TENNESSEE CONFERENCE REVIEW June 13, 2008
Articles in this edition of THE REVIEW
1. New Arrival: A Church is Born—Providence United Methodist Church
2. Nicole Witt and Billy Montana Headline Benefit Concert for Cuban Mission Team.
3. Former Pastor, Present Pastor, and Future Pastor Labor Together on Mission Team
4. Lewisburg First Methodist opens Care Kitchen
5. McKendree United Methodist Street Team prayer ministry
6. Second Harvest Mobile pantry comes to Lewisburg
7. An Adventure: Love in Action—Tennessean Adam Burgett is one of the persons completing two years service as a US-2
8. Part IV: A History of Beersheba Springs Hotel and Assembly 1833-2007
9. Licensing School Participants, Beersheba, May 18-24, 2008
10. April 27th Church Music Gala at The Schermerhorn—Brentwood UMC Choirs in concert
___________________________
New Arrival: A Church is Born
By Jacob Armstrong
Reprinted from the Cumberland District Review, April 18, 2008
The Blakemore/Hendersonville First United Methodist Church volunteer team heading for Matagalpa, Nicaragua.
What made this grouping unique was that among the team members were the present pastor of Blakemore UMC, Paul Gardner; the most recent Blakemore former minister, Michael Williams (now pastor of First UMC, Hendersonville); and Herbert L. Lester, Jr., presently Senior Pastor at Centenary United Methodist Church in the Memphis Annual Conference, and slated to be appointed to Blakemore UMC at the 2008 session of the Tennessee Annual Conference. Williams jokingly refers to himself as “Christmas Past.”
The three pastors would be working side by side in Los Canos, Nicaragua, on a Catholic church that has been expanded. They and the mission group were responsible for pouring a concrete floor and painting the clinic -- a clinic built by the government 15 years ago and never used because there were no doctors or nurses willing to go there. The sponsoring organization for the mission trip, El Ayadante, has worked with the government to secure a nurse and to open the clinic. In another community the Blakemore/Hendersonville First group is helping with building a cafeteria and kitchen for a school. It has been rewarding but difficult work.
Three pastors with a strong connection to Blakemore United Methodist Church depart for Nicaragua, left to right: Michael Williams, Herbert L. Lester, and Paul Gardner.
A national website helping ministers to transition from one church to another, The Right Start: Beginning Ministry in a New Setting, reports on research done among District Superintendents on “The Best Practices for Concluding Ministry in One Setting” and “The Best Practices for Beginning Ministry in a New Setting” (Research conducted by Saint Paul School of Theology and Wesley Theological Seminary). The TOP concern with the District Superintendents was “Maintain good successor relations” – and they suggest:
Prepare the way for the successor with the congregation
Prepare the way for the congregation with the successor
Spend quality time with your successor with an agreed upon agenda
The District Superintendants did not mention heading for an impoverished part of Central America on a mission trip as a means for a pastor to learn about his new congregation. Nor did they mention relating personally with not one but two predecessors over painting, concrete mixing, and other construction arts.
Though Dr. Herbert L. Lester’s introduction to his new congregation may be unusual, the Blakemore family is looking forward to his ministry just as it feels saddened by the loss of Paul Gardner. Lester served his former congregation for 18 years and has been involved in reaching out to the surrounding community in new and different ways. He has worked as a professional counselor and has served as an adjunct faculty member at Memphis Theological Seminary.
Lewisburg First Methodist opens Care Kitchen
by Karen Hall, Staff Writer
Reprinted from the Marshall County Tribune
Volunteers set to prepare a meal that is home-cooked and hot.
This past winter, Betsy Shelton was approached on the street in Lewisburg by a boy who said he hadn’t eaten for four days. She was a little frightened and hardly knew what to do, but the incident got her thinking.
Now she believes it was clearly God calling her to do something about the hungry people of Marshall County.
After Shelton told the other members of First United Methodist Church what had happened, they decided to follow the lead of their sister church in Columbia and start serving a free, hot meal once a week.
“We feel like it needs to be home-cooked and hot,” said Shelton.
They observed the meal in Columbia a couple of times and also got a copy of their People’s Table cookbook. Then, on a Thursday night in December, the Care Kitchen served their first meal to 10 people.
Columbia started small, too, about seven months ago. Now they are feeding more than 150 people twice a week, Tuesdays in the evening and Fridays at mid-day.
Thirteen other Columbia churches are helping prepare and serve meals in the church’s fellowship hall.
On the warm but stormy night of Thursday, Jan. 10, 32 people, mostly women and children, came to West Church Street for a meal. They were greeted by Phil Allen, Sam Shelton and Pastor Leland Carden and ushered in to the fellowship hall.
In keeping with the goal of “breaking the bread that Jesus has given us and sharing it with everyone in Marshall County,” no one was asked to sign in or explain why they were there.
Desserts are ready, and volunteers are ready to greet their guests.
Folding tables and chairs had been set up and places laid with paper place mats and packets of plastic cutlery. Allen led a brief devotional, because “we would love to feed their spirits as well.”
Gloria Bowen played the piano to accompany a hymn, and then it was time to eat.
Volunteers dished up the food and everyone enjoyed plenty of chicken casserole, sweet potatoes and white beans, plus good buttered cornbread and a choice of desserts and drinks.
