TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW May 30, 2008
Articles in this issue of THE REVIEW
1. 2008 Annual Conference Mission Offering goes to Nothing But Nets
2. Something Old and Something New --VIM trip to Cuba.”
3. Retired minister visits Martin College roommate on VIM trip to Cuba
4. Longtime Methodist minister to retire in June, article on Dr. Howard Olds reprinted from The Tennessean with permission.
5. Shirley Majors-Jones, Eddie Jones honored for service to Community Care Fellowship, Nancy Webb Kelly UMC
6. A History of Beersheba Springs Hotel and Assembly, Part III
7. Marching to Zion . McKendree Village resident reflects on the importance of hymns in his life.
8. Module I Workshop Provides framework for equipping new Christian leaders
9. Olds, Turner team up for ‘Led to Follow’, article on new book. Reprinted from The Tennessean with permission.
10. Russian sociology professor interested in southern culture, habits – Tennessee writer and newsman Jim Bridges is interviewed on southern culture by professor from Russia. _____________________________
April 2008 Team, Front row l to r: in Wheel Chair, Daliene Burke (Gallatin First), Kay Brainerd (Hendersonville First), Rev. Fred Harper ( Slater's Chapel), Skip Malone (West End), Steven Kohl (McKendree; Back Row l to r: Tom Maxwell (Rehoboth), Jerry Sampley (Livingston), Rev. Larry Burke (Gallatin First), Booty Reed (Dickson First), Howie Brainerd (Hendersonville First); Not shown: Paula Morgan (Michigan Conference); Rev. Kristin Holbrook (Virginia Conference)
Tennessee Conference Volunteer’s in Mission had the opportunity once
again to be part of history. A twelve member team left for Havana, Cuba on April 17th for thirteen days of work and worship with its brother’s and sister’s in Christ.
Something Old?
Many years ago, a very old building was taken away from the church by the government. At one time it was a home and school for orphaned children and service to the community. It is located in one of the poorest areas in Havana.
Something New?
The Government has recently returned it to the church, knowing it is to be turned into a brand new Methodist Seminary. It will house students and their families as well as professors. The team worked with the Cuban people doing a variety of work in the class and residence areas. There is much to be accomplished but with prayers and sweat the projected opening is this Fall Semester.
.jpg)
Oh for a sander! Kay scraping the old paint, sanding, mudding, sanding again.
Along with our full days of work schedule there were opportunities to worship and fellowship at four of the United Methodist Churches. The church in Cuba has a great challenge as they profess their faith but they are on fire for the Lord. They hold on to their hope of victory in their faith.
While the jobs were strenuous at times, and the opportunity to preach and anoint were a blessing, the team had some sightseeing experiences as well.
Juan, our Cuban foreman and Tom. Tea Party?--NO, Coffee. Working and sharing the culture.
A request was made by the Bishop of Cuba to bring a wheel chair if possible. We give thanks on behalf of the church and our team for McKendree Village’s donation of a wheel chair to meet the Bishop’s request. The chair was to go to a young man, in great need.
Looking out our break room window down onto the road.
Bishop and Ellen Holliman
It was Fred Waring, a big-band leader in the days when radio was king, who said, “The old songs are the best or they wouldn’t have lived to become old.” So come with me one more time for a stroll down memory lane for a visit with three old hymns that have played a big role in my quest for “Higher Ground.” Songs I still remember when and where I first heard them, and whose message resonates with me to this day.
Our first stop is in Memphis, Tennessee, the week after Christmas in 1935. Young Methodists from all over the South gathered for five days to hear the giants of Methodism proclaim the faith. I stayed at the famous Peabody Hotel, and I still remember how dazzled I was by the tall, lighted Christmas tree that stood in the lobby.
One of our speakers was the noted Japanese Christian, Kagawa, who ranked high in Methodist circles at the time. The theme song for this youth conference had not yet made its way into our old Cokesbury song book, but it was one that would become a classic: ARE YE ABLE We sang it every day, and we still sing it with gusto! It’s an “old” hymn now, but its message is always new and challenging.
Now, it’s five years later, 1941, and I’m at Lake Junaluska at another youth meeting. I am now 20 years old and have three years of college behind me. War drums are being heard throughout the land and much of our attention is focused on world peace. But before the year is out, this rose-colored summer of my youth will be just a memory, as I will be waging war instead of peace.
But sustaining us that summer at the Lake was a new hymn that many of us were hearing for the first time: GOD OF GRACE AND GOD OF GLORY, ON THY PEOPLE POUR THY POWER. What a powerful message those words conveyed, and they gave us young folks hope and encouragement that our “warring madness” could still be cured. It would be alright with me if we sang that song every Sunday.
It’s now two years past that golden summer of 1941, and I’m on a U.S. Naval vessel, heading for New York after taking part in the invasion of Sicily in WWII. It’s a bright Sunday morning and we’re still several days from home. Our ship doesn’t carry a chaplain so one of our officers conducts a Protestant service, the first semblance of worship we’ve heard since the Captain’s prayer the night of the invasion.
Ordinarily, sailors are not given to reciting prayers and singing hymns, but this Sunday morning was different. We had escaped unscathed enemy bombs and U-boats and we were thankful. The hymn we sang was one that was new to most of us, but yet was a very old one, and would become an American anthem: AMAZING GRACE. It was the third verse that touched our hearts and brought tears to some eyes: “Through many dangers, Toils and Snares, I have Already Come, ‘Tis Grace Hath Brought Me Safe Thus Far, And Grace Will Lead Me Home.”
That’s a time and place—and a song—you never forget, no matter how old you are.
Yes, we Methodist love to sing, and we can thank John and Charles Wesley, Fanny Crosby and all the other saints who’ve inspired us to stay the course in our march to ZION.
Module I Workshop Provides framework for equipping new Christian leaders
“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.”
The Hispanic/Latino Academy’s vision is to ‘Equip a new generation of Christian leaders to make disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world.” One of the ways of fulfilling the vision was to offer the Annual Conference’s first Module I Workshop on March 28 & 29 designed by the National Plan for Hispanic Ministry to prepare Christian leaders to make disciples in the Hispanic context. This workshop brings together a study of the biblical understandings of the mission and ministry of the church with the practice of ministry in the context and reality of the Hispanic community. It also provides a framework for equipping and forming new Christian leaders.
The training included three components leading to a conscious way of being in mission and ministry:
1. To see and observe the condition of the community’s life, the human being as a person, and the ministry and role of the church, with the eyes of God;
2. To discern and analyze the condition of life and ministry, with God’s understanding; and
3. To act through a new commitment in our individual life and our life together, in the transforming manner that God’s acts.
The purpose of the Module I training events is to broaden the human and missional vision of the church and to expand the knowledge and pastoral skills of lay missioners and pastors in order to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Module I participants
At the end of the workshop the participants were invited to renew their commitment to God, and to serve the community. Mario shared his commitment to God “…To love him, obey him, and fulfill his will.” And his commitment to the community was “… to minister to the needy.”
Janet shared her commitment to “serve God by sharing with my neighbors the good news of God’s Word”. Her commitment to the community is to “share the love of God with others and to help with the different needs of the people.”
Laura shared her commitment to God “…to continue working for the advancement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ! We are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ and we should continue to be channels of blessings to the communities around us.”
The Hispanic /Latino Academy has also announced the Fall schedule which is to offer the Modulo II Training, Women’s Spiritual Retreat II, High School Student College Campus visit, the on-going Tennessee Hispanic Incubator, and the Lay Speaking Course in Spanish.
Olds, Turner team up for ‘Led to Follow’
By Charles Booth
Staff Writer
From the Brentwood Journal, page one, Wednesday, March 26, 2008, published as a supplement to The Tennessean. Article reprinted here by permission of The Tennessean
BRENTWOOD—A few weeks ago, former Dollar General Corp. CEO Cal Turner Jr. was in Manhattan, and he had to make a quick phone call.
