N.E.
Share the good news of the Gospel.
Help people become Disciples of Christ.
Involve others in transforming Bible Studies.
Negate the negative blocks of Kingdom Living.
Encourage evangelism through personal growth experiences.
Through the years he has taught numerous workshops within the Tennessee Conference as well as attended many United Methodist Women Regional Schools. His background allowed him to handle yearly mission themes as well as bible studies. Travels nationally and internationally have expanded his insights into the practices and customs of other cultures. In 1986 he was delegate to the World Methodist Council in East Africa, and in 1989 he was delegate to the West African Student Christian Federation. In 2005 he was certified as a Sexual Ethics Trainer.
Within the Tennessee Annual Conference he has been part of the Board of Ordained Ministry Executive Committee, served on the Episcopacy Committee, been vice-president of Black Methodists for Church Renewal, and a member of the Commission on Religion and Race.
He and his wife Sharon have two daughters MaSonya and Aisha, and one granddaughter, SaNiiyah.
If his experiences in ministry within the United Methodist Church have been marked with rich variety, the variety has carried over into his hobbies where he lists his special interests as chess, bowling and snorkeling.
Rev. Loyd E. Mabry Appointed Director of Congregational Development for the Tennessee Annual Conference
Rev. Loyd E. Mabry
Loyd E. Mabry, District Superintendent of the Columbia District for the past five years, has been appointed by Bishop Richard J. Wills, Jr., to the newly created position of Director of Congregational Development for the Tennessee Conference, with immediate supervision by the resident Bishop. In his new position Loyd will work directly with the Conference Congregational Development Team with a goal of revitalizing existing congregations and creating a training program for pastors who could undertake the start of new churches.
Loyd has had special training in both leadership techniques and church revitalization through the General Board of Discipleship, the Beeson Institute, and the School of Congregational Development (Tipp City, Ohio, 2004; Dallas, Texas, 2005). In addition he has completed conflict resolution training sponsored by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. He is excited about the possibilities of the new position. In his letter accompanying his resume he wrote, “Effectiveness and revitalization of congregations is a passion of mine. We are currently using Natural Church Development as a vehicle to promote healthy churches in the Columbia District.”
Since his 1977 Ordination as Elder in Full Connection Rev. Mabry has served six different congregations as pastor: Westview, Glencliff, Bellshire, New Providence, Hamilton, and Lebanon First. He also served for two years as Associate Minister at McKendree United Methodist Church in downtown Nashville, and has, on several occasions, written Daily Bible Study Curriculum for the United Methodist Publishing House. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Lambuth College in Jackson, Tennessee, and his Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology, Emory University.
“This job is not about buildings and property,” Mabry states, “I definitely affirm that we must invest in people not properties. Once a faith community is developed property can be secured. Without passionate spiritual leaders faith communities cannot sustain themselves.”
After the 2006 Session of the Tennessee Annual Conference Rev. Mabry’s office address will be 304 S. Perimeter Park Drive, Suite 1, Nashville, Tennessee 37211. His phone numbers will be 615-329-1177 or 1-800-403-5795.
He and his wife Deborah Pearce Mabry have two children, Matthan and Rachel.
Tennessee Conference Actively Prepares to Respond in Case of Natural or Man-made Disaster
Seven Attend Southeastern Jurisdiction Disaster Response Training Academy from the Tennessee Annual ConferenceSeven persons from the Tennessee Annual Conference attended the Disaster Response Training Academy held at the M.E.R.C.I. Center, Goldsboro North Carolina, Monday April 24-26, 2006. Besides intensive workshops the group held plenary sessions on volunteer coordination, communication in the midst of crisis, annual conference training, working with VOAD partners, establishing a long-term recovery organization, damage assessment, case management, and maximizing the United Methodist “connection” during times of disaster. From right to left are Jason Brock, Coordinator of Annual Conference Love and Justice Ministries; Earl Davis, Columbia District Disaster Response Coordinator; David Lay, Pulaski District Disaster Response Coordinator; Bob Cate, Nashville District Disaster Response Coordinator; and Carla Nankervis, who was present studying disaster response with children. Missing when the picture was made were Tennessean Landon Taylor, a staff person with the Southeastern Jurisdiction Volunteers in Mission organization; and Tom Nankervis, Tennessee Conference Coordinator of Communication.