Near the entrance was a table covered with baked goods donated by Kroger because they were out of date, and a box of oranges from Wal-Mart.
There were plastic bags available and people were encouraged to help themselves on the way out. The table was almost bare by the time the last person left. Most were promising to come back next week and tell their friends about it, too.
Carden says that they hope to begin participating in Second Harvest Food Bank’s Mobile Pantry program in February or March. Second Harvest sends a full tractor-trailer load of food and household items to a church or other non-profit organization that provides the volunteers to unload it and help people gather a free supply of what they need. The first load is free; the subsequent ones cost $150 each.
This is obviously an excellent program, even a life-saver for those who need it. But it does not help people who lack the utensils or knowledge to turn raw ingredients into a meal. This is where the Care Kitchen is such a big help, giving people a chance to eat something that is not junk food or fast food, did not come in a package or have to be prepared in a microwave.
First United Methodist Church is fortunate to have a commercial-style kitchen adjoining its fellowship hall, so that the volunteers have a well-equipped place to spend the afternoon preparing their menu.
“We’re after fellowship and letting people know we care,” Shelton said as volunteers cleaned up after the meal, and it looks as if they are succeeding.
Members of First Baptist Church have promised to help serve on Jan. 24. The members at First Methodist are hoping other churches will join in as they have in Columbia.
Volunteers and donations are always welcome. Just call (931) 359-3919 or (931) 270-0963
Licensing School Participants, Beersheba, May 18-24, 2008
Front Row: Lanita Pride, Dean, Ann Hatcher, Mike Guertin, Brett Gibbons, Danny Coffelt, Rick Dixon, Jimmy Hendricks; 2nd Row: Cathy Cowan, Drew Shelley, Barry Phelps, Gloria Schott, Elizabeth Williams, Don Logan, Tommy Flood, Stacy Cowan; Back Row: Ernie Garner, Bryan Wilson, William Rogan, Eddie Vance, Charles Williams, Dean; Kimi Brown, Wynn Batson, Michele Morton, Judy Stevenson, Jeff Sellers, Ronnie Melton. Photo by Ryan Bennett, Dean
April 27th Church Music Gala at The Schermerhorn
Guest artist Wintley Phipps
On April 27th the Brentwood United Methodist Church Chancel Choir with guest artist Wintley Phipps appeared in concert at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The performance was accompanied by “The Orchestra at Brentwood,” a group comprised of members of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra as well as free-lance players and session players. The Choir and orchestra were conducted by David Keith, Director of Music, Worship and the Arts at Brentwood United Methodist Church. Dr. Keith assumed this position in August, 2006. Prior to coming to Brentwood he was chair of the department of conducting and ensemble activities at Southwestern Seminary. The Chancel Choir has 130+ members, and there are 60 in the Treble Chorus (ages 4th grade through 9th grade) which is directed by James Wells, Director of Music for Youth and Children at Brentwood UMC.
The great hymns of the church never sounded better as they did at the acoustically incredible Schermerhorn Center. Among pieces performed by the choir were “Love Divine, All Loves, Excelling,” “Praise to the Lord the Almighty,” “To God Be the Glory,” “How Firm a Foundation,” “Rejoice the Lord is King.”
A section of the large Brentwood United Methodist Chancel Choir prepares for performance at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Guest artist Wintley Augustus Phipps was born in Trinidad, West Indies, and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is a world-renowned vocal artist, pastor, motivational speaker, and education activist. He is the founder, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Dream Academy, Inc. The Dream Academy is a non-profit organization that features a customized on line curriculum to increase reading, math, English comprehension and proficiency; an enhanced capacity to navigate the Internet; and weekly one-to-one mentoring that focuses on values enrichment and character building for children of prisoners and those falling behind in school.
He has performed on the Oprah Winfrey Show, The Billy Graham Crusades, Saturday Night Live, and numerous television shows and telethons. He has sung before four U.S. Presidents, performed at the Vatican, and was nominated for Grammy Awards in 1988 and 1989. His recording of hymns is the ONLY recording ever endorsed by Bill Graham.
The Treble Chorus under the direction of James Wells
Rounding out the musical feast were a performance of Symphony No. 3 in C-minor by Camille Saint-Saens featuring organist Gregg Bunn; and an orchestral performance of Symphony No. 5 in D-Major, op. 107 “Reformation” by Felix Mendelssohn.
Near the beginning of the program Wintley Phipps and an appreciative audience applauded the presence of Dr. Howard Olds who is retiring as Senior Pastor of Brentwood UMC at Annual Conference 2008.
1. New Arrival: A Church is Born—Providence United Methodist Church
2. Nicole Witt and Billy Montana Headline Benefit Concert for Cuban Mission Team.
3. Former Pastor, Present Pastor, and Future Pastor Labor Together on Mission Team
4. Lewisburg First Methodist opens Care Kitchen
5. McKendree United Methodist Street Team prayer ministry
6. Second Harvest Mobile pantry comes to Lewisburg
7. An Adventure: Love in Action—Tennessean Adam Burgett is one of the persons completing two years service as a US-2
8. Part IV: A History of Beersheba Springs Hotel and Assembly 1833-2007
9. Licensing School Participants, Beersheba, May 18-24, 2008
10. April 27th Church Music Gala at The Schermerhorn—Brentwood UMC Choirs in concert
___________________________
New Arrival: A Church is Born
By Jacob Armstrong
Reprinted from the Cumberland District Review, April 18, 2008
Providence Church worship music team and altar from the April 20 service at Rutland Elementary School.