Someone in Tennessee wanted to talk to him about his friend and pastor, Howard Olds.
“Just because it’s Howard Olds, I’d call you from anywhere,” he said.
Turner, a longtime member of Brentwood United Methodist Church, developed a stronger bond with his pastor after the two men collaborated on a recent project. Turner and Olds spent the last several months co-writing a new book, Led to Follow: Leadership Lessons From an Improbable Pastor and a Reluctant CEO (Abingdon Press, 2008, $15), which comes out this spring.
“We were approached by Abingdon about writing a book that connects the business world and the church world together. They thought this was a good concept to have a pastor and CEO joining together and talk about their leadership ventures.
“It’s not a how-to-book,” Olds said. “It’s a book of stories and vignettes and episodes out of our personal lives.”
Among those endorsing the book are financial author, radio and TV host Dave Ramsey and James Hudnut-Beumler, dean of Vanderbilt Divinity School. It will go on sale after a launch party at 4 p.m. Sunday in BUMC’s Haney Hall.
“It was enjoyable. It was new for me, particularly doing something as a co-author,” said Olds, who has authored two other books, Faith Breaks: Thoughts on Making it a Great Day and Laughing and Crying Your Way Through Cancer. “It turned out great and I feel good about the accomplishment, about where we landed in the process. I think it was a good experience for us both. We learned a lot about each other.”
Turner agreed, saying he has a deeper relationship with Olds since their collaboration.
Turner, a Brentwood resident, is chairman of the Cal Turner Family Foundation. Deeply committed to theological education, he supports programs at Duke and Vanderbilt universities, including the Cal Turner Program for Moral Leadership in the Professions at Vanderbilt.
Russian sociology professor interested in southern culture, habits
By Jim Bridges
Review Contributor
While reading The Tennessean in mid-March I saw an article on Vladimir Ilin, a sociology professor from St. Petersburg, Russia. He is in the United States researching southern culture and consumer habits and is making his base at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro. Anyone interested in participating was asked to contact him so I sent a message with biographical information on Nancy and me including our participation in the music ministry of Crossville First United Methodist Church. He sent a message saying he wanted to come interview us, meet as many people as possible, tour Crossville and visit our church.
Shown in front of the pipe organ following hand bell rehearsal are (from left) Bob Brown, Director of Music Ministries; Jim Bridges, Marina, Vladimir and (front) Nancy Bridges
Vladimir and his wife Marina drove up on a Monday morning. Following lunch at our home he conducted his interview. Nancy had hand bell rehearsal late that afternoon so we took them to the church. They were familiar with church bells but had never heard hand bells and were fascinated by the ringers and all the things they do with the bells. Nancy and I sing in the community chorus and they wanted to attend that rehearsal too. Crossville FUMC has made their facilities available to the chorus for rehearsals, concerts and music library for many years. Crossville FUMC is a much-used church and has several ministries for all ages including Childcare Programs for toddlers through sixth grade, a thriving Youth Ministry with a strong emphasis on mentoring and giving back to the community, Music Ministries for all ages including Children's Choir and Hand Bells, Youth and Adult Choirs and Praise Bands, Wednesday Night Live that offers classes and activities in Christian Education for ages Preschool through Adult, Missions, the United Methodist Men and Women to mention but a few. The church also hosts Community Outreach events including the upcoming Beth Moore simulcast, the Lost Boys of Sudan, Bubba Fest with special speakers and fellowship for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, Spiritfest - a Halloween alternative festival and Breakfast with Santa.
We had a wonderful two days with Vladimir and Marina, a delightful couple. We invited them to come back this summer. They came to the United States in January and will return to St. Petersburg in October where she is an editor at the Kunstkamera Museum of Anthropology. While he is doing his research she is a visiting professor teaching a course on Russian language at MTSU.
1. 2008 Annual Conference Mission Offering goes to Nothing But Nets
2. Something Old and Something New --VIM trip to Cuba.”
3. Retired minister visits Martin College roommate on VIM trip to Cuba
4. Longtime Methodist minister to retire in June, article on Dr. Howard Olds reprinted from The Tennessean with permission.
5. Shirley Majors-Jones, Eddie Jones honored for service to Community Care Fellowship, Nancy Webb Kelly UMC
6. A History of Beersheba Springs Hotel and Assembly, Part III
7. Marching to Zion . McKendree Village resident reflects on the importance of hymns in his life.
8. Module I Workshop Provides framework for equipping new Christian leaders
9. Olds, Turner team up for ‘Led to Follow’, article on new book. Reprinted from The Tennessean with permission.
10. Russian sociology professor interested in southern culture, habits – Tennessee writer and newsman Jim Bridges is interviewed on southern culture by professor from Russia. _____________________________
2008 Annual Conference Mission Offering will go to Nothing But Nets
The members of Tennessee Annual Conference churches and delegates to the 2008 session of Annual Conference will be working to help solve a global health crisis. The special offering to be taken on Sunday, June 8th will go to the international Nothing But Nets campaign designed to help prevent malaria. The offering will also serve as a fitting memorial to two conference leaders who died since the last conference session – David Hawkins from the Tennessee Conference, and Mickey Carpenter from our sister geographic area, The Memphis Conference.
Every 30 seconds, a child in Africa dies of malaria
Nothing But Nets, Advance Special #982015, is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Inspired by Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly, thousands of people have joined the campaign that was created by the United Nations Foundation.
Founding campaign partners include the National Basketball Association's NBA Cares,The People of the United Methodist Church, and Sports Illustrated. Other partners include VH1, the Mark J.Gordon Foundation,AOL Black Voices, Rotarians' Action Group on Malaria, the Wasserman Foundation, and Major League Soccer's MLS W.O.R.K.S.
Malaria is preventable, but infects nearly 500 million people each year and kills more than one million of those who become infected. Ninety percent of deaths caused by malaria occur in Africa where the disease is a leading killer of children. Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria. Children who are able to survive the disease are faced with physical and mental impairments, such as poor growth and development.
Moreover, every day 25 million pregnant African women risk severe illness and harm to their unborn children from a malaria infection. Malaria contributes to low birth weight among newborn infants, one of the leading risk factors for infant mortality.
Malaria incapacitates people and keeps them from working while they recover or take care of sick children. Malaria keeps countries poor. In addition to the burden on the health system, malaria illness and death cost Africa $12 billion a year in lost productivity.
VIM Cuba, April 17-30, 2008, Something Old and Something New
By Larry Burke*
The members of Tennessee Annual Conference churches and delegates to the 2008 session of Annual Conference will be working to help solve a global health crisis. The special offering to be taken on Sunday, June 8th will go to the international Nothing But Nets campaign designed to help prevent malaria. The offering will also serve as a fitting memorial to two conference leaders who died since the last conference session – David Hawkins from the Tennessee Conference, and Mickey Carpenter from our sister geographic area, The Memphis Conference.
Every 30 seconds, a child in Africa dies of malariaNothing But Nets, Advance Special #982015, is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Inspired by Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly, thousands of people have joined the campaign that was created by the United Nations Foundation.
Founding campaign partners include the National Basketball Association's NBA Cares,The People of the United Methodist Church, and Sports Illustrated. Other partners include VH1, the Mark J.Gordon Foundation,AOL Black Voices, Rotarians' Action Group on Malaria, the Wasserman Foundation, and Major League Soccer's MLS W.O.R.K.S.
Malaria is preventable, but infects nearly 500 million people each year and kills more than one million of those who become infected. Ninety percent of deaths caused by malaria occur in Africa where the disease is a leading killer of children. Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria. Children who are able to survive the disease are faced with physical and mental impairments, such as poor growth and development.