Networking was an important part of the Disaster Response Academy. Here Jason Brock, David Lay, and Earl Davis of the Tennessee Conference , exchange ideas with Joe Moseley, staff person in the Memphis Conference.
Rev. Brock was named convener of the SEJ VIM Disaster Response Network Steering Committee, a group whose basic purpose is to facilitate closer relationship/cooperation/communication among United Methodist disaster partners in the Southeast and to plan periodic training/networking events. Included on the Committee are Anne Travis, Director of Connectional Ministries for the Holston Conference; Julie Hager Love, Director of Connectional Ministries for the Kentucky Conference; Martha Burke, a lay person from the Florida Conference; Barbara Tripp, Executive Director of the M.E.R.C.I. Center, Goldsboro, North Carolina; Joe Hamilton, staff person with the SEJ United Methodist Volunteers in Mission; and Lee Bines, South Carolina Annual Conference.
Christy Smith, UMCOR Consultant from the Memphis Conference, and Joe Moseley from the Memphis Conference tour the North Carolina Conference’s M.E.R.C.I. Center warehouse where supplies are collected, sorted, and packed for distribution in case of disaster.
Thirty-three United Methodists Receive Trained Crisis Responder Training
In a combined effort between the Air National Guard, St. Thomas Hospital, and clergy/lay persons from the Tennessee Annual Conference, Lt. Col. Charles E. Woods conducted the third Trained Crisis Responder event held in Middle Tennessee since 2001. Facilitators for the class, which attracted 65 registrants, were Dr. Ron Lowery, pastor of Cross Plains United Methodist Church, and Mary Lou O’Gorman, Director of Pastoral Care at St. Thomas Hospital. Of the 65 registrants 33 were United Methodist clergy and laypersons. Two congregations, Hendersonville First UMC (Cumberland District) and Blakemore UMC (Nashville District), brought response teams to the event.
Registrants from First UMC, Hendersonville.
Participants in the training are prepared to assist in crisis intervention situations after natural or made-made disasters. The recent tornadoes in western and central Tennessee provided the current backdrop for the workshop, accenting the need for persons with skills to work directly with individuals who have confronted disaster first hand and been affected emotionally, physically, even spiritually by the experience.
Lt. Col Charles Woods, Commandant of the National Guard Bureau (NGB) Academy for Innovative Ministry, has personally provided healing ministry in dozens of disaster situations in this country and around the world. He is much in demand as a workshop leader in all parts of the United States.
Registrants from Blakemore United Methodist Church, Nashville.
The personal assessment of one United Methodist participant reflected the reviews of the group. Chief William Rogan of the Vol State Campus Police Department wrote, “It gave me insight on how to professionally intervene/respond to individuals in crisis situations and directed me on how to approach individuals and groups during a crisis. I understand that I don’t need to grab my bible and do a bum’s rush toward victims and first responders.” Rogan added, “I need to listen, be a liaison and sometimes do nothing but be there. It is important for everyone to understand the psychological effect these events have on individuals. This type of training needs to be more available.” Rogan speaks from experience. His campus was hit by a tornado early in
April.
Discussion continued even during the break time.
Potato Drop at the 2006 Session of Annual Conference
By Del Ketcham*
There will be a potato drop at the Tennessee Annual Conference from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Monday, June 12, 2006. Annual Conference is being held at First United Methodist Church, 265 W Thompson Lane, Murfreesboro Tennessee. The Hunger and Cooperative Ministries Committee of the Tennessee Conference UMC, Tennessee Conference United Methodist Men and the Society of St. Andrew sponsor this potato drop.
About 44,000 pounds of sweet potatoes will be delivered and dropped (like a load of sand) onto the parking lot. The sweet potatoes will then need to be bagged into 5-10 pound bags. Many of these bags of potatoes will then be picked up by local hunger relief agencies and distributed to their clients. Others will be taken by conference delegates and delivered back into their own communities and neighborhoods. This is a golden opportunity to walk with the poor and marginalized in your area.
Potatoes that remain will be picked up and delivered by Feed America First. Tom Henry is the Executive Director and is an active United Methodist.
We will also need about 300 delegates (both laity and clergy) to assist in the bagging process. Bagging up 44,000 pounds is only easy when there are lots of participants. We believe that wearing appropriate clothing for that day is in order.