We arrived Easter morning, while it was still dark, to set up chairs in a city park pavilion in anticipation of what would be the first worship service for a new church. Questions clouded my mind as I heard the clink of metal chairs on concrete in those cold moments before sunrise. “Will the sound system work? Are the bulletins ready? Will anyone come?” I was reminded of the women who came to the tomb early on Easter morning, while it was still dark, with questions of doubt clouding their preparations. Easter, indeed, always begins in the dark.
Providence United Methodist Church’s first worship service was a great start to what we believe will be a strong ministry in the Mt. Juliet area. 149 people came at 7am that morning to huddle together and believe in a dream. It is a dream that began several years ago in the hearts of some Cumberland District pastors and lay members; a dream that has grown in my heart since I first heard of the population boom in the Providence area of Mt. Juliet where I was born and raised. It is a dream that has been strengthened while praying in pastors’ offices in Hermitage and Leeville. It is a dream that has been embraced by our neighbors at Lebanon, Gladeville, and Cook’s as we have worshiped together. It is a dream that has been cared for and encouraged and supported Sunday after Sunday at our mother church, Grace UMC.
So, I celebrate with the Cumberland District the birth of Providence United Methodist Church in Mt. Juliet! In an area that is experiencing some of the most rapid population growth of any area in Tennessee, Providence Church is committed to offering hope, healing, and wholeness in Jesus Christ. We are made restless by recent statistics that only 55% of people in Wilson County acknowledge any religious affiliation (to say nothing of the number who actually attend church). We are made uncomfortable by the growing number of people who move to new communities and do not seek a church home. We are saddened by the many people who are disillusioned with and even wounded by the church. There is much evidence of darkness, but we remember that Easter begins in the dark.
So, we are striving to be a Jesus-centered community that reaches those who have no church and feel disconnected from God. We are striving to be a people known for welcoming everyone. We are striving to be a church who is not bound by the walls of a building (we don’t have a building!), but instead sees its ministry in the marketplace. We do this in the hope of our God who has given us life through the resurrected One.
We have already begun to see God’s dream, that so many of you have dreamt, be realized in Mt. Juliet. We ask for your prayers, and offer you ours. May Jesus Christ get all the glory.
Providence Church Update by Pastor Jacob Armstrong
Providence Church has worshiped monthly since their Easter service and plans to launch weekly services in a local elementary school in August. Last month worship was held at the Providence Cinemas with 197 adults and children in attendance. Providence is committed to being a church that serves the community and is present in the places of need. In the month of May they participated in a local Habitat for Humanity build, offered a prayer wall at the Mt. Juliet Armed Forces celebration, served lunch to the teachers and staff of a local school, and participated in a prayer walk through the area neighborhoods.
(for more info see Providence’s website: http://www.provumc.net/)
Nicole Witt and Billy Montana Headline Benefit Concert for Cuban Mission Team
Nicole Witt
FRANKLIN---Curb Artist and hit songwriter Nicole Witt is headlining a benefit Concert for Cuba with critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Billy Montana on Saturday, June 28 at Bethlehem United Methodist Church beginning at 6 p.m. with a Silent Auction. The concert will assist a Bethlehem UMC Volunteers In Mission Team heading to Cuba in July.
Local teen, Maggie McNulty, is chairing the concert as part of her Girl Scout “Gold Award” project and is also a member of the twelve-person mission team.
“We are so thrilled and honored that Nicole and Billy will be headlining our benefit Concert. They are both amazing artists and have had incredible hit songs recorded by George Strait, Garth Brooks, Diamond Rio, Sara Evans, Jodee Messina and more. It is going to be a wonderful night of entertainment and for a worthy cause,” McNulty said. “We are also having a medicine and medical supplies drive. We will be taking the greatly needed donations to Cuba with us in July to help a country with one of the highest doctor to patient ratios but without enough supplies to treat their people.”
McNulty, a singer/violinist, is also performing at the benefit concert with three recent graduates of Franklin High School, Carrie Walker, Josh Castle and Ben Heacock. The talented four performed at the school’s Baccalaureate event in May and will be reuniting for the benefit concert.
BUMC Pastor Phil Ross is heading up the Cuban Mission Team traveling to Havana, Cuba in July to help with the renovation of a seminary building. The team must raise $5,000 for construction expenses. The building will be used to train Methodist ministers and leaders serving the Cuban people.
The limited Silent Auction begins in the church lobby at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 28. Christian artist Stephen Curtis Chapman has donated several books about his precious, adopted daughters as well as hit CDs. A beautiful stained glass piece by artist Brenda Ross is also part of the Silent Auction. Donations are welcome.
Tickets are $10.00 per person and available through a reservation, at the door event night or in the church lobby on Sundays.. Contact the Concert for Cuba reservation line at (615) 791-6456, ext. 2 or by email at maggie.mcnulty@gmail.com. The event begins at 6 p.m. at Bethlehem United Methodist Church located at 2419 Bethlehem Loop just off Hillsboro Road in the Grassland area of Franklin, Tennessee. Visit http://www.bethlehemumc.com/ for more info.