Moreover, every day 25 million pregnant African women risk severe illness and harm to their unborn children from a malaria infection. Malaria contributes to low birth weight among newborn infants, one of the leading risk factors for infant mortality.
Malaria incapacitates people and keeps them from working while they recover or take care of sick children. Malaria keeps countries poor. In addition to the burden on the health system, malaria illness and death cost Africa $12 billion a year in lost productivity.
VIM Cuba, April 17-30, 2008, Something Old and Something New
By Larry Burke*
April 2008 Team, Front row l to r: in Wheel Chair, Daliene Burke (Gallatin First), Kay Brainerd (Hendersonville First), Rev. Fred Harper ( Slater's Chapel), Skip Malone (West End), Steven Kohl (McKendree; Back Row l to r: Tom Maxwell (Rehoboth), Jerry Sampley (Livingston), Rev. Larry Burke (Gallatin First), Booty Reed (Dickson First), Howie Brainerd (Hendersonville First); Not shown: Paula Morgan (Michigan Conference); Rev. Kristin Holbrook (Virginia Conference)Tennessee Conference Volunteer’s in Mission had the opportunity once
again to be part of history. A twelve member team left for Havana, Cuba on April 17th for thirteen days of work and worship with its brother’s and sister’s in Christ.
Something Old?
Many years ago, a very old building was taken away from the church by the government. At one time it was a home and school for orphaned children and service to the community. It is located in one of the poorest areas in Havana.
Something New?
The Government has recently returned it to the church, knowing it is to be turned into a brand new Methodist Seminary. It will house students and their families as well as professors. The team worked with the Cuban people doing a variety of work in the class and residence areas. There is much to be accomplished but with prayers and sweat the projected opening is this Fall Semester.
.jpg)
Oh for a sander! Kay scraping the old paint, sanding, mudding, sanding again.
Along with our full days of work schedule there were opportunities to worship and fellowship at four of the United Methodist Churches. The church in Cuba has a great challenge as they profess their faith but they are on fire for the Lord. They hold on to their hope of victory in their faith.
While the jobs were strenuous at times, and the opportunity to preach and anoint were a blessing, the team had some sightseeing experiences as well.
Juan, our Cuban foreman and Tom. Tea Party?--NO, Coffee. Working and sharing the culture.
A request was made by the Bishop of Cuba to bring a wheel chair if possible. We give thanks on behalf of the church and our team for McKendree Village’s donation of a wheel chair to meet the Bishop’s request. The chair was to go to a young man, in great need.
Opportunity to preach, Larry Burke.
Rev. Phil Ross from Bethlehem Church in Franklin, TN is leading another VIM team in July to work on the seminary. It will be good to hear about the progress of the work being done upon their return. Keep them in your prayers.
Rev. Phil Ross from Bethlehem Church in Franklin, TN is leading another VIM team in July to work on the seminary. It will be good to hear about the progress of the work being done upon their return. Keep them in your prayers.
Looking out our break room window down onto the road.
*Booty and Steve tearing down the 12' cement ceilings.*100_1246
Daliene "Our last coat of paint and this bathroom is done!"
*Larry Burke is a retired Tennessee Conference pastor
Retired minister visits Martin College roommate on VIM trip to Cuba
Shared by Patty Sue Harper
The Rev. Fred Harper had a very unique experience when he served as a memb er of the Volunteers in Mission Team to Havana, Cuba, April 18-30, 2008. He had the opportunity to see his Martin College roommate, Pedro Pablo Soto, who lives only 12 minutes from the team’s lodging site, The Methodist Center.
Soto and Harper had not seen one another since graduation 57 years ago although both men had the life-long dream that they would have a chance to see each other again and renew their friendship.
Though Pedro Soto does not have a car, he arranged to be with Fred on three occasions, coordinating the visits with the team’s schedule. A very special time for both of them was April 22nd, Pedro’s 77th birthday, when Fred was able to join the Soto family at home for the big celebration. Pedro also enjoyed the many birthday cards, letters, pictures, and gifts which Fred brought from fellow Martin classmates.
The picture of Fred and Pedro was made at the University Church (next to the team’s lodging place). On the sign, and also on a plaque on the church, honor is given to Pedro’s father, the Rev. Miguel Soto, for his outstanding work at a Methodist minister, particularly during the time of the Revolution. On Sunday morning, April 20, when Fred attended morning worship at the church there were 863 in attendance for the 3+ hour morning service. Many were standing in the church, on the steps—overflowing the sanctuary . Fred was greatly impressed by the enthusiasm of the worshippers, the number of young persons participating, and their apparent commitment to God.
Longtime Methodist minister to retire in June
Olds’ fight for life continues after tough decision
By Charles Booth
Staff Writer
From the Brentwood Journal, page one, Wednesday, March 26, 2008, published as a supplement to The Tennessean. Article reprinted here by permission of The Tennessean.
The Rev. Howard Olds
Brentwood—The death came as a shock for the small farming community.
When a respected neighbor and faithful member of the church was killed in a farming accident, the community turned to the church. But the new pastor was still just a kid—an 18-year-old named Howard Olds. The year was 1964
“Talk about on-the-job training,” said Olds, who recently announced his retirement in June as senior pastor of Brentwood United Methodist Church, one of the largest Methodist churches in the nation. “I never had a course on theology, never read a book on pastoral care. I was thrust in the middle of learning how to do it as you went, and I’ve been doing that ever since.”
During those early days in rural northern Kentucky, Olds fielded unanswerable questions about mortality. In the 44 years that followed, the questions never went away.
“In my business you deal with death a lot,” a much older 62-year-old Howard Olds said earlier this month, sitting in a conference room outside his office with dirt on his shoes. He had stepped in a patch of mud that morning at a cemetery, and as he wiped it off, he said, “It’s different when it’s your death. You deal with your own mortality. You deal with your own limitations.”
Olds, recognized by his white hair—or lack of it, depending upon his chemo schedule—is about to make a life change of his own. He recently made public what he calls the most difficult decision of his life: his retirement.
He always felt a calling
As a boy, Olds spent much of his free time in church, daydreaming about someday standing at the pulpit.
“I wanted to be a minister even in childhood and early adolescence,” he said. “The church was a place of acceptance and belonging for me as a child and youth, so by the time I was a senior in high school, I knew this was the calling of my life and I needed to pursue it.”
He went to college to become a preacher, but after only a year of school, he took a post as pastor of two small churches. They had only about 15 members, he said.
“It was the big time for me,” he said. “The people were very gracious and very accepting and very affirming.”
After becoming ordained as a full-time pastor, Olds served in United Methodist churches in Kentucky , between Lexington and Louisville. He gained a reputation as a passionate preacher and a strong pastor and earned a doctorate from Lexington Theological Seminary along the way.
Path slowed by cancer
Over the years, his early daydreams became a richer reality than he could have then imagined. But then 11 years ago he became sick. Olds was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the same form of cancer that killed his father.
“I’ve battled with it for 11 years, and we had different periods of remission, but the last remission was a year ago,” he said. “We got it in remission again, but then last summer I came down with colon cancer, totally unrelated.”
Olds’ mother, as it turns out, died of colon cancer.
“The long and short is I got an inheritance I didn’t want to have,” he said.
“It’s just really a bum rap. The problem is we haven’t been able to get the colon cancer in remission. I’m still on chemo, still treating it, but it’s spreading.
Those questions of mortality, first asked of him many years ago, now preoccupy him.
“My relationship with God is much deeper than it ever was before. I don’t have the answers, but I’ve learned to live with the questions.”
As his battle with cancer raged, he began changing. Family and friends became more important. Life became more about the moment than the past and the future. The man born with a desire to preach incorporated these new thoughts into his sermons.
Members of his church, such as former Dollar General Corp. CEO Cal Turner Jr., noticed the shift.