It is hoped that the potatoes will be delivered prior to 6:00 a.m. in the southwest part of the church parking lot. If 350 delegates to Annual Conference each take time to bag 150 pounds (Takes about 1/2 hour) the load will soon disappear and hundred of hungry people will be fed.
We do need an on-site crew who will help load up delegate's cars. Volunteers from Murfreesboro churches and/or men's groups are invited to do so.
Additional info and questions may be directed to 615-620-7268 or hratn@endhunger.org
*Del Ketcham is Hunger Relief Advocate for the Society of St. Andrew.
Marie King Wins Frist Humanitarian Award Nomination from the Centennial Medical Center
Tennessee Conference deacon Marie King won the Frist Humanitarian Award for the Centennial Medical Center in Nashville, and in doing so was nominated for the national Frist Humanitarian Award.
Marie King
The Frist Humanitarian Award was created in 1971 to honor outstanding individuals for their humanitarian and volunteer activities. Named in honor of Dr. Thomas F. Frist Sr. (1910 – 1998), a founder of HCA, this award recognizes individuals whose daily dedication and care giving epitomize the highest standards of quality and personal commitment.
Two national awards are given annually. One recognizes an HCA employee who goes beyond day-to-day responsibilities in their overall service to the community. The other recognizes an HCA volunteer who gives unselfishly in their service to patients within our facilities.
“I was not a National recipient,” indicated King, “but it was an honor to be listed among so many well-serving individuals. It definitely was an honor to be the Frist Humanitarian Award recipient for the Centennial Medical Center.”
King, a Clinical Educator at HCA, has been active in the Annual Conference in support of local church Parish Nursing programs, and she is the present chairperson of the Committee on Disability Concerns. She was grateful for friends who supported her nomination with letters, and for the persons that have made an impact on her life. “Dr. Frist was known for saying, ‘Good people begat, good people’”, she says, and I thank God for the good people in my life.”
An important mantra in her life are the words of John Wesley:
"Do all the good you can,
by all the means you can,
in all the ways you can,
at all the times you can,
to all the people you can,
as long as you ever can".
Children as Evangelists
by Rev. David R. Sauer*
A few months ago, a group of people at Paran United Methodist Church intentionally began to gather for prayer before the Sunday School and Worship Service. They boldly and intentionally pray evangelistic prayers, asking God to move in the hearts and lives of all people and to help each of us to be the witnesses God desires for us to be.
In a rural setting, location and proximity to your neighbors may be a hindrance to effective witnessing for some. Five children, Courtney, Brittany, Rachael, Heather and Tasha conspired together not for mischief, but to share God’s love with their neighbors. The children had heard the message that Jesus taught, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” and to share the gospel with all people. On a Friday evening, the five children with ages ranging from 6 to 11, made arrangements with an adult to drive the church van to take them around their surrounding neighborhood.
The children asked the driver to take them to various houses that they knew had children. The children knocked on the doors, introduced themselves and invited the children and parents to join them at church. The children tirelessly knocked on doors, introducing themselves and explaining their mission for two and a-half hours without a single complaint. Not once did they ask the driver for advice or to accompany them to the door, to meet the strangers.
The faithful five had immediate results as parents would come to the van and tell the driver how impressed they were in our children and their dedication and mission. The following day, two of the families joined us in a community event and one family with three girls has been regularly attending our services.
One of the wonderful things about children is their exceptional talent to adapt. “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” (1Timothy 4:12) In this case, no one told them that they couldn’t be witnesses, as Jesus calls the children to Himself.
Stephen Ministry trains angels on earth
A UMC.org Feature by Marta W. Aldrich*
In the course of two tumultuous years, Kathy Sansom experienced five major stressful life events.
After her husband died of cancer in 2002, she married a childhood friend. The marriage soured quickly and was annulled. In the midst of it all, her mother died, and Sansom moved to a new city.
"When I moved to the Houston area at the end of 2003, I was totally exhausted - emotionally, physically, every way you could think of," says Sansom, who joined Klein United Methodist Church in Spring, Texas. "I was in a new city and didn't know many people. My pastor suggested I start seeing a Stephen Minister."
Stephen Ministry is a program matching specially trained lay members of a congregation with people going through a tough time. The care receiver meets weekly with the Stephen Minister, who provides one-on-one Christian care under an organized structure of confidentiality, supervision and accountability.
