TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW October 19, 2007
Stories Included in this issue of THE REVIEW
1. Agricultural Projects in North Katanga supported by November Local Church Hunger Offerings
2. Paul Saik November 4th Concert Supports Columbia District Volunteers in Mission program
3. College Prep 101 to offer vital information on choosing a college 4..Special Program Set for United Methodist Men Annual Meeting, Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
5.Tennessee Conference Sponsors Faith and Immigration Forum
6. Important Justice for Our Neighbors Informational Meeting October 23rd
7. “Push Suhing” in Gulfport—Area Extended Cabinets Serve as VIM Volunteers
8. New Pastors Attend Connectional Ministries Orientation
9. West End United Methodist Church organist Andrew Risinger premieres new organ in Schermerhorn Center
10. Twelve Times Group – New Group of Disciples, Bethpage United Methodist Church
11. Gordonsville United Methodist Church celebrates Lucille Agee’s 90th Year as a Church Member
Agricultural Projects in North Katanga supported by November Local Church Hunger Offerings
Last year, the Tennessee Conference Hunger Committee decided the 2007 Hunger offering—traditionally taken during November, and especially the Sunday before Thanksgiving (November 18th)—would go to support hunger projects in North Katanga, The Democratic Republic of Congo, with a focus on developmental projects that will provide long-term food assistance. Half of the offering taken in each District will be returned to the District to support local hunger ministries within the District; the rest will go through the Board of Global Ministries to a variety of projects in North Katanga. The following projects will be supported:
Agriculture School. Renovation of buildings and purchase of equipment and supplies for five church agricultural schools serving 1,300 students. Our objective is to improve agricultural production in quality and quantity by training youth and making them capable of assisting rural population through good agricultural techniques.
Fish Ponds. This project covers areas such as Kazele, Upemba, Kisale, and Nzibabo where there are a number of lakes plus the Congo River. The people who live these areas make their living from fishing, helping them meet the needs of their families is crucial. Gifts from the Advance will help to fight poverty, malnutrition and improve the economy.
Food Aid for students at the Institut Superieur Pedagogique and the Girls' Hostel. This food is for students who travel hundreds of miles (often on foot) to study here. The college is located in Kamina. It is opened to men as well as women.
Cattle project. Purchase of cattle and construction of facilities. Because income sources are limited the population is not able to provide itself with food rich in proteins. The cattle project will be a support to the abandoned children center, nutrition centers, and to the whole population. Ongoing warfare in the region has caused a flow of displaced persons, homeless children and needy people. The United Methodist Church in North Katanga has adopted a strategy to create agricultural farms and ranches for cattle raising. Hopefully the availability of meat and milk will fight malnutrition, hunger, and poverty amongst the population.
Corn Project—purchase of cornhusking machines. The United Methodist Church in North Katanga has initiated quite a few agricultural projects consisting of planting and cropping corn in order to fight hunger in the region. Husking corn manually is a very difficult and time consuming job so the church has conceived this project for buying corn-husking machines in order to meet the challenge of husking corn. This creates opportunity for farmers to increase their incomes by planting and harvesting corn twice a year.
Paul Saik Concert November 4th Concert Supports Columbia District Volunteers in Mission program
Paul Saik
Internationally know tenor Paul Saik shares his musical gifts in a special concert on Sunday, November 4, 2007, to benefit the Columbia District Volunteers in Mission program. The event will be held, starting at 3:00 p.m., at Franklin First United Methodist Church, 143 5th Avenue South, Franklin, Tennessee. A love offering will be taken during the concert.
The power of a Paul Saik performance can be best summed up in the words of Dr. Ginger Beazley, Ars Nova School of the Arts, "Paul Saik could easily stand alone as a remarkable tenor whose power and passion create an exciting experience for a listener. However, his professionalism on both piano and organ make him a truly unique and amazing performer."
Saik, as it turns out, not only has a passion for great music, but has a passion for the work of VIM. “I’m looking forward,” he says, “to being part of this concert in support of the Columbia District Volunteers in Mission program. One of the greatest outreaches that the United Methodist Church has is Volunteers in Mission. The Volunteers keep the church going. Believe me, I’m honored to be part of the fund raising.”
Dr. Robin Wilhite, chairperson of the Columbia District Volunteers in Mission, points out that VIM works with churches and individuals to do maintenance work on the homes of persons within the district who, for a number of reasons, can not financially manage the maintenance of their homes. The District has also sponsored a yearly trip out of state to work on homes in areas of natural disaster. This, according to Wilhite, who was reached at a VIM worksite repairing flood damaged homes in Clyde, North Carolina, has expanded to two one-week trips for the past several years, one in the spring and another in the fall.
A versatile singer, Paul Saik, has performed with opera companies throughout the United States and around the world. But after many years of performing on some of the biggest stages in the world, he realized that the successes of his career could not outweigh the stresses and challenges that he faced every day. In the summer of 2003, Paul felt God’s call back to his first love—sacred music. “I was happy doing opera,” he noted, “but it did not satisfy my soul. It did not fulfill my passion for music.”
In the Columbia District VIM concert,” Saik says,”I will share a journey through my life—Opera, Broadway, and then back to sacred music. This is my testimony—God is still using me. The one thing I want people to know through my performance is that God Loves them unconditionally.”
Paul Saik is president of Saik Music, Inc., and Hannah Records, a Division of Saik Music. He has recently released two new albums, Live from Brentwood and Hymns of Inspiration. To listen to samples of his music, obtain further biographical information, or place an order you can go on-line to Saik’s website http://www.paulsaik.com/
College Prep 101 to offer vital information on choosing a college
First of four sessions in Tennessee Conference set for Oct. 28 at First UMC of Pulaski
PULASKI, Tenn. – United Methodist families throughout middle Tennessee who have questions about getting their children – and their finances – ready for college are invited to attend “College Prep 101,” a two-hour information session being offered four times over the next several months by Martin Methodist College and the Cal Turner, Jr. Center for Church Leadership.
The first session will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28, at First United Methodist Church in Pulaski. Subsequent sessions will be held from 2-4 p.m. on: Sunday, Nov. 4, at First UMC in Mt. Pleasant; Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008, at Trinity UMC in Murfreesboro; and Sunday, April 13, 2008, at Christ UMC in Franklin.
The purpose of College Prep 101 is to equip youth of all ages and their parents as they prepare to go through the college selection process and to be a particularly key resource to those college-bound United Methodists in the Tennessee Conference.