“Howard’s preaching has gotten much deeper as he has wrestled with his own sense of finality,” Turner said. “He has incredible depth as a minister, and he’s a real person, he connects with the real world. He has particularly connected well through the pain of his cancer.”
Olds attributes this change to the lessons he’s learned through his pain. Suffering, he said, can be a teacher.
“You can turn bitter with it. People do turn bitter,” he said. “It will make you better or it will make you bitter. You won’t stay the same person.”
Job likened to CEO
At the beginning of his long fight with cancer, Olds visited Tennessee. Brentwood United Methodist Church had an opening for a senior pastor and Olds was invited to meet the staff.
Church member Teresa Miller, today president of the Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber of Commerce, said he was recruited specifically for the job.
“I think often we fail to recognize that ministers are CEOs. That was a CEO search,” she said. “Indeed, Dr. Olds was highly recruited. We brought in a great candidate.’
Olds and the church staff connected during the meeting, and this son of a farmer moved to Brentwood in 2000 to lead a 6,800-person congregation. Several years ago he began doing Faith Breaks, minute-long radio and TV spots broadcast ib WSUX-FN and WSMV-TV that introduced him to a greater audience.
A national search is under way by the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church to find his replacement.
“Dr. Olds is a larger-than-life figure,” Miller said. “He is a big man, with his booming, strong voice. He can deliver a sermon without ever looking at one note. He has such passion—and a little bit of drama—which makes the whole delivery of his sermon mesmerizing.”
In addition, Miller said, he has been one of the church’s most successful “CEOs.”
“It’s a big church. There are many people on staff,” she said. “In being the CEO of that church, he’s led a team of employees.”
Olds doesn’t see himself this way. He says he regrets not being more involved in Brentwood community. Though he is an active member of the local chamber, his battle with cancer limited his agenda primarily to church, to family and to treatment at Vanderbilt Medical Center.
“You want to make the community better,” he said. “You get the benefit of being a tax-free agency in the community, (so) you owe the community something to make it better.”
Olds and his wife of 43 years, Sandy, plan to stay in this community after he retires. His friend and colleague Mike Glenn, Brentwood Baptist Church’s pastor, said the city is a better place because of Olds.
“He’s a very gifted and committed pastor. Brentwood United Methodist has been a very involved church, but when he came, he really galvanized to a real intense vision of who they could be and what they could do,” Glenn said.
Personality praised
For several years, the two churches and several others came together to host joint community Thanksgiving services. Glenn remembers how easy it was to joke and talk with Olds. He, like many people, is not looking forward to Olds’ retirement.
“It’s not going to be as funny,” he said. “He had a real strong wit. He’s a funny guy. We’re probably not going to laugh as much without him being around. I think it’s going to be hard to replace somebody with that big of a heart.”
Perhaps no one is dreading this retirement more than Olds himself. He knows his health will keep him from fully functioning as a senior pastor, but he said he’s still not ready to leave.
“It was the most difficult decision I ever made in my lifetime. I love doing what I’m doing. I love this congregation. It’s been a blessing to be here.”
Olds paused a moment. He then nodded his head and said, “I’m at peace with it. It was the right thing to do.”
Note: See also “Olds, Turner team up for ‘Led to Follow’”
Shirley Majors-Jones, Eddie Jones honored for service to Community Care Fellowship, Nancy Webb Kelly UMC
B y Jerry Hilton
Shirley Majors-Jones and Eddie Jones wait for the festivities to begin.
On Sunday May 4, 2008 at 2:00 P.M. more than one hundred and fifty people crowded the sanctuary of Nancy Webb Kelly United Methodist Church to pay their respects to, and thank the Rev. Shirley Majors-Jones and husband Eddie Jones for their thirteen years of service to Community Care Fellowship and Nancy Webb Kelly UMC. Following the program a reception was held in which over one hundred and seventy-five people enjoyed the refreshments and spent time visiting with Shirley and Eddie.
Early in 2008 the Board of Directors of Community Care Fellowship (CCF) and the Christian Education Committee of Nancy Webb Kelly UMC (NWK) began to plan the celebration which was designed to honor and highlight the faithful service Shirley had provided for both the homeless guests at CCF and the members of the NWK congregation.
The Nancy Webb Kelly choir celebrated Shirley’s ministry
As honored guests Shirley and Eddie listened as speakers recounted the many positive contributions the couple had made to the ministry of CCF and NWK. Each speaker represented a different perspective of the multifaceted responsibilities required by the ministry of these two units. Pat Freudenthal, Executive Director of CCF and Pastor of NWK, was emcee for the celebration and kept the program moving. John Collett, District Superintendent of the Nashville District, spoke in terms of the importance of the ministry to the Nashville Community. Ken Evans represented the Board of Directors of CCF, Isaac Owens represented the guests who come to CCF; Maurice White spoke on behalf of the staff members at CCF; Cheryl Woodard represented the views of members of NWK Church and Jerry Hilton, Randy Hearon and Toi King gave a short history of Shirley’s thirteen years of service.
Young and old were there to wish Shirley and Eddie well as the couple moves to a new ministerial opportunity
Quatrece McKinney, Music Director at NWK, helped the NWK Choir and NWK Dance Team to brighten the celebration to the delight of Shirley and Eddie.
The reception following the program was held in the “great room” of the CCF building and was a great time of feasting, visiting and celebrating.
During the planning it was decided that there would be three ways for people to express their appreciation to Shirley: (1) A money tree for gifts directly to her. (2) Gifts to CCF budget in her honor. (At this writing $5,325.00 has been given). (3) A framed picture of the NWK and CCF buildings with a large matting to provide for signatures and words of appreciation. The members of Nancy Webb Kelly also presented a plaque expressing their loving appreciation for Shirley’s leadership.
There were a large number of people who helped to make the day a big success, but there are a few who need a special word of thanks. Tracee Gaddy, Bettie Tate, Toi King and Jackie Woodard-Patrick were responsible for the decorations. Pat Charron and Sarah Gossard made sure there was plenty of food. Lucy Johnson, Tracee Gaddy, Kim Jackson, Laila Click, Judi Medford and Monk Baird made sure the refreshments were served properly.
Part III
A History of Beersheba Springs Hotel and Assembly
By Ann Troutt
Proper dress was important during the early days of Assembly events. Youth campers were permitted to wear shorts during the daytime but for evening activities they were expected to “dress appropriately.” For most evening programs girls donned skirts and blouses or dresses and boys wore sport shirts and long pants. They were allowed to dress more casually, however, when a campfire was held. It was often suggested that people coming for a weekend retreat plan to dress for the Sunday service in the chapel as they would dress for church at home. Dresses or suits with high-heeled shoes were usually worn by the ladies and suits or sport coats and slacks were worn by the men. Men who attended the weeklong Pastors’ School wore white dress shirts with ties and dress pants every day, and some wore suits. Although there were few female ministers in the Methodist Church in those days, those who attended Pastors’ School also wore their Sunday best.
The Methodists of the Tennessee Conference brought many changes to the resort as they sought to update the facilities. In 1943 electricity was extended to remaining buildings. Light for each sleeping room was provided by a single bulb hanging from a cord extended from the center of the ceiling. In 1944 kitchen equipment was upgraded and electric refrigerators replaced iceboxes. In the early years of the Assembly the water system was dependant upon rainwater drained from the roofs and stored in cisterns. During periods of little rain the manager had to remind campers not to flush the toilets very often because the water in the cisterns was low. Occasionally water was hauled from McMinnville to fill the cisterns. Later, wells were dug to provide better sources of water. Additional bathrooms were built and electric pumps and water heaters were installed. In 1946 an upstairs porch was added to the back of the hotel, improving fire safety and increasing accommodations by dividing the two-room suites into separate rooms with each room opening onto a front or back porch. The wood frame kitchen was torn down in 1950 and replaced with a more fire-resistant concrete block structure. In 1952 modern telephone service became available. A row of concrete block rooms was built between Log Row and Upper Neal in 1955 and the structure was named Lower Neal. In 1958 major renovation of the hotel was completed. It included a new concrete foundation, new floor joists, flooring and ceilings throughout the first floor, and new paneled walls and gas heat in the lobby.