Former Pastor, Present Pastor, and Future Pastor Labor Together on Mission Team
On March 24, 2008, a Volunteers in Mission team headed for Matagalpa, Nicaragua. The team was made up of persons from Blakemore United Methodist Church (Nashville District) and Hendersonville First United Methodist Church (Cumberland District). Team members were excited, the automated airline check-in system was sometimes a mystery, the line through the security check-point seemed endless – so far this departure was much like that of hundreds of mission teams over the past few years.
We arrived Easter morning, while it was still dark, to set up chairs in a city park pavilion in anticipation of what would be the first worship service for a new church. Questions clouded my mind as I heard the clink of metal chairs on concrete in those cold moments before sunrise. “Will the sound system work? Are the bulletins ready? Will anyone come?” I was reminded of the women who came to the tomb early on Easter morning, while it was still dark, with questions of doubt clouding their preparations. Easter, indeed, always begins in the dark.
Providence United Methodist Church’s first worship service was a great start to what we believe will be a strong ministry in the Mt. Juliet area. 149 people came at 7am that morning to huddle together and believe in a dream. It is a dream that began several years ago in the hearts of some Cumberland District pastors and lay members; a dream that has grown in my heart since I first heard of the population boom in the Providence area of Mt. Juliet where I was born and raised. It is a dream that has been strengthened while praying in pastors’ offices in Hermitage and Leeville. It is a dream that has been embraced by our neighbors at Lebanon, Gladeville, and Cook’s as we have worshiped together. It is a dream that has been cared for and encouraged and supported Sunday after Sunday at our mother church, Grace UMC.
So, I celebrate with the Cumberland District the birth of Providence United Methodist Church in Mt. Juliet! In an area that is experiencing some of the most rapid population growth of any area in Tennessee, Providence Church is committed to offering hope, healing, and wholeness in Jesus Christ. We are made restless by recent statistics that only 55% of people in Wilson County acknowledge any religious affiliation (to say nothing of the number who actually attend church). We are made uncomfortable by the growing number of people who move to new communities and do not seek a church home. We are saddened by the many people who are disillusioned with and even wounded by the church. There is much evidence of darkness, but we remember that Easter begins in the dark.
So, we are striving to be a Jesus-centered community that reaches those who have no church and feel disconnected from God. We are striving to be a people known for welcoming everyone. We are striving to be a church who is not bound by the walls of a building (we don’t have a building!), but instead sees its ministry in the marketplace. We do this in the hope of our God who has given us life through the resurrected One.
We have already begun to see God’s dream, that so many of you have dreamt, be realized in Mt. Juliet. We ask for your prayers, and offer you ours. May Jesus Christ get all the glory.
Providence Church Update by Pastor Jacob Armstrong
Providence Church has worshiped monthly since their Easter service and plans to launch weekly services in a local elementary school in August. Last month worship was held at the Providence Cinemas with 197 adults and children in attendance. Providence is committed to being a church that serves the community and is present in the places of need. In the month of May they participated in a local Habitat for Humanity build, offered a prayer wall at the Mt. Juliet Armed Forces celebration, served lunch to the teachers and staff of a local school, and participated in a prayer walk through the area neighborhoods.
(for more info see Providence’s website: http://www.provumc.net/)
Nicole Witt and Billy Montana Headline Benefit Concert for Cuban Mission Team
Nicole Witt
FRANKLIN---Curb Artist and hit songwriter Nicole Witt is headlining a benefit Concert for Cuba with critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Billy Montana on Saturday, June 28 at Bethlehem United Methodist Church beginning at 6 p.m. with a Silent Auction. The concert will assist a Bethlehem UMC Volunteers In Mission Team heading to Cuba in July.
Local teen, Maggie McNulty, is chairing the concert as part of her Girl Scout “Gold Award” project and is also a member of the twelve-person mission team.
“We are so thrilled and honored that Nicole and Billy will be headlining our benefit Concert. They are both amazing artists and have had incredible hit songs recorded by George Strait, Garth Brooks, Diamond Rio, Sara Evans, Jodee Messina and more. It is going to be a wonderful night of entertainment and for a worthy cause,” McNulty said. “We are also having a medicine and medical supplies drive. We will be taking the greatly needed donations to Cuba with us in July to help a country with one of the highest doctor to patient ratios but without enough supplies to treat their people.”
McNulty, a singer/violinist, is also performing at the benefit concert with three recent graduates of Franklin High School, Carrie Walker, Josh Castle and Ben Heacock. The talented four performed at the school’s Baccalaureate event in May and will be reuniting for the benefit concert.
BUMC Pastor Phil Ross is heading up the Cuban Mission Team traveling to Havana, Cuba in July to help with the renovation of a seminary building. The team must raise $5,000 for construction expenses. The building will be used to train Methodist ministers and leaders serving the Cuban people.
The limited Silent Auction begins in the church lobby at 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 28. Christian artist Stephen Curtis Chapman has donated several books about his precious, adopted daughters as well as hit CDs. A beautiful stained glass piece by artist Brenda Ross is also part of the Silent Auction. Donations are welcome.
Tickets are $10.00 per person and available through a reservation, at the door event night or in the church lobby on Sundays.. Contact the Concert for Cuba reservation line at (615) 791-6456, ext. 2 or by email at maggie.mcnulty@gmail.com. The event begins at 6 p.m. at Bethlehem United Methodist Church located at 2419 Bethlehem Loop just off Hillsboro Road in the Grassland area of Franklin, Tennessee. Visit http://www.bethlehemumc.com/ for more info.