Mary Noble Parrish, Martin Methodist College Director of Church Relations
“We recognize there are many questions that must be answered in order for a high school senior to identify the perfect college,” said the Rev. Mary Noble Parrish, director of church relations for Martin Methodist College. “‘How much will college cost and what financial assistance is available?’ ‘How far from home do I wish to travel?’ ‘What major should I select?’
“As the college of the Tennessee Conference, we at Martin Methodist College extend ourselves as a resource to the youth from the churches of our conference as they make this important decision regarding their higher education,” she said.
Parrish points out, however, that this is not simply a recruiting effort for Martin Methodist, focusing solely on its campus and program.
“It will be beneficial to anyone in their college search,” she said.
Michael Kelley, director of admissions, said that the Martin Methodist College staff will bring plenty of experience to College Prep 101.
“Learn about the admissions process with the help of our admissions team, Kelley said. “With years of experience from our staff, you will feel confident about your future college plans. From the college visits to the application process to financial aid, come and learn at the College Prep 101 session.”
For more information, contact the Rev. Mary Noble Parrish at 931-363-9834 or 1-800-467-1273, ext. 3834, or e-mail her at mparrish@martinmethodist.edu
BIG Special Program Set for United Methodist Men Annual Meeting, Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
The United Methodist Men of the Tennessee Conference will hold their annual meeting on Saturday, November 3, 2007 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the new Tennessee Conference Office, located at 304 S. Perimeter Park Drive in Nashville. All men of the United Methodist Church are invited to come and enjoy this time of fellowship, special music, and outstanding speakers.
Refreshments will be served at 9 a.m. followed by the meeting. The agenda includes Big Brothers Big Sisters - Amachi program, Scouting, PK Adventure, and installation of 2008 Conference Officers. There is no registration fee to attend. The theme of the Annual Meeting will be "Men growing in Christ so others may know Christ." This meeting is designed to give you resources that will help your men's ministry grow and be mission minded as we seek together to be God's servant leaders.
Steve Robinson played in three different football Bowl games before his graduation from the University of Tennessee. Here he is seen with several of his grandchildren.
Featured speaker will be Steve Robinson, Middle Tennessee Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Robinson was raised on a farm outside Franklin and attended Battle Ground Academy (BGA). He played football at the University of Tennessee and played in the Cotton, Gator and Sugar Bowls, graduating in 1971. Steve has been on staff with FCA for 34 years. He and his wife Karen live in the Bellevue area and have three grown daughters and six grandchildren. His hobbies include jogging, weight lifting, biking, hiking and camping.
Australian singer/evangelist Mike Rayson prayed a lot before accepting a call to be a missionary in the United States.
Christian recording artist, composer, and musical storyteller Mike Rayson will provide special music and share his life story as well. He was born and raised in the Australian outback and attended schools so small they couldn’t afford adequate music programs. Much of his music instruction at school came over the telephone from a teacher hundreds of miles away. He ministered at several Australian churches as a young man and was fast rising to the top of Australia’s Christian music scene – when he felt God’s call into mission. As he mentally prepared himself for mission in Southeast Asia or Africa . . . any place where missionaries were desperately needed . . .it became obvious that he was being called into mission in the United States. This seemed so unlikely to him that he did some painful arguing with God, but God kept shoving, and those that have heard him speak and listened to him sing will rejoice at God’s perseverance.
Tennessee Conference Sponsors Faith and Immigration Forum
by Liz Shadbolt
As we enter the fray of the political season, one of the issues that elicits the most emotional and heated debate is immigration. On September 29, 30 people – both clergy and lay – gathered at Blakemore UMC for a forum on faith and immigration presented by the TN Conference. By laying aside divisive rhetoric, we were able to learn about the issue, to share our struggles and experiences, and to see where the church and we as individuals can advocate on the issue.
Emily Snyder and Steven Miles, co-founders of Strangers No Longer, led a theological reflection of our responsibility toward the immigrant
Two Vanderbilt University seminary students, Emily Snyder and Steven Miles, founders of Strangers No Longer, led us through a theological reflection to explore our concerns about immigrants and connect teachings from the Old and New Testaments.
Stephen Fotopulos, director of the TN Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, shared with us information on state and national bills pending before the legislature and how they would affect immigrants and our communities.
Stephen Fotopulos, director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, and Tom Negri, General Manager of Loew’s Vanderbilt Hotel, challenged participants with facts about immigrants—as opposed to currently popular assumptions.
Tom Negri, general manager of Lowe’s Vanderbilt, shared information on the economic “pulls” experienced by immigrants and the effects on our state and national economy.
Finally, Jan Snider of Justice for Our Neighbors, gave a call for action in describing the efforts her organization is making to bring free immigration clinics to local churches with the help of UMCOR. The conversation ranged from efforts our congregations can take to welcome newcomers to putting faith into action by advocating with our congressional representatives.
Important Justice for Our Neighbors Informational Meeting October 23rd
Jan Snider (left), a producer for United Methodist Communications, filmed a story about the Justice for Our Neighbors program in Michigan. She was impressed enough with the possibilities of the program that she brought the idea back to Tennessee Conference United Methodists
United Methodists across the Tennessee Conference, particularly persons interested in/involved in ministry to immigrants, are invited to an informational meeting to learn more about the Justice for Our Neighbors program. The informational meeting will be held October 23rd from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. in room 318, West End United Methodist Church, 2200 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203.
Justice for Our Neighbors, according to its mission statement, "is a faith-driven ministry, welcoming immigrants into our churches and communities by providing free, high-quality immigration legal services, education, and advocacy." The ministry is part of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the humanitarian aid and development agency of the United Methodist Church.
“Push Suhing” in Gulfport—Area Extended Cabinets Serve as VIM Volunteers
By the Dr. Ron Lowery, Cumberland District Superintendent
Part of the Tennessee Conference delegation gather: (left to right, back row) Jim Ricketts, Cumberland District Superintendent Ron Lowery, team leader Bob Snell, Conference Connectional Ministries Director Loyd Mabry, and Elba Dorris; (left to right, seated in front) Director of Administrative Services David Hawkins, Director of Miriam’s Promise Debbie Robinson, and Nashville District Superintendent John Collett. A Mabry photo.