Other changes took place at the Assembly as Methodists sought to make the place more functional for worship and fellowship. In 1944 Grace Chapel, a nearby community church, was deeded to The Methodist Church. A parsonage was constructed on Assembly property and the minister in residence was available to conduct communion services and perform other clergy functions for Assembly programs. Walkways inside the quadrangle were repaired and the roofed sections became favorite spots for adults to enjoy conversation while children played in the courtyard. In 1945 a stone observatory was built in front of the hotel to replace the decaying wood structure overlooking Collins River Valley. The observatory became a favorite site for morning watch, a brief devotional time to begin each day’s activities, and it served throughout the day as a place of reflection and appreciation of nature’s beauty. Also in 1945 the front porch of the hotel was refloored over a new foundation and three sets of native stone steps were built. The porch was a popular gathering place where people enjoyed rocking and conversing. In 1946 croquet and shuffleboard courts were constructed and a concrete play area called “the slab” was built for tennis, folk games and other activities. The chapel was completed in 1949 and it became a hallowed place of indoor worship for Assembly events. Organ music broadcast through amplifiers mounted atop the chapel brought an aura of reverence to the entire Assembly area during designated quiet times. In 1982 the amplifiers were replaced with a steeple erected in honor of Jim Bell, past Tennessee Conference Lay Leader.
Large numbers of people continued to attend events during the summers of the 1960s and 70s and several improvements were made to the property. The creation of a water utility district on the mountain brought a dependable source of water in 1964; wells and cisterns became obsolete. (One cistern remains on display between the hotel and the chapel.) Also in 1964 a roof was built over the slab, or tennis court, and the open-air structure became “the pavilion.” It was used for basketball, folk games and other recreational activities, and for worship services and classes. In 1969 the winterizing of 22 sleeping rooms, rest rooms, classrooms, the kitchen, the dining room and the chapel enabled small groups to use the facilities during the spring and fall. However, all buildings continued to be closed each winter and, prior to closing, water pipes were drained to prevent freezing. In 1975 a cottage on the south side of the property known as Hopper House (since removed) was converted into a winterized retreat site. It contained a kitchen, a meeting area and sleeping quarters for 36 persons.
Camping and outdoor recreation became a nationwide rage in the 1970s. In 1974 the State of Tennessee established the Savage Gulf State Natural Area with locations for backpacking, hiking, rock climbing, rappelling, and picnicking. Beersheba Springs Assembly became a home base for nature lovers who came to access the Gulf using the nearby Stone Door entrance. In 1978 the Assembly developed a campground for tent and trailer camping. It had 24 campsites, a bathhouse and a picnic shelter. (The bathhouse and picnic shelter remain.)
The latter part of the twentieth century became a period of assessment and redirection for Beersheba Springs Assembly. Attendance at events had begun to decline and several previously hosted church groups were holding their retreats at other sites. Common complaints were that buildings were out-dated, most of them were not air-conditioned, and bedrooms did not have adjoining baths. Income was decreasing and the deteriorating buildings were expensive to maintain. Concerned individuals and various committees began exploring options for the future of the Assembly. A series of open meetings held across the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church during 1986 resulted in much opposition to selling the Beersheba property. Church leaders were then faced with the challenge of finding the funds to renovate and modernize the facility, turning it into an attractive, comfortable retreat center that could be used year-round. Hiring a full-time manager to live at the Assembly and oversee its maintenance was the first step undertaken in 1991. The manager’s initial residence was the former Grace Chapel parsonage (since demolished). Interest in improvements at Beersheba gained momentum and in 1991 the Assembly celebrated 50 years as a retreat center. Artist Dan Roundtree drew a commemorative sketch of the hotel and authorized prints to be sold to raise funds for the restoration of Beersheba Springs Assembly. In 1994 a new manager’s residence was completed.
Hymn singing helped draw retired couple to McKendree Village
Marching to Zion
By Bishop Holliman
Say what you will, we Methodists love to sing, and we are good at what we do! Just hear us when we open Sunday morning services with Oh For A Thousand Tongues To Sing, or All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name. If that doesn’t convince you, attend the opening session of an Annual Conference and hear the preachers lift their voices in And Are We Yet Alive. You’ll think you’re hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!
One of the features that attracted Ellen and me to McKendree was the Sunday night hymn sing. Those old songs remind us of our "Church in the Wildwood” heritage, of summer revivals, youth assemblies and church suppers. I’m sure there are many folks here who have such events stored in their memory banks, and when they sing “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go, Dear Lord, I’ll Say What You Want Me to Say,” they’re ready to answer the call again.
Retired minister visits Martin College roommate on VIM trip to Cuba
Shared by Patty Sue Harper
The Rev. Fred Harper had a very unique experience when he served as a memb er of the Volunteers in Mission Team to Havana, Cuba, April 18-30, 2008. He had the opportunity to see his Martin College roommate, Pedro Pablo Soto, who lives only 12 minutes from the team’s lodging site, The Methodist Center.
Soto and Harper had not seen one another since graduation 57 years ago although both men had the life-long dream that they would have a chance to see each other again and renew their friendship.
Though Pedro Soto does not have a car, he arranged to be with Fred on three occasions, coordinating the visits with the team’s schedule. A very special time for both of them was April 22nd, Pedro’s 77th birthday, when Fred was able to join the Soto family at home for the big celebration. Pedro also enjoyed the many birthday cards, letters, pictures, and gifts which Fred brought from fellow Martin classmates.
The picture of Fred and Pedro was made at the University Church (next to the team’s lodging place). On the sign, and also on a plaque on the church, honor is given to Pedro’s father, the Rev. Miguel Soto, for his outstanding work at a Methodist minister, particularly during the time of the Revolution. On Sunday morning, April 20, when Fred attended morning worship at the church there were 863 in attendance for the 3+ hour morning service. Many were standing in the church, on the steps—overflowing the sanctuary . Fred was greatly impressed by the enthusiasm of the worshippers, the number of young persons participating, and their apparent commitment to God.
Longtime Methodist minister to retire in June
Olds’ fight for life continues after tough decision
By Charles Booth
Staff Writer
From the Brentwood Journal, page one, Wednesday, March 26, 2008, published as a supplement to The Tennessean. Article reprinted here by permission of The Tennessean.
The Rev. Howard OldsBrentwood—The death came as a shock for the small farming community.
When a respected neighbor and faithful member of the church was killed in a farming accident, the community turned to the church. But the new pastor was still just a kid—an 18-year-old named Howard Olds. The year was 1964
“Talk about on-the-job training,” said Olds, who recently announced his retirement in June as senior pastor of Brentwood United Methodist Church, one of the largest Methodist churches in the nation. “I never had a course on theology, never read a book on pastoral care. I was thrust in the middle of learning how to do it as you went, and I’ve been doing that ever since.”
During those early days in rural northern Kentucky, Olds fielded unanswerable questions about mortality. In the 44 years that followed, the questions never went away.
“In my business you deal with death a lot,” a much older 62-year-old Howard Olds said earlier this month, sitting in a conference room outside his office with dirt on his shoes. He had stepped in a patch of mud that morning at a cemetery, and as he wiped it off, he said, “It’s different when it’s your death. You deal with your own mortality. You deal with your own limitations.”
Olds, recognized by his white hair—or lack of it, depending upon his chemo schedule—is about to make a life change of his own. He recently made public what he calls the most difficult decision of his life: his retirement.