Former Pastor, Present Pastor, and Future Pastor Labor Together on Mission Team
On March 24, 2008, a Volunteers in Mission team headed for Matagalpa, Nicaragua. The team was made up of persons from Blakemore United Methodist Church (Nashville District) and Hendersonville First United Methodist Church (Cumberland District). Team members were excited, the automated airline check-in system was sometimes a mystery, the line through the security check-point seemed endless – so far this departure was much like that of hundreds of mission teams over the past few years.
The Blakemore/Hendersonville First United Methodist Church volunteer team heading for Matagalpa, Nicaragua.What made this grouping unique was that among the team members were the present pastor of Blakemore UMC, Paul Gardner; the most recent Blakemore former minister, Michael Williams (now pastor of First UMC, Hendersonville); and Herbert L. Lester, Jr., presently Senior Pastor at Centenary United Methodist Church in the Memphis Annual Conference, and slated to be appointed to Blakemore UMC at the 2008 session of the Tennessee Annual Conference. Williams jokingly refers to himself as “Christmas Past.”
The three pastors would be working side by side in Los Canos, Nicaragua, on a Catholic church that has been expanded. They and the mission group were responsible for pouring a concrete floor and painting the clinic -- a clinic built by the government 15 years ago and never used because there were no doctors or nurses willing to go there. The sponsoring organization for the mission trip, El Ayadante, has worked with the government to secure a nurse and to open the clinic. In another community the Blakemore/Hendersonville First group is helping with building a cafeteria and kitchen for a school. It has been rewarding but difficult work.
Three pastors with a strong connection to Blakemore United Methodist Church depart for Nicaragua, left to right: Michael Williams, Herbert L. Lester, and Paul Gardner.A national website helping ministers to transition from one church to another, The Right Start: Beginning Ministry in a New Setting, reports on research done among District Superintendents on “The Best Practices for Concluding Ministry in One Setting” and “The Best Practices for Beginning Ministry in a New Setting” (Research conducted by Saint Paul School of Theology and Wesley Theological Seminary). The TOP concern with the District Superintendents was “Maintain good successor relations” – and they suggest:
Prepare the way for the successor with the congregation
Prepare the way for the congregation with the successor
Spend quality time with your successor with an agreed upon agenda
The District Superintendants did not mention heading for an impoverished part of Central America on a mission trip as a means for a pastor to learn about his new congregation. Nor did they mention relating personally with not one but two predecessors over painting, concrete mixing, and other construction arts.
Though Dr. Herbert L. Lester’s introduction to his new congregation may be unusual, the Blakemore family is looking forward to his ministry just as it feels saddened by the loss of Paul Gardner. Lester served his former congregation for 18 years and has been involved in reaching out to the surrounding community in new and different ways. He has worked as a professional counselor and has served as an adjunct faculty member at Memphis Theological Seminary.
Lewisburg First Methodist opens Care Kitchen
by Karen Hall, Staff Writer
Reprinted from the Marshall County Tribune
Volunteers set to prepare a meal that is home-cooked and hot.This past winter, Betsy Shelton was approached on the street in Lewisburg by a boy who said he hadn’t eaten for four days. She was a little frightened and hardly knew what to do, but the incident got her thinking.
Now she believes it was clearly God calling her to do something about the hungry people of Marshall County.
After Shelton told the other members of First United Methodist Church what had happened, they decided to follow the lead of their sister church in Columbia and start serving a free, hot meal once a week.
“We feel like it needs to be home-cooked and hot,” said Shelton.
They observed the meal in Columbia a couple of times and also got a copy of their People’s Table cookbook. Then, on a Thursday night in December, the Care Kitchen served their first meal to 10 people.
Columbia started small, too, about seven months ago. Now they are feeding more than 150 people twice a week, Tuesdays in the evening and Fridays at mid-day.
Thirteen other Columbia churches are helping prepare and serve meals in the church’s fellowship hall.
On the warm but stormy night of Thursday, Jan. 10, 32 people, mostly women and children, came to West Church Street for a meal. They were greeted by Phil Allen, Sam Shelton and Pastor Leland Carden and ushered in to the fellowship hall.
In keeping with the goal of “breaking the bread that Jesus has given us and sharing it with everyone in Marshall County,” no one was asked to sign in or explain why they were there.
Desserts are ready, and volunteers are ready to greet their guests.Folding tables and chairs had been set up and places laid with paper place mats and packets of plastic cutlery. Allen led a brief devotional, because “we would love to feed their spirits as well.”
Gloria Bowen played the piano to accompany a hymn, and then it was time to eat.
Volunteers dished up the food and everyone enjoyed plenty of chicken casserole, sweet potatoes and white beans, plus good buttered cornbread and a choice of desserts and drinks.
Near the entrance was a table covered with baked goods donated by Kroger because they were out of date, and a box of oranges from Wal-Mart.
There were plastic bags available and people were encouraged to help themselves on the way out. The table was almost bare by the time the last person left. Most were promising to come back next week and tell their friends about it, too.
Carden says that they hope to begin participating in Second Harvest Food Bank’s Mobile Pantry program in February or March. Second Harvest sends a full tractor-trailer load of food and household items to a church or other non-profit organization that provides the volunteers to unload it and help people gather a free supply of what they need. The first load is free; the subsequent ones cost $150 each.