Steve Fouche and Sam Purushotham are Stephen Ministers at Belmont United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., one of the 2180 United Methodist churches with a Stephen Ministry program. A UMNS photo by Harry Leake.
"It was great," recalls Sansom of her relationship with Stephen Minister Barbara Purser. "We would meet once a week for coffee or dinner or just to talk. She would call and check on me and pray for me. Basically, I'm a very happy person inside, but having a Stephen Minister helped me over a very rough time."
Such is the mission of Stephen Ministries, a nonprofit, nondenominational Christian educational organization founded in 1975 in St. Louis. Currently, more than 9,000 congregations from more than 100 Christian denominations are enrolled, with the United Methodist Church accounting for approximately one-fifth.
Slipping through cracks
The Rev. Kenneth C. Haugk
Stephen Ministry is the brainchild of the Rev. Kenneth Haugk, a clinical psychologist who was associate pastor of St. Stephen's Lutheran Church in St. Louis when he saw people slipping through the cracks within his congregation because of too many needs and too few staff members.
Studying Ephesians 4:12 and God's provisions "to equip the saints for the work of ministry," Haugk (pronounced Howck) concluded that one of his pastoral roles should be to equip lay people to use their spiritual gifts to minister to others. So he developed a training program in Christian care giving, recruited and trained nine "Stephen Ministers" within his church, and matched them with people in crisis.
The impact was immediate. People began receiving the focused Christian care they needed, and Haugk had more time to perform other pastoral duties. Later, two Stephen Ministers raved that "this is good stuff" and insisted Haugk take Stephen Ministry to other churches.
"Thirty years later, we've trained over 50,000 Stephen leaders, and they, in turn, have trained over a half million Stephen Ministers," says Haugk, now 60 and executive director of Stephen Ministries. "We struck a chord because we live in a world where hurts happen and hurting people are in need of care. Parents die, people get divorced, illness strikes, all sorts of stuff."
WWJD?
Stephen Ministry is named for St. Stephen, the first layperson commissioned by the Apostles to provide caring ministry to those in need. Stephen Ministers undergo 50 hours of training and serve for at least two years. Among other things, they develop skills in reflective listening, learn guidelines on confidentiality, and prepare to minister to people in specific situations such as terminal illness, grief and divorce. They are also trained to recognize when to refer someone to a helping professional.
A Stephen Minister prays with her care receiver. A UMNS photo courtesy of Stephen Ministries
Stephen Ministry is based on "incarnational theology," which means that "when you care for another person, Jesus is in that person and you are the incarnation of Jesus Christ," says Haugk.
In other words, what would Jesus do?
"If Jesus had a friend going through a divorce, he'd probably listen to them. If Jesus had a friend die, he'd cry, which is what he did when Lazarus died. This stuff is simple, but profound," says Haugk. "Sometimes in the church and certainly in society, we're not very good listeners. We tend to talk too much, myself included. We have to learn to bite our tongue and listen more. It takes discipline."
With 2,180 churches enrolled, the United Methodist Church has more churches involved in Stephen Ministry than any other denomination - a distinction Haugk attributes to United Methodist-based discipleship experiences such as DISCIPLE Bible study and Walk to Emmaus.
"I think a lot of United Methodists who become Stephen Ministers have participated in these experiences and are asking, 'Now what do I do with all this?' Perhaps Stephen Ministry is a logical step," he says.
Help in adversity
Klein United Methodist Church launched its Stephen Ministry in 1984 at the urging of its pastoral staff. "We're a 3,000-member church, so the ministers can't possibly provide one-on-one care to every single person," says the Rev. Bryan Harkness, associate pastor of congregational care. "But a Stephen Minister can be there for someone who's in the midst of a life challenge … so they don't have to walk through the valley alone."
Sarah Carty, a Stephen Minister at First United Methodist Church in Franklin, Tenn., says she feels that she is the one blessed in her relationships with care receivers. "It's a huge honor for someone to share confidential things with you knowing that you're not going to judge them," she says. "And it's an honor to know that God is the one helping the care receiver and that I am just the hands and feet, the physical presence, of Christ to them."
For Kathy Sansom, her experience as a care receiver has led her, at age 65, to train to become a Stephen Minister. She will be commissioned this spring.