He always felt a calling
As a boy, Olds spent much of his free time in church, daydreaming about someday standing at the pulpit.
“I wanted to be a minister even in childhood and early adolescence,” he said. “The church was a place of acceptance and belonging for me as a child and youth, so by the time I was a senior in high school, I knew this was the calling of my life and I needed to pursue it.”
He went to college to become a preacher, but after only a year of school, he took a post as pastor of two small churches. They had only about 15 members, he said.
“It was the big time for me,” he said. “The people were very gracious and very accepting and very affirming.”
After becoming ordained as a full-time pastor, Olds served in United Methodist churches in Kentucky , between Lexington and Louisville. He gained a reputation as a passionate preacher and a strong pastor and earned a doctorate from Lexington Theological Seminary along the way.
Path slowed by cancer
Over the years, his early daydreams became a richer reality than he could have then imagined. But then 11 years ago he became sick. Olds was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the same form of cancer that killed his father.
“I’ve battled with it for 11 years, and we had different periods of remission, but the last remission was a year ago,” he said. “We got it in remission again, but then last summer I came down with colon cancer, totally unrelated.”
Olds’ mother, as it turns out, died of colon cancer.
“The long and short is I got an inheritance I didn’t want to have,” he said.
“It’s just really a bum rap. The problem is we haven’t been able to get the colon cancer in remission. I’m still on chemo, still treating it, but it’s spreading.
Those questions of mortality, first asked of him many years ago, now preoccupy him.
“My relationship with God is much deeper than it ever was before. I don’t have the answers, but I’ve learned to live with the questions.”
As his battle with cancer raged, he began changing. Family and friends became more important. Life became more about the moment than the past and the future. The man born with a desire to preach incorporated these new thoughts into his sermons.
Members of his church, such as former Dollar General Corp. CEO Cal Turner Jr., noticed the shift.
“Howard’s preaching has gotten much deeper as he has wrestled with his own sense of finality,” Turner said. “He has incredible depth as a minister, and he’s a real person, he connects with the real world. He has particularly connected well through the pain of his cancer.”
Olds attributes this change to the lessons he’s learned through his pain. Suffering, he said, can be a teacher.
“You can turn bitter with it. People do turn bitter,” he said. “It will make you better or it will make you bitter. You won’t stay the same person.”
Job likened to CEO
At the beginning of his long fight with cancer, Olds visited Tennessee. Brentwood United Methodist Church had an opening for a senior pastor and Olds was invited to meet the staff.
Church member Teresa Miller, today president of the Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber of Commerce, said he was recruited specifically for the job.
“I think often we fail to recognize that ministers are CEOs. That was a CEO search,” she said. “Indeed, Dr. Olds was highly recruited. We brought in a great candidate.’
Olds and the church staff connected during the meeting, and this son of a farmer moved to Brentwood in 2000 to lead a 6,800-person congregation. Several years ago he began doing Faith Breaks, minute-long radio and TV spots broadcast ib WSUX-FN and WSMV-TV that introduced him to a greater audience.
A national search is under way by the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church to find his replacement.
“Dr. Olds is a larger-than-life figure,” Miller said. “He is a big man, with his booming, strong voice. He can deliver a sermon without ever looking at one note. He has such passion—and a little bit of drama—which makes the whole delivery of his sermon mesmerizing.”
In addition, Miller said, he has been one of the church’s most successful “CEOs.”
“It’s a big church. There are many people on staff,” she said. “In being the CEO of that church, he’s led a team of employees.”
Olds doesn’t see himself this way. He says he regrets not being more involved in Brentwood community. Though he is an active member of the local chamber, his battle with cancer limited his agenda primarily to church, to family and to treatment at Vanderbilt Medical Center.
“You want to make the community better,” he said. “You get the benefit of being a tax-free agency in the community, (so) you owe the community something to make it better.”
Olds and his wife of 43 years, Sandy, plan to stay in this community after he retires. His friend and colleague Mike Glenn, Brentwood Baptist Church’s pastor, said the city is a better place because of Olds.
“He’s a very gifted and committed pastor. Brentwood United Methodist has been a very involved church, but when he came, he really galvanized to a real intense vision of who they could be and what they could do,” Glenn said.
Personality praised
For several years, the two churches and several others came together to host joint community Thanksgiving services. Glenn remembers how easy it was to joke and talk with Olds. He, like many people, is not looking forward to Olds’ retirement.
“It’s not going to be as funny,” he said. “He had a real strong wit. He’s a funny guy. We’re probably not going to laugh as much without him being around. I think it’s going to be hard to replace somebody with that big of a heart.”
Perhaps no one is dreading this retirement more than Olds himself. He knows his health will keep him from fully functioning as a senior pastor, but he said he’s still not ready to leave.
“It was the most difficult decision I ever made in my lifetime. I love doing what I’m doing. I love this congregation. It’s been a blessing to be here.”
Olds paused a moment. He then nodded his head and said, “I’m at peace with it. It was the right thing to do.”
Note: See also “Olds, Turner team up for ‘Led to Follow’”
Shirley Majors-Jones, Eddie Jones honored for service to Community Care Fellowship, Nancy Webb Kelly UMC
B y Jerry Hilton
Shirley Majors-Jones and Eddie Jones wait for the festivities to begin.On Sunday May 4, 2008 at 2:00 P.M. more than one hundred and fifty people crowded the sanctuary of Nancy Webb Kelly United Methodist Church to pay their respects to, and thank the Rev. Shirley Majors-Jones and husband Eddie Jones for their thirteen years of service to Community Care Fellowship and Nancy Webb Kelly UMC. Following the program a reception was held in which over one hundred and seventy-five people enjoyed the refreshments and spent time visiting with Shirley and Eddie.
Early in 2008 the Board of Directors of Community Care Fellowship (CCF) and the Christian Education Committee of Nancy Webb Kelly UMC (NWK) began to plan the celebration which was designed to honor and highlight the faithful service Shirley had provided for both the homeless guests at CCF and the members of the NWK congregation.
The Nancy Webb Kelly choir celebrated Shirley’s ministryAs honored guests Shirley and Eddie listened as speakers recounted the many positive contributions the couple had made to the ministry of CCF and NWK. Each speaker represented a different perspective of the multifaceted responsibilities required by the ministry of these two units. Pat Freudenthal, Executive Director of CCF and Pastor of NWK, was emcee for the celebration and kept the program moving. John Collett, District Superintendent of the Nashville District, spoke in terms of the importance of the ministry to the Nashville Community. Ken Evans represented the Board of Directors of CCF, Isaac Owens represented the guests who come to CCF; Maurice White spoke on behalf of the staff members at CCF; Cheryl Woodard represented the views of members of NWK Church and Jerry Hilton, Randy Hearon and Toi King gave a short history of Shirley’s thirteen years of service.
Young and old were there to wish Shirley and Eddie well as the couple moves to a new ministerial opportunityQuatrece McKinney, Music Director at NWK, helped the NWK Choir and NWK Dance Team to brighten the celebration to the delight of Shirley and Eddie.
The reception following the program was held in the “great room” of the CCF building and was a great time of feasting, visiting and celebrating.
During the planning it was decided that there would be three ways for people to express their appreciation to Shirley: (1) A money tree for gifts directly to her. (2) Gifts to CCF budget in her honor. (At this writing $5,325.00 has been given). (3) A framed picture of the NWK and CCF buildings with a large matting to provide for signatures and words of appreciation. The members of Nancy Webb Kelly also presented a plaque expressing their loving appreciation for Shirley’s leadership.
There were a large number of people who helped to make the day a big success, but there are a few who need a special word of thanks. Tracee Gaddy, Bettie Tate, Toi King and Jackie Woodard-Patrick were responsible for the decorations. Pat Charron and Sarah Gossard made sure there was plenty of food. Lucy Johnson, Tracee Gaddy, Kim Jackson, Laila Click, Judi Medford and Monk Baird made sure the refreshments were served properly.