“Push suh” is the sound of a nail gun securing 6400 square feet of plywood to the second floor of a new dormitory at Nugent United Methodist Church in Gulfport, Mississippi. The operators of this awesome nail driving machine were John Collette, the Nashville District Superintendent, David Hawkins, the Tennessee Annual Conference Treasurer, Debbie “Snack Woman” Robinson, the Executive Director of Miriam’s Promise, myself, and several laymen from the Memphis Conference. This emerging facility will become a housing unit for future VIM teams.
Below us, Bishop Dick Wills and Loyd Mabry, the Director of Congregational Ministries, helped to build partitions for the first floor rooms. Sawdust flew through the air, sweet rain down our faces, and we met our goal. At the end of three days, the plywood was in place and the walls were installed. Then, we journeyed to two other sites.
The joint VIM team representing both the Tennessee and Memphis Conferences is pictured with Bishop Richard J. Wills, Jr. A Mabry photo.
A team joined Elba Dorris, Jim Ricketts, and Bob Snell to complete a painting project at the regional UMCOR headquarters. A second team installed vinyl siding on a house. The house will soon become the home for a family of five. They have lived in a camper for two years. Their youngest son walked through every room of the newly constructed house. Then he went outside and felt the vinyl panels. He was excited to finally experience the reality of a house.
As always, the real value of our VIM project was not just in the intense labor. We also deepened our relationships with the Memphis Cabinet and made new relationships with another team of volunteers from Virginia. An additional blessing was the prayer and devotional experiences we shared.
Long term recovery along the Gulf will take a number of years. The Nashville area team helps put together a depot at Nugent United Methodist Church. The depot will house supplies and provide sleeping accommodations for work teams. The metal building can withstand winds up to 150 miles per hour. A Mabry photo.
Bob Snell and Bill Carr from the Memphis Conference did outstanding work in coordinating the work project and in covering every detail. For the next decade others will need to repeat efforts like those of Bob and Bill. The United Methodists do not leave the damaged in perpetual distress. From September 25-29, our joint efforts made a significant contribution to the Lord’s kingdom in Mississippi and I hope will we continue our involvement in this devastated region. I urge others in our annual conference to have the “push suhing” experience.
Van Hook Hall at the Mississippi Conference’s Camp Seashore has been remodeled to provide office space for Mississippi United Methodist Katrina Response, Habitat for Humanity, and UMCOR A Mabry photo.
Twenty-three new pastors attended The Tennessee Conference Connectional Ministries Orientation for New Pastors, Tennessee Conference Center, October 4, 2007. In alphabetical order they are: John Allen Berry, James Bittner, Clarence Cartwright, Jeff Cotterman, Stacey Cowan, Rob Dunbar, Tommy Flood, Jay Graham, John Hester, Bradford Holliman, Lori Holliman, Joshua Lee, Susan Madderom, William Moede, Heju Nam, Doug O’Rear, David Rash, Jeff Reynolds, Sandy Sakarapanee, Jerry Turner, Lynn Willis, William Wilson, and Ronald Wright.
West End United Methodist Church organist Andrew Risinger premieres new organ in Schermerhorn Center
By Susan Harrell
Reprinted from the West End Report, September 7, 2007, and used here with permission.
September 8 was a big day for the Nashville music community and West End United Methodist Church. The Nashville Symphony, under the baton of Music Advisor Leonard Slatkin, hosted a gala concert to premiere their new Schoenstein and Co. organ with Andrew Risinger as the organ soloist. This was a fitting honor for a fine performer who has for years been the Symphony’s first-call organist. He was the only organist on the committee that selected and oversaw the building and installation of the organ in Laura Turner Concert Hall. Most of us have known Andrew as West End’s Organist and Associate Director of Music since 1995.
Andrew Risinger
Andrew earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Baylor University in 1988 as a student of Joyce Jones. He also holds Master of Music degrees in organ performance and choral conducting from the University of Alabama. He was awarded second prize in the 1994 American Guild of Organists’ National Young Artists Competition in organ performance, and is a past winner of the William C. Hall Organ Competition in San Antonio. As a recitalist, he has performed throughout the United States and has also appeared as organ soloist with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and the Illinois Symphony Orchestra.
The search for the right organ led Andrew and the committee to Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Birmingham, England in 2002. The new 21,000-seat Mormon Conference Center in Salt Lake City boasts an organ built by Shoenstein and Co., a San Francisco company founded in 1877. Andrew was impressed by the scale of this organ and how its sound easily filled such a large space. The committee knew that if Schoenstein and Co. could build such a wonderful instrument for the Mormon Conference Center, they could also build one for the 1860-seat Laura Turner Concert Hall. Nashville is the first symphony hall to have a Schoenstein and Co. organ.
Once the organ builder had been selected, the real work began. The organ was constructed in San Francisco but lots of finish work remained after it was installed in its new home last August. It couldn’t be finished then because the dust literally needed to settle in Laura Turner Concert Hall. The organ needed time to adjust to the new environment and will continue to acclimate for the first few years. The tonal finishing of the organ involves the fine-tuning of its 3,600 pipes and adjusting them to fit the scale of the room. This is a long process that takes months of work by the expert craftsmen from Schoenstein and Co., and Andrew anticipated the tonal finishing would continue right up to the concert date.
Many West Enders have asked how the Schermerhorn Center organ compares to the organ at West End United Methodist Church. West End has a 1983 M.P. Moller organ, which is the largest organ in Middle Tennessee. It has 136 ranks, which is twice as many as the 64-rank Schoenstein. While that makes West End’s organ seem twice as powerful, it doesn’t really work that way. Andrew explains, “the way an organ functions depends on the room that it’s in.” Like a piano uses its soundboard for resonance and depth of color, an organ’s room acts as its soundboard. That means the pipes will sound differently depending on the room they are in, which is why the tonal finishing process is so critical.
The gala concert on September 8 featured numerous pieces selected to show the organ’s vast capabilities for expressiveness and dynamic range. The program began with the Toccata and Fugue in D minor by J. S. Bach, written in 1708. Andrew played alone on the Toccata, and the orchestra joined in with Leopold Stokowski’s arrangement of the Fugue, which is a very romantic interpretation of this ever-popular piece immortalized by the Disney film “Fantasia”. This was followed by Maurice Durufle’s Prelude and Fugue on the Name Alain. Written in 1942, this piece for organ solo was dedicated to the composer Jehan Alain, a personal friend of Durufle who died in World War II. Samuel Barber’s Toccata Festiva was hand-picked by Leonard Slatkin for this concert. It was first performed in 1960 for the premiere of the new Aeolian-Skinner organ at the Academy of Music by the Philadelphia Orchestra led by Eugene Ormandy. Following the intermission, Camille Saint-Saens’ Symphony in C minor comprised the second half of the program. It was commissioned in 1886 by the Royal Philarmonic Society in England and was dedicated to the composer’s friend Franz Liszt, who died later that year.