This is obviously an excellent program, even a life-saver for those who need it. But it does not help people who lack the utensils or knowledge to turn raw ingredients into a meal. This is where the Care Kitchen is such a big help, giving people a chance to eat something that is not junk food or fast food, did not come in a package or have to be prepared in a microwave.
First United Methodist Church is fortunate to have a commercial-style kitchen adjoining its fellowship hall, so that the volunteers have a well-equipped place to spend the afternoon preparing their menu.
“We’re after fellowship and letting people know we care,” Shelton said as volunteers cleaned up after the meal, and it looks as if they are succeeding.
Members of First Baptist Church have promised to help serve on Jan. 24. The members at First Methodist are hoping other churches will join in as they have in Columbia.
Volunteers and donations are always welcome. Just call (931) 359-3919 or (931) 270-0963
McKendree United Methodist Street Team prayer ministry
Street Team Update – McKendree United Methodist Church Reprinted from The McKendree Vine, newsletter of McKendree United Methodist Church, May 15, 2008.
Editor’s Note: In the Street Team ministry, members of McKendree go door to door in a fast changing and growing area of Nashville. At each home they ask if there are any prayer needs and then offer to pray with the resident/s. Here, Jordan Callaway shares information about some response to the Street Team ministry.
By Jordan Callaway*
I hope these scenarios encourage you as much as they did us.
We met Jayvion, who was about 11-12 yrs. Old, and we asked him if he or his family had any prayer requests. He told us that his brother died last week. His brother’s name was Tony and he was 25. Apparently he was shot. We laid our hands on him and prayed for him and his family. When we were done praying, we gave him a Thirst flyer and told him to call the number if he ever wanted to come to church. As we were leaving his doorstep he called out, “I’m going to call this number!”
As we were knocking on a door some children were playing catch in the street. One of the kids saw us and yelled out, “Hey Jordan.” We all waved and said, “Hi.” I was confused as to how he knew my name. I asked him and he told me, “I remembered you from when you were here last time.” The thing was that we had not been there since March 18th so it had been almost two months since we had handed him a flyer on the playground. His name was Jawan and he and his cousin David said that they would like to come to church sometime.
The morning after street teams there was a message on the church answering machine that said, “There were 3 gentlemen that came to my door last night and asked if they could pray with me. I turned them away because I was ashamed and embarrassed. But now I am feeling bad that I turned them away because I do have a prayer request, it’s for a friend of mine; he needs your prayers. It really meant a lot that they came to my house and wanted to pray for me. I am so glad they are doing this ministry.”
There were several others that we prayed for a ministered to. We give God all the glory. A lot of intentional prayer went into this excursion. Many people in the church body were praying and have prayed for God to go before us and with us. We were able to see some of the fruit of those prayers. We did our part by being willing to share His love with others, and God did His part by softening hearts!
Keep praying church family! God is doing mighty things in this city!
*Jordan Callaway is McKendree UMC’s Administrator, Director of New Wine Ministries
Second Harvest Mobile pantry comes to Lewisburg
By Karen Hall
Staff Writer
From the Marshall County Tribune, Friday, March 28, 2008
While it may not be on a par with the fishes and loaves, a miracle of sorts took place in Lewisburg this week.
In December the members of First United Methodist Church launched “Care Kitchen,” serving a free hot meal every Thursday night to anyone who cares to show up. At that time, Pastor Leland Carden and his volunteers announced that their next move would be to bring the Second Harvest Mobile Pantry program to Marshall County.
Tuesday, the mobile pantry made its first visit to Lewisburg. Nearly three dozen volunteers braved chilly March winds to meet the Second Harvest truck at the church’s parking lot at 9:15 a.m. and unload 9,000 pounds of food.
People needing free food were lined up around the block by the time the tables were arranged and “shopping” started. They were still going strong two hours later, through the line had shortened somewhat.
Word has been spread through the Human Services Department, the Lewisburg Housing Authority and local churches. Gayle Cook, area manager with Human Services and a member of First United Methodist Church, helped to get everything organized.
“We got it started and at this point we’re planning on doing it monthly ,” Cook says.
Second Harvest sends the first truck for free; the next one will cost $ 150, but Cook says, “I have faith it (the money) won’t be a problem.”
Anyone wishing to make a donation, may call the First United Methodist Church office at 359-3919.
“There’s a lot of people that have to make choices how they spend their money ,” she explains.
“Food, medicine, rent, utilities – there’s a lot of tough choices having to be made today.”
As one of the volunteers is leaving she calls to Cook, “You’re a miracle worker!” Cook replies, “No, Second Harvest is. It’s just a joy to be able to do it.”
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee opened its doors in 1978. Its purpose is to provide a central distribution center for companies, groups and individuals who wish to help provide food for Middle Tennessee’s hungry.
Modeled after the first food bank established in Phoenix in the mid 1970s, Second Harvest is designed to collect food that would otherwise be wasted, inspect and sort this food, and distribute it to soup kitchens, pantries and shelters serving the hungry. During the first year, this process resulted in a total distribution of 160,000 pounds of food to 75 member agencies.
Today, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is one of the largest and most comprehensive of more than 200 food banks and food distribution centers nationwide. During the 2006-’07 fiscal year, Second Harvest distributed more than 37.4 million pounds of food to hungry men, women, and children.