Part III
A History of Beersheba Springs Hotel and Assembly
By Ann Troutt
Proper dress was important during the early days of Assembly events. Youth campers were permitted to wear shorts during the daytime but for evening activities they were expected to “dress appropriately.” For most evening programs girls donned skirts and blouses or dresses and boys wore sport shirts and long pants. They were allowed to dress more casually, however, when a campfire was held. It was often suggested that people coming for a weekend retreat plan to dress for the Sunday service in the chapel as they would dress for church at home. Dresses or suits with high-heeled shoes were usually worn by the ladies and suits or sport coats and slacks were worn by the men. Men who attended the weeklong Pastors’ School wore white dress shirts with ties and dress pants every day, and some wore suits. Although there were few female ministers in the Methodist Church in those days, those who attended Pastors’ School also wore their Sunday best.
The Methodists of the Tennessee Conference brought many changes to the resort as they sought to update the facilities. In 1943 electricity was extended to remaining buildings. Light for each sleeping room was provided by a single bulb hanging from a cord extended from the center of the ceiling. In 1944 kitchen equipment was upgraded and electric refrigerators replaced iceboxes. In the early years of the Assembly the water system was dependant upon rainwater drained from the roofs and stored in cisterns. During periods of little rain the manager had to remind campers not to flush the toilets very often because the water in the cisterns was low. Occasionally water was hauled from McMinnville to fill the cisterns. Later, wells were dug to provide better sources of water. Additional bathrooms were built and electric pumps and water heaters were installed. In 1946 an upstairs porch was added to the back of the hotel, improving fire safety and increasing accommodations by dividing the two-room suites into separate rooms with each room opening onto a front or back porch. The wood frame kitchen was torn down in 1950 and replaced with a more fire-resistant concrete block structure. In 1952 modern telephone service became available. A row of concrete block rooms was built between Log Row and Upper Neal in 1955 and the structure was named Lower Neal. In 1958 major renovation of the hotel was completed. It included a new concrete foundation, new floor joists, flooring and ceilings throughout the first floor, and new paneled walls and gas heat in the lobby.
Other changes took place at the Assembly as Methodists sought to make the place more functional for worship and fellowship. In 1944 Grace Chapel, a nearby community church, was deeded to The Methodist Church. A parsonage was constructed on Assembly property and the minister in residence was available to conduct communion services and perform other clergy functions for Assembly programs. Walkways inside the quadrangle were repaired and the roofed sections became favorite spots for adults to enjoy conversation while children played in the courtyard. In 1945 a stone observatory was built in front of the hotel to replace the decaying wood structure overlooking Collins River Valley. The observatory became a favorite site for morning watch, a brief devotional time to begin each day’s activities, and it served throughout the day as a place of reflection and appreciation of nature’s beauty. Also in 1945 the front porch of the hotel was refloored over a new foundation and three sets of native stone steps were built. The porch was a popular gathering place where people enjoyed rocking and conversing. In 1946 croquet and shuffleboard courts were constructed and a concrete play area called “the slab” was built for tennis, folk games and other activities. The chapel was completed in 1949 and it became a hallowed place of indoor worship for Assembly events. Organ music broadcast through amplifiers mounted atop the chapel brought an aura of reverence to the entire Assembly area during designated quiet times. In 1982 the amplifiers were replaced with a steeple erected in honor of Jim Bell, past Tennessee Conference Lay Leader.
Large numbers of people continued to attend events during the summers of the 1960s and 70s and several improvements were made to the property. The creation of a water utility district on the mountain brought a dependable source of water in 1964; wells and cisterns became obsolete. (One cistern remains on display between the hotel and the chapel.) Also in 1964 a roof was built over the slab, or tennis court, and the open-air structure became “the pavilion.” It was used for basketball, folk games and other recreational activities, and for worship services and classes. In 1969 the winterizing of 22 sleeping rooms, rest rooms, classrooms, the kitchen, the dining room and the chapel enabled small groups to use the facilities during the spring and fall. However, all buildings continued to be closed each winter and, prior to closing, water pipes were drained to prevent freezing. In 1975 a cottage on the south side of the property known as Hopper House (since removed) was converted into a winterized retreat site. It contained a kitchen, a meeting area and sleeping quarters for 36 persons.
Camping and outdoor recreation became a nationwide rage in the 1970s. In 1974 the State of Tennessee established the Savage Gulf State Natural Area with locations for backpacking, hiking, rock climbing, rappelling, and picnicking. Beersheba Springs Assembly became a home base for nature lovers who came to access the Gulf using the nearby Stone Door entrance. In 1978 the Assembly developed a campground for tent and trailer camping. It had 24 campsites, a bathhouse and a picnic shelter. (The bathhouse and picnic shelter remain.)
The latter part of the twentieth century became a period of assessment and redirection for Beersheba Springs Assembly. Attendance at events had begun to decline and several previously hosted church groups were holding their retreats at other sites. Common complaints were that buildings were out-dated, most of them were not air-conditioned, and bedrooms did not have adjoining baths. Income was decreasing and the deteriorating buildings were expensive to maintain. Concerned individuals and various committees began exploring options for the future of the Assembly. A series of open meetings held across the Tennessee Conference of the United Methodist Church during 1986 resulted in much opposition to selling the Beersheba property. Church leaders were then faced with the challenge of finding the funds to renovate and modernize the facility, turning it into an attractive, comfortable retreat center that could be used year-round. Hiring a full-time manager to live at the Assembly and oversee its maintenance was the first step undertaken in 1991. The manager’s initial residence was the former Grace Chapel parsonage (since demolished). Interest in improvements at Beersheba gained momentum and in 1991 the Assembly celebrated 50 years as a retreat center. Artist Dan Roundtree drew a commemorative sketch of the hotel and authorized prints to be sold to raise funds for the restoration of Beersheba Springs Assembly. In 1994 a new manager’s residence was completed.
Hymn singing helped draw retired couple to McKendree Village
Marching to Zion
By Bishop Holliman
Say what you will, we Methodists love to sing, and we are good at what we do! Just hear us when we open Sunday morning services with Oh For A Thousand Tongues To Sing, or All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name. If that doesn’t convince you, attend the opening session of an Annual Conference and hear the preachers lift their voices in And Are We Yet Alive. You’ll think you’re hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir!
One of the features that attracted Ellen and me to McKendree was the Sunday night hymn sing. Those old songs remind us of our "Church in the Wildwood” heritage, of summer revivals, youth assemblies and church suppers. I’m sure there are many folks here who have such events stored in their memory banks, and when they sing “I’ll Go Where You Want Me to Go, Dear Lord, I’ll Say What You Want Me to Say,” they’re ready to answer the call again.
Bishop and Ellen HollimanIt was Fred Waring, a big-band leader in the days when radio was king, who said, “The old songs are the best or they wouldn’t have lived to become old.” So come with me one more time for a stroll down memory lane for a visit with three old hymns that have played a big role in my quest for “Higher Ground.” Songs I still remember when and where I first heard them, and whose message resonates with me to this day.
Our first stop is in Memphis, Tennessee, the week after Christmas in 1935. Young Methodists from all over the South gathered for five days to hear the giants of Methodism proclaim the faith. I stayed at the famous Peabody Hotel, and I still remember how dazzled I was by the tall, lighted Christmas tree that stood in the lobby.
One of our speakers was the noted Japanese Christian, Kagawa, who ranked high in Methodist circles at the time. The theme song for this youth conference had not yet made its way into our old Cokesbury song book, but it was one that would become a classic: ARE YE ABLE We sang it every day, and we still sing it with gusto! It’s an “old” hymn now, but its message is always new and challenging.