Congratulations to Andrew Risinger on his premiere performance of the new organ at the Schermerhorn Center. West End UMC is proud of you and feels lucky to have you at West End.
Twelve Times Group – New Group of Disciples, Bethpage United Methodist Church
By Hap Hewgley
The Rev. James R. “Hap” Hewgley
Last year at our church’s Charge Conference when we turned in the report on Lay Speakers, it struck me that we had exactly 12 from our church. That being a historically significant number in the Church, I kiddingly made a comment to our District Superintendent, Dr. Ron Lowery, that I had inherited from Rev. Mike Potts a new group of disciples. Of course, I was making a joke! However, God often takes jokes and turns them into ministries.
For the next several days, this vision of a group of people who were already qualified and approved to speak and preach in churches was on my mind. I kept thinking about how under-utilized and un-appreciated they had been in our conference. Having been introduced to small group ministries through Disciple Bible Studies, Covenant Disciple groups, being a part of the United Methodist Student Association at Vanderbilt Divinity School, and working as a mentor to both local pastors and candidates for ordination, I kept thinking about what might happen if we intentionally worked with the group and provided training and introduced them to outside resources to empower and equip them to be more effective in their ministries.
I had just done a similar thing at my former church, Greenbrier UMC, on a smaller scale as I helped Randy Mutter (Clarksville First’s pastor) and Todd Kelley (New Chapel’s associate pastor) transition from the laity into clergy. Having just had that experience, it knew what a commitment of time it would be. I would have to spend time with these twelve individuals. Hence the name of the group became TWELVE TIMES! The name represented the time that they would have to spend with me; and, also the magnifying and multiplying effect that would be experienced.
So, we began to meet one night a week as the TWELVE TIMES GROUP. Our first study was a series developed by Rev. Diana Dewitt (Hermitage UMC) while working on her Doctor of Ministry Degree. The study was on Pastoral Authority: the Biblical basis for authority in the church especially as that authority is placed in the hands of our ministers.
The focus is on
· the need for all of us to submit to authority in our lives especially in the church;
· the need for both laity and clergy to be held accountable and,
· the awesome responsibility carried by clergy to live with the heart and mind of Christ so that the authority placed in us as leaders and clergy will not be misused and end up hurting the church more than we could ever help.
The result of this study developed an appreciation for clergy, an appreciation for the Book of Discipline of the UM Church (having a written and published list of rules, beliefs, structure, and orderly way of effecting change in the leadership and clergy of our churches), and an awesome understanding of the responsibilities we all have (and how the church and God will hold us accountable).
Our next study was on the different methods for interpreting the Scriptures using Historical, Contextual, Literary, etc. This helped us to understand that there are many different ways to discern meaning from the Scriptures. Using these different ways or methods can help us to preach the gospel in ways that can reach people today. In addition, we looked at the different commentaries that are available to us and how reading those can help us in our preparation for preaching and Bible Studies. The group also looked at other resources such as the Bible Dictionaries and the Interpreter’s Bible series.
After improving our ability to better understand the Scriptures and learning how to use the resources of well respected Biblical scholars, we studied Homiletics and how to research and compose sermons in various styles. Delivery techniques were also studied.
After six months, the group and some other members of the church decided that we needed a lay-led Wednesday night service. So far, we have had several such services averaging around 60 in attendance and have had two people accept Christ.
Of the original twelve, we have two that are now serving churches as supply pastors.(one who plans to become a local pastor next year and one who plans to continue his seminary education which he had already started). We had one that was already a candidate on a track towards ordination. We have two more who plan to start on that track this year.
That is five out of the twelve so far. We have added three more to the group to replace the three that are graduating. The three that are graduating are now being invited to join the cluster group of local pastors that meet at Bethpage UMC.
God is working at our church and in northern Sumner County. We are so thankful that we are seeing such a fruitful harvest this fall. Praise God! The members of the Twelve Times group are Angie Davenport (candidate for deacon’s orders), Tommy Flood (now serving Mt. Olive UMC), Tim Parrish (now serving Clarksville First), Jenny Dittes (founder of Hope Clinic and Inquiring Candidate), Mike Sawyer (Wellspring of Life Ministries and Inquiring Candidate), Bill Johnson, Scott Workman, David Woodard, Mark Beeler, Bonnye Beeler, Gerald Johnson, and Debbie Sawyer. Since that time we have added Bo Johnson, J. D. Dittes, and Greg Crider. We have Matt Macon and Mark Menz who are enrolled in the event on Sept. 15th.
God is there for us to move forward and to help us step up to grow in our discipleship. How wonderful it is when we in church begin to help in discerning God’s calling people into ministry. If we are to start new churches and/or revitalize existing churches, we have to raise up new pastors and new lay leaders/speakers. When they step up, we need to empower them and then give them opportunities to serve. When we do, fruitful harvests will follow.
Gordonsville United Methodist Church celebrates Lucille Agee’s 90th Year as a Church Member
Mrs. Agee, her Son and Daughter-in-Law, Ivy C. Agee, Jr. and Virginia
Gordonsville United Methodist Church recently recognized Lucille Agee with a signed proclamation from the members of the Church for being a member of the local church for 90 years.
Miss Lucille who celebrated her 100th Birthday on January 26 of this year, has been an active member in the Church, holding offices and serving in different capacities through the years. She was saved and professed faith at the age of 10 and united and became a member of the Gordonsville United Methodist Church on August 30, 1917. The certificate given to her reads:
Gordonsville United Methodist Church
Whereas, Lucille Gwaltney Agee at the young age of 10 was saved and professed faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And furthermore, Lucille Agee chose to become a member of the Gordonsville United Methodist Church on August 30, 1917 and has remained a loyal member since then.
The Gordonsville United Methodist Church congratulates and recognizes Lucille Agee for her 90 years of membership at this Church and her faithful and loyal allegiance, participation and service to this Church and her Lord and Savior.