Note from Pastor Leland Carden: Donations have been received from several sources to provide 12 months of Second Harvest Mobile Food Pantry. A donation for seven of these months came from a woman who had been helped by our Benevolent Ministries at the Mary Farley Care Center. This woman had inherited some money and wanted to give back to help others.
An Adventure: Love in Action
By Mary Beth Coudal
Left to right, back row: Harris Tay, Adam Burgett, Margaret Bagwell. Front row: Christina Wichert, Emily Pennington. Image by Mary Beth Coudal, GBGM Administration.
Last week, five US-2s completed their two years of service and gathered in New York to share insights and plan. US-2s are missionaries in their 20s and 30s who work in hope-filled places -- in this case, United Methodist-related mission centers.
"I graduated college not really knowing where I was headed next," Christina Wichert said. "I knew I wanted an adventure -- a way to get to know a different corner of the world, to meet people who could teach me something new about the world and myself, to grow as a leader and a Christian and make a meaningful difference somewhere. The US-2 program provided all these opportunities and more."
Ms. Wichert from Fairgrove, Michigan, worked with kids at Wesley-Rankin Center in Dallas, Texas. The children who gave her the most trouble turned out to be the ones she remembers most fondly.
In the fall, she will return to the Wesley Rankin Center as an AmeriCorp volunteer through Project Transformation, a United Methodist-related young adult program. Ms. Wichert will continue her work as a case manager with kids at Wesley Rankin.
For the summer, Ms. Wichert will stay in New York to teach young adults about contemporary issues at the Church Center for the United Nations.
Like Ms. Wichert, Emily Pennington worked with children as a US-2. She was the intern for spiritual life activities at the Cunningham Children's Home in Urbana, Illinois.
"I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to serve as a US-2," Ms. Pennington said. "Building a community with other like-minded young people and sharing God's love with the children of my placement site have been great sources of joy in my life." One way Ms. Pennington provided spiritual support was by teaching children how to resolve conflicts peaceably.
Ms. Pennington, whose hometown is Omaha, Nebraska, will attend Creighton University, also in Omaha, to work towards her master's degree in occupational therapy.
Originally from Temple Hills, Maryland, Harris Tay coordinated youth activities at Wesley Community Center, Inc., in Dayton, Ohio. He emphasized the importance of being a steady presence in a child's life. Two years, Mr. Tay reported, is a good length of time to be consistent and make a positive difference in a young person's life.
"Helping others should be an encounter of the selfless sharing of strengths and services," Harris Tay said. "Engaging social justice in any other way perpetuates cultural dominance and hurts the ones we are claiming to serve."
This fall, Mr. Tay will attend Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, to pursue his master of divinity, for which he received the Woodruff Fellowship, a full scholarship.
While Mr. Tay, Ms. Pennington, and Ms. Wichert worked with children and teens, Margaret Bagwell worked with an older crowd. She assisted volunteers, many of whom were retirees, at the UMCOR-Sager Brown in Baldwin, Louisiana. Projects included improving nonprofits' buildings in and around UMCOR-Sager Brown. One such beautifying project Ms. Bagwell oversaw was planting a garden at a domestic-abuse center.
"After two years in ministry, I've found that I perceive Jesus differently," said Ms. Bagwell. "Jesus' words speak to me louder and louder as a call to initiate change -- to respond to injustice in all its forms. I still believe Jesus is love, but not love as an emotion, love as an action." With the help of a Rotary Scholarship, Ms. Bagwell will pursue her master's degree in anthropology at Bristol University in Bristol, United Kingdom. She is originally from Warner Robins, Georgia.
"In my placement site I learned that though acts of charity are very necessary and good things, acts of justice truly make things better for those suffering from all forms of injustice," Adam Burgett said. "The church's task is to call on the world to repent for these injustices and make things better for all people." As a US-2, Mr. Burgett advocated for social and economic justice at the state capitol. He worked with the Crossroads Urban Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Mr. Burgett, from Goodlettsville, Tennessee, will pursue his master of divinity degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He received the Cal Turner, Jr., Fellowship, a full-tuition scholarship.
This 2006-2008 class of US-2s joins the more than 1,300 US-2s who have completed their service since the program's inception in 1951. Many US-2s are still committed to The United Methodist Church and continue to lead and serve as leaders in church and society.
More about the US-2 program can be found at new.gbgm-umc.org/about/us/mp/missionaries/youngadults/us2/ .
The Wesley-Rankin Center, the Cunningham Children's Home, the Wesley Community Center, UMCOR-Sager Brown, and the Crossroads Urban Center are among the 103 United Methodist National Mission Institutions in the United States. Information about these mission sites can be found at new.gbgm-umc.org/work/communities/nmi/ .
Interviews with these US-2s and others are or will be available at new.gbgm-umc.org/work/missionaries/podcasts/ .
Part IV
A History of Beersheba Springs Hotel and Assembly 1833-2007
By Ann Troutt
In 1999 the Tennessee Annual Conference approved the Together We Can Campaign to benefit the Assembly at Beersheba as well as other conference institutions. United Methodists from throughout the conference made pledges and, as payments designated for Beersheba came in, renovation and construction began to take place. Those involved tried to retain the historic integrity of the old buildings and they attempted to blend the architecture of the new buildings with the old.