"The difference between talking to a good friend and talking to a Stephen Minister is that a good friend still can be judgmental and have a tendency to want to fix things. But that's not really what you need during a difficult time," she says. "You don't need someone to tell you what to do because, in your heart, you know. You just need someone to listen. Maybe I can be a good listener now for someone else."
*Aldrich is a freelance journalist based in Franklin, Tenn.
UMVIM Mission Work in Poland
From the April 21, 2006 issue of the Cumberland District Review and reprinted here with permission.
Jo Miller and John Murphree recently went on mission to Poland as part of the UMVIM program. They are members of Westmoreland United Methodist Church. This is their report on our mission work:
In 1795, after almost eight centuries as a country, Poland ceased to exist. It was divided by the leaders of Russia, Austria, and Germany and removed from the map of Europe. In 1918, at the demand of President Woodrow Wilson following World War I, Poland was reborn.
After the rebirth of Poland, the Polish Prime Minister, Ignacy Paderewski, the famous pianist/composer, appealed to the American people for assistance in rebuilding his country. Among the first Americans to respond to Paderewski’s appeal were a group of Methodists from the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Upon arriving in Poland, they established a medical clinic, soup kitchens, a job training center, and, in 1921, the English Language College where we have been working since February 1st of this year. The first director of this school was a Methodist from Nashville, Tennessee, Dr. Thomas Williams.
At the beginning of World War II, the American missionaries were interned by the Germans and the school suspended until 1946. In 1949 all Americans were forced to leave the country, and in the difficult years that followed, the school was under constant pressure from the communist intelligence service, but because of the excellence of the program, enrollment in 1956 reached 6000 students. Today there are six branches of the school in Poland. The Warsaw school where we are located has about 1000 students and 100 teachers.
Jo Miller and John Murphree in front of the United Methodist building in Warsaw Poland. This building, which is owned by the church, houses the United Methodist Chapel, the English Language School, and the administrative offices of both, as well as the apartments of Polish Bishop Edward Puslecki and the assistant director of the school, Jolanta Kuczma.
We have been privileged to be part of this school’s work by meeting and talking with individual students and with classes. One question we are frequently asked is why we came to Poland (in the winter—the coldest in a century). We always begin our answer with the words, “We are Methodist and this is a Methodist school.” Then we tell how the school was established and how we are part of the worldwide Methodist volunteer program.
Our lives have been blessed by the people whom we have met and worked with, and we have immensely enjoyed our stay in this country of magnificent castles, palaces, and churches.
We will always have the fondest memories of our little apartment overlooking Plac Zbawiciela. Zbawiciela, we learned after being here several weeks, means “Savior”.
by Jo Miller and John Murphree
Legacy of Bishop Walter R. Lambuth Binds Woodbine UMC and Japanese University
Walter Russell Lambuth is arguably one of the best known names in the history of American Methodism. In November 1854, Lambuth was born in Shanghai, China, to missionary parents James William Lambuth and Mary McClellan Lambuth. His childhood and youth were spent both in the United States and in the Orient but at age 15 he returned to America and lived in Lebanon, Tennessee, and ultimately received his college education from Emory & Henry College in Virginia from which he graduated in 1875. From 1875 until 1877 he studied theology and medicine at Vanderbilt University.
He had been licensed to preach during his first year in Emory & Henry, joined the Tennessee Conference in 1876 and was ordained deacon. The following year he was ordained elder.
Bishop Walter R. Lambuth’s picture is displayed prominently at Woodbine UMC
While a student at Vanderbilt he was under appointment and served first Woodbine Methodist Church and then became an Associate at historic McKendree Methodist Church. Two months after his marriage in August of 1877 Walter Lambuth and his wife Daisy sailed for China. The couple served in China as medical missionaries, and then in Japan. He ultimately returned to America in charge of all missionary work as General Secretary of the Board of Missions. In 1910 he was elected Bishop by the M.E. Church, South, and was assigned to Brazil. He subsequently was responsible for establishing Methodist work in the Belgian Congo as well as in Belgium, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Siberia. Until his death in 1921 he supervised missionary work worldwide. He died while on a trip to Japan and his ashes were buried in Shanghai, China, next to his mother.