1. Agricultural Projects in North Katanga supported by November Local Church Hunger Offerings
2. Paul Saik November 4th Concert Supports Columbia District Volunteers in Mission program
3. College Prep 101 to offer vital information on choosing a college 4..Special Program Set for United Methodist Men Annual Meeting, Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
5.Tennessee Conference Sponsors Faith and Immigration Forum
6. Important Justice for Our Neighbors Informational Meeting October 23rd
7. “Push Suhing” in Gulfport—Area Extended Cabinets Serve as VIM Volunteers
8. New Pastors Attend Connectional Ministries Orientation
9. West End United Methodist Church organist Andrew Risinger premieres new organ in Schermerhorn Center
10. Twelve Times Group – New Group of Disciples, Bethpage United Methodist Church
11. Gordonsville United Methodist Church celebrates Lucille Agee’s 90th Year as a Church Member
Agricultural Projects in North Katanga supported by November Local Church Hunger Offerings
Last year, the Tennessee Conference Hunger Committee decided the 2007 Hunger offering—traditionally taken during November, and especially the Sunday before Thanksgiving (November 18th)—would go to support hunger projects in North Katanga, The Democratic Republic of Congo, with a focus on developmental projects that will provide long-term food assistance. Half of the offering taken in each District will be returned to the District to support local hunger ministries within the District; the rest will go through the Board of Global Ministries to a variety of projects in North Katanga. The following projects will be supported:
Agriculture School. Renovation of buildings and purchase of equipment and supplies for five church agricultural schools serving 1,300 students. Our objective is to improve agricultural production in quality and quantity by training youth and making them capable of assisting rural population through good agricultural techniques.
Fish Ponds. This project covers areas such as Kazele, Upemba, Kisale, and Nzibabo where there are a number of lakes plus the Congo River. The people who live these areas make their living from fishing, helping them meet the needs of their families is crucial. Gifts from the Advance will help to fight poverty, malnutrition and improve the economy.
Food Aid for students at the Institut Superieur Pedagogique and the Girls' Hostel. This food is for students who travel hundreds of miles (often on foot) to study here. The college is located in Kamina. It is opened to men as well as women.
Cattle project. Purchase of cattle and construction of facilities. Because income sources are limited the population is not able to provide itself with food rich in proteins. The cattle project will be a support to the abandoned children center, nutrition centers, and to the whole population. Ongoing warfare in the region has caused a flow of displaced persons, homeless children and needy people. The United Methodist Church in North Katanga has adopted a strategy to create agricultural farms and ranches for cattle raising. Hopefully the availability of meat and milk will fight malnutrition, hunger, and poverty amongst the population.
Corn Project—purchase of cornhusking machines. The United Methodist Church in North Katanga has initiated quite a few agricultural projects consisting of planting and cropping corn in order to fight hunger in the region. Husking corn manually is a very difficult and time consuming job so the church has conceived this project for buying corn-husking machines in order to meet the challenge of husking corn. This creates opportunity for farmers to increase their incomes by planting and harvesting corn twice a year.
Paul Saik Concert November 4th Concert Supports Columbia District Volunteers in Mission program
Paul SaikInternationally know tenor Paul Saik shares his musical gifts in a special concert on Sunday, November 4, 2007, to benefit the Columbia District Volunteers in Mission program. The event will be held, starting at 3:00 p.m., at Franklin First United Methodist Church, 143 5th Avenue South, Franklin, Tennessee. A love offering will be taken during the concert.
The power of a Paul Saik performance can be best summed up in the words of Dr. Ginger Beazley, Ars Nova School of the Arts, "Paul Saik could easily stand alone as a remarkable tenor whose power and passion create an exciting experience for a listener. However, his professionalism on both piano and organ make him a truly unique and amazing performer."
Saik, as it turns out, not only has a passion for great music, but has a passion for the work of VIM. “I’m looking forward,” he says, “to being part of this concert in support of the Columbia District Volunteers in Mission program. One of the greatest outreaches that the United Methodist Church has is Volunteers in Mission. The Volunteers keep the church going. Believe me, I’m honored to be part of the fund raising.”
Dr. Robin Wilhite, chairperson of the Columbia District Volunteers in Mission, points out that VIM works with churches and individuals to do maintenance work on the homes of persons within the district who, for a number of reasons, can not financially manage the maintenance of their homes. The District has also sponsored a yearly trip out of state to work on homes in areas of natural disaster. This, according to Wilhite, who was reached at a VIM worksite repairing flood damaged homes in Clyde, North Carolina, has expanded to two one-week trips for the past several years, one in the spring and another in the fall.
A versatile singer, Paul Saik, has performed with opera companies throughout the United States and around the world. But after many years of performing on some of the biggest stages in the world, he realized that the successes of his career could not outweigh the stresses and challenges that he faced every day. In the summer of 2003, Paul felt God’s call back to his first love—sacred music. “I was happy doing opera,” he noted, “but it did not satisfy my soul. It did not fulfill my passion for music.”
In the Columbia District VIM concert,” Saik says,”I will share a journey through my life—Opera, Broadway, and then back to sacred music. This is my testimony—God is still using me. The one thing I want people to know through my performance is that God Loves them unconditionally.”
Paul Saik is president of Saik Music, Inc., and Hannah Records, a Division of Saik Music. He has recently released two new albums, Live from Brentwood and Hymns of Inspiration. To listen to samples of his music, obtain further biographical information, or place an order you can go on-line to Saik’s website http://www.paulsaik.com/
College Prep 101 to offer vital information on choosing a college
First of four sessions in Tennessee Conference set for Oct. 28 at First UMC of Pulaski
PULASKI, Tenn. – United Methodist families throughout middle Tennessee who have questions about getting their children – and their finances – ready for college are invited to attend “College Prep 101,” a two-hour information session being offered four times over the next several months by Martin Methodist College and the Cal Turner, Jr. Center for Church Leadership.
The first session will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 28, at First United Methodist Church in Pulaski. Subsequent sessions will be held from 2-4 p.m. on: Sunday, Nov. 4, at First UMC in Mt. Pleasant; Sunday, Feb. 24, 2008, at Trinity UMC in Murfreesboro; and Sunday, April 13, 2008, at Christ UMC in Franklin.
The purpose of College Prep 101 is to equip youth of all ages and their parents as they prepare to go through the college selection process and to be a particularly key resource to those college-bound United Methodists in the Tennessee Conference.