Now, it’s five years later, 1941, and I’m at Lake Junaluska at another youth meeting. I am now 20 years old and have three years of college behind me. War drums are being heard throughout the land and much of our attention is focused on world peace. But before the year is out, this rose-colored summer of my youth will be just a memory, as I will be waging war instead of peace.
But sustaining us that summer at the Lake was a new hymn that many of us were hearing for the first time: GOD OF GRACE AND GOD OF GLORY, ON THY PEOPLE POUR THY POWER. What a powerful message those words conveyed, and they gave us young folks hope and encouragement that our “warring madness” could still be cured. It would be alright with me if we sang that song every Sunday.
It’s now two years past that golden summer of 1941, and I’m on a U.S. Naval vessel, heading for New York after taking part in the invasion of Sicily in WWII. It’s a bright Sunday morning and we’re still several days from home. Our ship doesn’t carry a chaplain so one of our officers conducts a Protestant service, the first semblance of worship we’ve heard since the Captain’s prayer the night of the invasion.
Ordinarily, sailors are not given to reciting prayers and singing hymns, but this Sunday morning was different. We had escaped unscathed enemy bombs and U-boats and we were thankful. The hymn we sang was one that was new to most of us, but yet was a very old one, and would become an American anthem: AMAZING GRACE. It was the third verse that touched our hearts and brought tears to some eyes: “Through many dangers, Toils and Snares, I have Already Come, ‘Tis Grace Hath Brought Me Safe Thus Far, And Grace Will Lead Me Home.”
That’s a time and place—and a song—you never forget, no matter how old you are.
Yes, we Methodist love to sing, and we can thank John and Charles Wesley, Fanny Crosby and all the other saints who’ve inspired us to stay the course in our march to ZION.
Module I Workshop Provides framework for equipping new Christian leaders
“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.”
The Hispanic/Latino Academy’s vision is to ‘Equip a new generation of Christian leaders to make disciples of Jesus Christ to transform the world.” One of the ways of fulfilling the vision was to offer the Annual Conference’s first Module I Workshop on March 28 & 29 designed by the National Plan for Hispanic Ministry to prepare Christian leaders to make disciples in the Hispanic context. This workshop brings together a study of the biblical understandings of the mission and ministry of the church with the practice of ministry in the context and reality of the Hispanic community. It also provides a framework for equipping and forming new Christian leaders.
The training included three components leading to a conscious way of being in mission and ministry:
1. To see and observe the condition of the community’s life, the human being as a person, and the ministry and role of the church, with the eyes of God;
2. To discern and analyze the condition of life and ministry, with God’s understanding; and
3. To act through a new commitment in our individual life and our life together, in the transforming manner that God’s acts.
The purpose of the Module I training events is to broaden the human and missional vision of the church and to expand the knowledge and pastoral skills of lay missioners and pastors in order to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Module I participants At the end of the workshop the participants were invited to renew their commitment to God, and to serve the community. Mario shared his commitment to God “…To love him, obey him, and fulfill his will.” And his commitment to the community was “… to minister to the needy.”
Janet shared her commitment to “serve God by sharing with my neighbors the good news of God’s Word”. Her commitment to the community is to “share the love of God with others and to help with the different needs of the people.”
Laura shared her commitment to God “…to continue working for the advancement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ! We are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ and we should continue to be channels of blessings to the communities around us.”
The Hispanic /Latino Academy has also announced the Fall schedule which is to offer the Modulo II Training, Women’s Spiritual Retreat II, High School Student College Campus visit, the on-going Tennessee Hispanic Incubator, and the Lay Speaking Course in Spanish.
Olds, Turner team up for ‘Led to Follow’
By Charles Booth
Staff Writer
From the Brentwood Journal, page one, Wednesday, March 26, 2008, published as a supplement to The Tennessean. Article reprinted here by permission of The Tennessean
BRENTWOOD—A few weeks ago, former Dollar General Corp. CEO Cal Turner Jr. was in Manhattan, and he had to make a quick phone call.
Someone in Tennessee wanted to talk to him about his friend and pastor, Howard Olds.
“Just because it’s Howard Olds, I’d call you from anywhere,” he said.
Turner, a longtime member of Brentwood United Methodist Church, developed a stronger bond with his pastor after the two men collaborated on a recent project. Turner and Olds spent the last several months co-writing a new book, Led to Follow: Leadership Lessons From an Improbable Pastor and a Reluctant CEO (Abingdon Press, 2008, $15), which comes out this spring.
“We were approached by Abingdon about writing a book that connects the business world and the church world together. They thought this was a good concept to have a pastor and CEO joining together and talk about their leadership ventures.
“It’s not a how-to-book,” Olds said. “It’s a book of stories and vignettes and episodes out of our personal lives.”
Among those endorsing the book are financial author, radio and TV host Dave Ramsey and James Hudnut-Beumler, dean of Vanderbilt Divinity School. It will go on sale after a launch party at 4 p.m. Sunday in BUMC’s Haney Hall.
“It was enjoyable. It was new for me, particularly doing something as a co-author,” said Olds, who has authored two other books, Faith Breaks: Thoughts on Making it a Great Day and Laughing and Crying Your Way Through Cancer. “It turned out great and I feel good about the accomplishment, about where we landed in the process. I think it was a good experience for us both. We learned a lot about each other.”
Turner agreed, saying he has a deeper relationship with Olds since their collaboration.
Turner, a Brentwood resident, is chairman of the Cal Turner Family Foundation. Deeply committed to theological education, he supports programs at Duke and Vanderbilt universities, including the Cal Turner Program for Moral Leadership in the Professions at Vanderbilt.
Russian sociology professor interested in southern culture, habits
By Jim Bridges
Review Contributor
While reading The Tennessean in mid-March I saw an article on Vladimir Ilin, a sociology professor from St. Petersburg, Russia. He is in the United States researching southern culture and consumer habits and is making his base at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro. Anyone interested in participating was asked to contact him so I sent a message with biographical information on Nancy and me including our participation in the music ministry of Crossville First United Methodist Church. He sent a message saying he wanted to come interview us, meet as many people as possible, tour Crossville and visit our church.
Shown in front of the pipe organ following hand bell rehearsal are (from left) Bob Brown, Director of Music Ministries; Jim Bridges, Marina, Vladimir and (front) Nancy BridgesVladimir and his wife Marina drove up on a Monday morning. Following lunch at our home he conducted his interview. Nancy had hand bell rehearsal late that afternoon so we took them to the church. They were familiar with church bells but had never heard hand bells and were fascinated by the ringers and all the things they do with the bells. Nancy and I sing in the community chorus and they wanted to attend that rehearsal too. Crossville FUMC has made their facilities available to the chorus for rehearsals, concerts and music library for many years. Crossville FUMC is a much-used church and has several ministries for all ages including Childcare Programs for toddlers through sixth grade, a thriving Youth Ministry with a strong emphasis on mentoring and giving back to the community, Music Ministries for all ages including Children's Choir and Hand Bells, Youth and Adult Choirs and Praise Bands, Wednesday Night Live that offers classes and activities in Christian Education for ages Preschool through Adult, Missions, the United Methodist Men and Women to mention but a few. The church also hosts Community Outreach events including the upcoming Beth Moore simulcast, the Lost Boys of Sudan, Bubba Fest with special speakers and fellowship for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts, Spiritfest - a Halloween alternative festival and Breakfast with Santa.
We had a wonderful two days with Vladimir and Marina, a delightful couple. We invited them to come back this summer. They came to the United States in January and will return to St. Petersburg in October where she is an editor at the Kunstkamera Museum of Anthropology. While he is doing his research she is a visiting professor teaching a course on Russian language at MTSU.
posted by TN Conference UMC @ 6:56 AM