He was a major force in creating a vital Methodist missionary program and was responsible for starting schools, clinics, and churches around the world. It was fitting that his name would be honored and Lambuth University in Jackson, Tennessee, and Lambuth Inn at Lake Junaluska were both named after him—as was Lambuth Memorial United Methodist Church in Gallatin.
Woodbine United Methodist Church in the Flat Rock section of Nashville was a country parish when served by Walter Russell Lambuth. In fact, Lambuth was Woodbine’s first appointed pastor after it was officially recognized as a Methodist Church in 1875, and it is at Woodbine that the legacy of Bishop Walter Lambuth emerged anew in the year 2004.
The Woodbine church building was constructed in 1915 and by 1919 the congregation was out of debt. During the early 1920s, in preparation for the congregation’s 50th Anniversary in 1925, the decision was made to add some beautiful stained glass windows. The first window on the sanctuary’s right side would, appropriately, be in memory of Bishop Walter R. Lambuth “First Pastor of This Church.”
That window reminded generations of Woodbine members of their historical connection with Bishop Lambuth, and the story of Lambuth was passed down to the present day. All was well until the window was vandalized by an intruder intent on breaking into and robbing the church. He smashed the Lambuth memorial window and crawled into the church through the opening. Fortunately a sensor noted his presence inside the sanctuary and an alarm sounded which frightened him away before he could do further damage.
Kwansei Gakuin University created a commemorative sticker honoring the 150th anniversary of Bishop Lambuth’s birth
In Japan at about the same time, the students, faculty, and administration of * were beginning to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the University’s founder—Walter Russell Lambuth. The University had a warm spot for the Lambuths and what they had endured to get the university started. To quote W.W. Pinson’s 1924 book on Lambuth: “It was a small beginning. An old and uncomfortable house was secured, and with characteristic self-denial the younger Lambuths moved into it in order to meet the requirements involved in the purchase, slept in the loft while building was in progress, and gladly endured the discomforts and inconveniences” so that the foundations of the school could be laid. With no money, no collateral, and no security available, Lambuth was forced to obtain a personal loan in order to secure the property. “It was pay or lose the property.”
As part of the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of Walter Lambuth’s birth, the University arranged some tours in the United States of sites associated with Lambuth’s life. So it was that Professor Jun Ayukawa, a professor of law and politics at Kwansei Gakuin University visited Woodbine United Methodist Church, the first congregation Lambuth had served. Don Choate, Woodbine pastor at the time, greeted Professor Ayukawa and showed him around. Though she was not present, church member Nancy Ezell remembered that her sister Lucinda Neff had taken pre-vandalism pictures of the window honoring Lambuth and sent them on to Ayukawa who responded with a thank you note: “I’m going to make copies of them, and to send them to the office of the history of Kwansei Gakuin University . . . I hope the repairing of the window will be successful.”
Then, unexpectedly, in April of 2005 Ezell received another letter—this one from Michiya Hata, Chancellor of Kwansei Gakuin. Chancellor Hata commented on the broken windows: “Last winter, you sent Prof. Jun Ayakawa a picture of the broken windows commemorating Dr. Russell (sic) Lambuth. Our school owes its origins to the educational ideals and vision of Dr. Lambuth, so we were particularly sorry to hear about this accident. We wish to contribute to Woodbine United Methodist Church to help with the restoration of the Lambuth stained glass, so we have sent a check for $1000.” Kwansei Gakuin University was also responsible for additional gifts of over $200. Though the basic breakage was covered by insurance—the Kwansei Gakuin gifts helped with the deductible, and the congregation was extremely grateful. Thanks to painstaking work by Nashville’s Emmanuel Stained Glass Studio the window is now back to its original condition. The Woodbine congregation savors an art work version of the window done by Woodbine children. The art work, mounted on plexiglass, filled the space left by the broken window. “We’re going to frame the art,” notes Nancy Ezell, “and make sure it get’s displayed.”
The restored window at Woodbine UMC carries on Bishop Lambuth’s legacy.
The story of the gift from Japan has special meaning for the membership of Woodbine UMC. “The idea that Bishop Lambuth’s legacy lives on,” states Ezell, “and that years after his death somehow his spirit and legacy transcended time and connected Christians living in different parts of the world—now THAT’S something to remember.”
*The school started with 19 male students and now has two campuses with an enrollment of about 19,000 including approximately 300 foreign students.
posted by TN Conference UMC @ 12:43 PM
<< Home