Mary Noble Parrish, Martin Methodist College Director of Church Relations“We recognize there are many questions that must be answered in order for a high school senior to identify the perfect college,” said the Rev. Mary Noble Parrish, director of church relations for Martin Methodist College. “‘How much will college cost and what financial assistance is available?’ ‘How far from home do I wish to travel?’ ‘What major should I select?’
“As the college of the Tennessee Conference, we at Martin Methodist College extend ourselves as a resource to the youth from the churches of our conference as they make this important decision regarding their higher education,” she said.
Parrish points out, however, that this is not simply a recruiting effort for Martin Methodist, focusing solely on its campus and program.
“It will be beneficial to anyone in their college search,” she said.
Michael Kelley, director of admissions, said that the Martin Methodist College staff will bring plenty of experience to College Prep 101.
“Learn about the admissions process with the help of our admissions team, Kelley said. “With years of experience from our staff, you will feel confident about your future college plans. From the college visits to the application process to financial aid, come and learn at the College Prep 101 session.”
For more information, contact the Rev. Mary Noble Parrish at 931-363-9834 or 1-800-467-1273, ext. 3834, or e-mail her at mparrish@martinmethodist.edu
BIG Special Program Set for United Methodist Men Annual Meeting, Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
The United Methodist Men of the Tennessee Conference will hold their annual meeting on Saturday, November 3, 2007 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the new Tennessee Conference Office, located at 304 S. Perimeter Park Drive in Nashville. All men of the United Methodist Church are invited to come and enjoy this time of fellowship, special music, and outstanding speakers.
Refreshments will be served at 9 a.m. followed by the meeting. The agenda includes Big Brothers Big Sisters - Amachi program, Scouting, PK Adventure, and installation of 2008 Conference Officers. There is no registration fee to attend. The theme of the Annual Meeting will be "Men growing in Christ so others may know Christ." This meeting is designed to give you resources that will help your men's ministry grow and be mission minded as we seek together to be God's servant leaders.
Steve Robinson played in three different football Bowl games before his graduation from the University of Tennessee. Here he is seen with several of his grandchildren.Featured speaker will be Steve Robinson, Middle Tennessee Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Robinson was raised on a farm outside Franklin and attended Battle Ground Academy (BGA). He played football at the University of Tennessee and played in the Cotton, Gator and Sugar Bowls, graduating in 1971. Steve has been on staff with FCA for 34 years. He and his wife Karen live in the Bellevue area and have three grown daughters and six grandchildren. His hobbies include jogging, weight lifting, biking, hiking and camping.
Australian singer/evangelist Mike Rayson prayed a lot before accepting a call to be a missionary in the United States.Christian recording artist, composer, and musical storyteller Mike Rayson will provide special music and share his life story as well. He was born and raised in the Australian outback and attended schools so small they couldn’t afford adequate music programs. Much of his music instruction at school came over the telephone from a teacher hundreds of miles away. He ministered at several Australian churches as a young man and was fast rising to the top of Australia’s Christian music scene – when he felt God’s call into mission. As he mentally prepared himself for mission in Southeast Asia or Africa . . . any place where missionaries were desperately needed . . .it became obvious that he was being called into mission in the United States. This seemed so unlikely to him that he did some painful arguing with God, but God kept shoving, and those that have heard him speak and listened to him sing will rejoice at God’s perseverance.
Tennessee Conference Sponsors Faith and Immigration Forum
by Liz Shadbolt
As we enter the fray of the political season, one of the issues that elicits the most emotional and heated debate is immigration. On September 29, 30 people – both clergy and lay – gathered at Blakemore UMC for a forum on faith and immigration presented by the TN Conference. By laying aside divisive rhetoric, we were able to learn about the issue, to share our struggles and experiences, and to see where the church and we as individuals can advocate on the issue.
Emily Snyder and Steven Miles, co-founders of Strangers No Longer, led a theological reflection of our responsibility toward the immigrant
Two Vanderbilt University seminary students, Emily Snyder and Steven Miles, founders of Strangers No Longer, led us through a theological reflection to explore our concerns about immigrants and connect teachings from the Old and New Testaments.
Stephen Fotopulos, director of the TN Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, shared with us information on state and national bills pending before the legislature and how they would affect immigrants and our communities.
Stephen Fotopulos, director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, and Tom Negri, General Manager of Loew’s Vanderbilt Hotel, challenged participants with facts about immigrants—as opposed to currently popular assumptions.Tom Negri, general manager of Lowe’s Vanderbilt, shared information on the economic “pulls” experienced by immigrants and the effects on our state and national economy.
Finally, Jan Snider of Justice for Our Neighbors, gave a call for action in describing the efforts her organization is making to bring free immigration clinics to local churches with the help of UMCOR. The conversation ranged from efforts our congregations can take to welcome newcomers to putting faith into action by advocating with our congressional representatives.
Important Justice for Our Neighbors Informational Meeting October 23rd
Jan Snider (left), a producer for United Methodist Communications, filmed a story about the Justice for Our Neighbors program in Michigan. She was impressed enough with the possibilities of the program that she brought the idea back to Tennessee Conference United MethodistsUnited Methodists across the Tennessee Conference, particularly persons interested in/involved in ministry to immigrants, are invited to an informational meeting to learn more about the Justice for Our Neighbors program. The informational meeting will be held October 23rd from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. in room 318, West End United Methodist Church, 2200 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203.
Justice for Our Neighbors, according to its mission statement, "is a faith-driven ministry, welcoming immigrants into our churches and communities by providing free, high-quality immigration legal services, education, and advocacy." The ministry is part of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), the humanitarian aid and development agency of the United Methodist Church.
“Push Suhing” in Gulfport—Area Extended Cabinets Serve as VIM Volunteers
By the Dr. Ron Lowery, Cumberland District Superintendent
Part of the Tennessee Conference delegation gather: (left to right, back row) Jim Ricketts, Cumberland District Superintendent Ron Lowery, team leader Bob Snell, Conference Connectional Ministries Director Loyd Mabry, and Elba Dorris; (left to right, seated in front) Director of Administrative Services David Hawkins, Director of Miriam’s Promise Debbie Robinson, and Nashville District Superintendent John Collett. A Mabry photo.“Push suh” is the sound of a nail gun securing 6400 square feet of plywood to the second floor of a new dormitory at Nugent United Methodist Church in Gulfport, Mississippi. The operators of this awesome nail driving machine were John Collette, the Nashville District Superintendent, David Hawkins, the Tennessee Annual Conference Treasurer, Debbie “Snack Woman” Robinson, the Executive Director of Miriam’s Promise, myself, and several laymen from the Memphis Conference. This emerging facility will become a housing unit for future VIM teams.
Below us, Bishop Dick Wills and Loyd Mabry, the Director of Congregational Ministries, helped to build partitions for the first floor rooms. Sawdust flew through the air, sweet rain down our faces, and we met our goal. At the end of three days, the plywood was in place and the walls were installed. Then, we journeyed to two other sites.
The joint VIM team representing both the Tennessee and Memphis Conferences is pictured with Bishop Richard J. Wills, Jr. A Mabry photo.A team joined Elba Dorris, Jim Ricketts, and Bob Snell to complete a painting project at the regional UMCOR headquarters. A second team installed vinyl siding on a house. The house will soon become the home for a family of five. They have lived in a camper for two years. Their youngest son walked through every room of the newly constructed house. Then he went outside and felt the vinyl panels. He was excited to finally experience the reality of a house.
As always, the real value of our VIM project was not just in the intense labor. We also deepened our relationships with the Memphis Cabinet and made new relationships with another team of volunteers from Virginia. An additional blessing was the prayer and devotional experiences we shared.
Long term recovery along the Gulf will take a number of years. The Nashville area team helps put together a depot at Nugent United Methodist Church. The depot will house supplies and provide sleeping accommodations for work teams. The metal building can withstand winds up to 150 miles per hour. A Mabry photo.Bob Snell and Bill Carr from the Memphis Conference did outstanding work in coordinating the work project and in covering every detail. For the next decade others will need to repeat efforts like those of Bob and Bill. The United Methodists do not leave the damaged in perpetual distress. From September 25-29, our joint efforts made a significant contribution to the Lord’s kingdom in Mississippi and I hope will we continue our involvement in this devastated region. I urge others in our annual conference to have the “push suhing” experience.
Van Hook Hall at the Mississippi Conference’s Camp Seashore has been remodeled to provide office space for Mississippi United Methodist Katrina Response, Habitat for Humanity, and UMCOR A Mabry photo.
New Pastors Attend Connectional Ministries Orientation
Twenty-three new pastors attended The Tennessee Conference Connectional Ministries Orientation for New Pastors, Tennessee Conference Center, October 4, 2007. In alphabetical order they are: John Allen Berry, James Bittner, Clarence Cartwright, Jeff Cotterman, Stacey Cowan, Rob Dunbar, Tommy Flood, Jay Graham, John Hester, Bradford Holliman, Lori Holliman, Joshua Lee, Susan Madderom, William Moede, Heju Nam, Doug O’Rear, David Rash, Jeff Reynolds, Sandy Sakarapanee, Jerry Turner, Lynn Willis, William Wilson, and Ronald Wright.West End United Methodist Church organist Andrew Risinger premieres new organ in Schermerhorn Center
By Susan Harrell
Reprinted from the West End Report, September 7, 2007, and used here with permission.
September 8 was a big day for the Nashville music community and West End United Methodist Church. The Nashville Symphony, under the baton of Music Advisor Leonard Slatkin, hosted a gala concert to premiere their new Schoenstein and Co. organ with Andrew Risinger as the organ soloist. This was a fitting honor for a fine performer who has for years been the Symphony’s first-call organist. He was the only organist on the committee that selected and oversaw the building and installation of the organ in Laura Turner Concert Hall. Most of us have known Andrew as West End’s Organist and Associate Director of Music since 1995.
Andrew RisingerAndrew earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Baylor University in 1988 as a student of Joyce Jones. He also holds Master of Music degrees in organ performance and choral conducting from the University of Alabama. He was awarded second prize in the 1994 American Guild of Organists’ National Young Artists Competition in organ performance, and is a past winner of the William C. Hall Organ Competition in San Antonio. As a recitalist, he has performed throughout the United States and has also appeared as organ soloist with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and the Illinois Symphony Orchestra.
The search for the right organ led Andrew and the committee to Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Birmingham, England in 2002. The new 21,000-seat Mormon Conference Center in Salt Lake City boasts an organ built by Shoenstein and Co., a San Francisco company founded in 1877. Andrew was impressed by the scale of this organ and how its sound easily filled such a large space. The committee knew that if Schoenstein and Co. could build such a wonderful instrument for the Mormon Conference Center, they could also build one for the 1860-seat Laura Turner Concert Hall. Nashville is the first symphony hall to have a Schoenstein and Co. organ.
Once the organ builder had been selected, the real work began. The organ was constructed in San Francisco but lots of finish work remained after it was installed in its new home last August. It couldn’t be finished then because the dust literally needed to settle in Laura Turner Concert Hall. The organ needed time to adjust to the new environment and will continue to acclimate for the first few years. The tonal finishing of the organ involves the fine-tuning of its 3,600 pipes and adjusting them to fit the scale of the room. This is a long process that takes months of work by the expert craftsmen from Schoenstein and Co., and Andrew anticipated the tonal finishing would continue right up to the concert date.
Many West Enders have asked how the Schermerhorn Center organ compares to the organ at West End United Methodist Church. West End has a 1983 M.P. Moller organ, which is the largest organ in Middle Tennessee. It has 136 ranks, which is twice as many as the 64-rank Schoenstein. While that makes West End’s organ seem twice as powerful, it doesn’t really work that way. Andrew explains, “the way an organ functions depends on the room that it’s in.” Like a piano uses its soundboard for resonance and depth of color, an organ’s room acts as its soundboard. That means the pipes will sound differently depending on the room they are in, which is why the tonal finishing process is so critical.
The gala concert on September 8 featured numerous pieces selected to show the organ’s vast capabilities for expressiveness and dynamic range. The program began with the Toccata and Fugue in D minor by J. S. Bach, written in 1708. Andrew played alone on the Toccata, and the orchestra joined in with Leopold Stokowski’s arrangement of the Fugue, which is a very romantic interpretation of this ever-popular piece immortalized by the Disney film “Fantasia”. This was followed by Maurice Durufle’s Prelude and Fugue on the Name Alain. Written in 1942, this piece for organ solo was dedicated to the composer Jehan Alain, a personal friend of Durufle who died in World War II. Samuel Barber’s Toccata Festiva was hand-picked by Leonard Slatkin for this concert. It was first performed in 1960 for the premiere of the new Aeolian-Skinner organ at the Academy of Music by the Philadelphia Orchestra led by Eugene Ormandy. Following the intermission, Camille Saint-Saens’ Symphony in C minor comprised the second half of the program. It was commissioned in 1886 by the Royal Philarmonic Society in England and was dedicated to the composer’s friend Franz Liszt, who died later that year.
Congratulations to Andrew Risinger on his premiere performance of the new organ at the Schermerhorn Center. West End UMC is proud of you and feels lucky to have you at West End.
Twelve Times Group – New Group of Disciples, Bethpage United Methodist Church
By Hap Hewgley
The Rev. James R. “Hap” Hewgley
Last year at our church’s Charge Conference when we turned in the report on Lay Speakers, it struck me that we had exactly 12 from our church. That being a historically significant number in the Church, I kiddingly made a comment to our District Superintendent, Dr. Ron Lowery, that I had inherited from Rev. Mike Potts a new group of disciples. Of course, I was making a joke! However, God often takes jokes and turns them into ministries.
For the next several days, this vision of a group of people who were already qualified and approved to speak and preach in churches was on my mind. I kept thinking about how under-utilized and un-appreciated they had been in our conference. Having been introduced to small group ministries through Disciple Bible Studies, Covenant Disciple groups, being a part of the United Methodist Student Association at Vanderbilt Divinity School, and working as a mentor to both local pastors and candidates for ordination, I kept thinking about what might happen if we intentionally worked with the group and provided training and introduced them to outside resources to empower and equip them to be more effective in their ministries.
I had just done a similar thing at my former church, Greenbrier UMC, on a smaller scale as I helped Randy Mutter (Clarksville First’s pastor) and Todd Kelley (New Chapel’s associate pastor) transition from the laity into clergy. Having just had that experience, it knew what a commitment of time it would be. I would have to spend time with these twelve individuals. Hence the name of the group became TWELVE TIMES! The name represented the time that they would have to spend with me; and, also the magnifying and multiplying effect that would be experienced.
So, we began to meet one night a week as the TWELVE TIMES GROUP. Our first study was a series developed by Rev. Diana Dewitt (Hermitage UMC) while working on her Doctor of Ministry Degree. The study was on Pastoral Authority: the Biblical basis for authority in the church especially as that authority is placed in the hands of our ministers.
The focus is on
· the need for all of us to submit to authority in our lives especially in the church;
· the need for both laity and clergy to be held accountable and,
· the awesome responsibility carried by clergy to live with the heart and mind of Christ so that the authority placed in us as leaders and clergy will not be misused and end up hurting the church more than we could ever help.
The result of this study developed an appreciation for clergy, an appreciation for the Book of Discipline of the UM Church (having a written and published list of rules, beliefs, structure, and orderly way of effecting change in the leadership and clergy of our churches), and an awesome understanding of the responsibilities we all have (and how the church and God will hold us accountable).
Our next study was on the different methods for interpreting the Scriptures using Historical, Contextual, Literary, etc. This helped us to understand that there are many different ways to discern meaning from the Scriptures. Using these different ways or methods can help us to preach the gospel in ways that can reach people today. In addition, we looked at the different commentaries that are available to us and how reading those can help us in our preparation for preaching and Bible Studies. The group also looked at other resources such as the Bible Dictionaries and the Interpreter’s Bible series.
After improving our ability to better understand the Scriptures and learning how to use the resources of well respected Biblical scholars, we studied Homiletics and how to research and compose sermons in various styles. Delivery techniques were also studied.
After six months, the group and some other members of the church decided that we needed a lay-led Wednesday night service. So far, we have had several such services averaging around 60 in attendance and have had two people accept Christ.
Of the original twelve, we have two that are now serving churches as supply pastors.(one who plans to become a local pastor next year and one who plans to continue his seminary education which he had already started). We had one that was already a candidate on a track towards ordination. We have two more who plan to start on that track this year.
That is five out of the twelve so far. We have added three more to the group to replace the three that are graduating. The three that are graduating are now being invited to join the cluster group of local pastors that meet at Bethpage UMC.
God is working at our church and in northern Sumner County. We are so thankful that we are seeing such a fruitful harvest this fall. Praise God! The members of the Twelve Times group are Angie Davenport (candidate for deacon’s orders), Tommy Flood (now serving Mt. Olive UMC), Tim Parrish (now serving Clarksville First), Jenny Dittes (founder of Hope Clinic and Inquiring Candidate), Mike Sawyer (Wellspring of Life Ministries and Inquiring Candidate), Bill Johnson, Scott Workman, David Woodard, Mark Beeler, Bonnye Beeler, Gerald Johnson, and Debbie Sawyer. Since that time we have added Bo Johnson, J. D. Dittes, and Greg Crider. We have Matt Macon and Mark Menz who are enrolled in the event on Sept. 15th.
God is there for us to move forward and to help us step up to grow in our discipleship. How wonderful it is when we in church begin to help in discerning God’s calling people into ministry. If we are to start new churches and/or revitalize existing churches, we have to raise up new pastors and new lay leaders/speakers. When they step up, we need to empower them and then give them opportunities to serve. When we do, fruitful harvests will follow.
Gordonsville United Methodist Church celebrates Lucille Agee’s 90th Year as a Church Member
Mrs. Agee, her Son and Daughter-in-Law, Ivy C. Agee, Jr. and VirginiaGordonsville United Methodist Church recently recognized Lucille Agee with a signed proclamation from the members of the Church for being a member of the local church for 90 years.
Miss Lucille who celebrated her 100th Birthday on January 26 of this year, has been an active member in the Church, holding offices and serving in different capacities through the years. She was saved and professed faith at the age of 10 and united and became a member of the Gordonsville United Methodist Church on August 30, 1917. The certificate given to her reads:
Gordonsville United Methodist Church
Whereas, Lucille Gwaltney Agee at the young age of 10 was saved and professed faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And furthermore, Lucille Agee chose to become a member of the Gordonsville United Methodist Church on August 30, 1917 and has remained a loyal member since then.
The Gordonsville United Methodist Church congratulates and recognizes Lucille Agee for her 90 years of membership at this Church and her faithful and loyal allegiance, participation and service to this Church and her Lord and Savior.
posted by TN Conference UMC @ 8:13 AM
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