The first structure was a bathhouse built in 2002. Located in the open space of the quadrangle between Marvell and Brick Row, it was a welcome addition and a much needed facility. Next a large maintenance building was erected. Late in 2002 Turner Family Lodge was completed. It consisted of two sections, each containing a lobby with a fireplace, a kitchen and 12 bedrooms with baths. Heated and air-conditioned, it provided the first modern year-round accommodations at the Assembly.
In 2003 sewer service was extended from Altamont to Beersheba Springs allowing connections to be made to new structures at the Assembly as well as to older buildings with their outmoded septic tanks. During 2003 the one-story East Side building was replaced with a larger two-story building that was heated and air-conditioned. It contained two meeting rooms and 22 bedrooms with baths.
Restoration of Upper Neal was completed in 2004 and the building was renamed Marcella V. Smith Row. It consisted of eight bedrooms with baths, heat and ceiling fans. The rooms were cooled by natural mountain air flowing through front and back screen doors, as in the past. First floor sleeping quarters in the Hotel were renovated in 2004. Two suites and four bedrooms in the Bishops’ Wing were provided with heat, air conditioning and modern baths. Ella Eaton Gill Dormitory was also constructed in 2004. The building contained bunk beds and a large bath in each end and it had a large meeting room and kitchen in the center. It provided accommodations for 32 persons and was heated and cooled.
By the end of 2004 there was a dilemma: with the increased sleeping capacity provided by the new buildings there was no longer a meeting place large enough for an entire group registered at the facility. United Methodists and other friends of the Assembly came through with the funds to erect a large enclosed structure and in 2006 the Samuel Boyd Smith Multipurpose Building was dedicated. Located in the center of the grounds on the site of the old pavilion, the temperature-controlled building could serve as a meeting hall, as a large classroom, or as a gym with half-court basketball.
Many people have used their skills and resources to make Beersheba Springs Assembly what it is today. Several building names honor the dedication and generosity of individuals and families who have held a special appreciation for Beersheba. Marvell was named for Marvin and Dell Cook during the very earliest years of the Assembly. Marvin (W.M.) Cook was a minister of the Tennessee Conference who spent many hours repairing and building at the Assembly. The stone fireplace in the hotel lobby and the stone inlay with scripture on the observatory were his handiwork. Turner Family Lodge honored the family of Cal Turner, a member of Brentwood United Methodist Church in Nashville and an avid supporter of a number of United Methodist institutions. Marcella V. Smith Row honored a member of Forest Hills United Methodist Church in Nashville. Marcella Smith came to Beersheba year after year for events such as Family Fellowship and each time she stayed in the row of log rooms that, after her death, were named for her. The construction of Ella Eaton Gill Dormitory utilized funds from the sale of property on Black Mountain near Crossville. In 1934 Ella Eaton Gill had donated the mountain acreage to Cumberland Mountain School, an institution of the Tennessee Conference of the Methodist Church. After the school closed, the Tennessee Conference continued to follow her wishes to allow the property to serve as a wildlife preserve and a site for nature appreciation. It was sold in 2001 to the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation to become part of the Cumberland Trail State Park. In 2006 the Multipurpose Building was named for the late Samuel Boyd Smith, a member of Belmont United Methodist Church who devoted many hours to making plans for Beersheba and other outdoor ministries during the years he served on the Tennessee Conference Camping Committee.
Dedicated assembly managers have supervised operation and maintenance and, often with the assistance of a spouse, have offered warm hospitality to guests since 1942. Managers and the years they served were: A. J. Davis, 1942-1948; Dennis Brown, 1949-1966; John N. Balch, 1967; James A. Jacobs, 1968-1970; Elwood Denson, 1971-1973; Herman Buchanan, 1974-1977; I. B. Pennington, 1978-1981; Robert Cate, 1982; Don Clemmons, 1983; Gerald Reid, 1984-1991; William (Bill) Woehler, 1991-1999; Larry Kalas, 1999-2001; Irmie Blanton, 2002-2005; Phillip Geissal, 2005-2006; Richard V. (Dickie) Hinton, 2007.
With the increased interest in camping in the 1970s, the Tennessee Conference created a full-time position of Coordinator of Camping, later termed Director of Camping. Carl Elkins served in this office from 1976 until 1984 dealing with many aspects of program and property at Beersheba and other conference camps. Succeeding directors of camping continued to supervise facilities and many dealt with program. Those directors and the years they served were: James F. Swiney, Jr., 1984-1987; James G. Hughes, Jr., 1987-1995; Terry Carty, 1995-1997; L. C. Troutt, 1998-2001; Beth Morris, 2002-2007.
Facilities and program continue to be a blend of the old and new at Beersheba. The charm of yesteryear is still available in certain rooms that have not yet been modernized. Worship services are still held in the Chapel and at Vesper Point; they are also held in the new Smith Multipurpose Building and in the meeting rooms of other new buildings. Morning watch is still held on the observatory overlooking the valley; it is also held on the deck of Turner Family Lodge overlooking the wooded area. Classes are still held in the lobby of the hotel with participants sitting in rocking chairs by the fireplace; classes are also held in the new meeting rooms and Smith Multipurpose Building with presenters using the latest visual aids and sound systems. Parents still chat on the porches of the quadrangle while their children play in the open area; they also leave their infants and toddlers in the attractive nursery provided in a room of Brick Row. In the quad youngsters still enjoy tetherball, volleyball, badminton and playground equipment; they also delight in slip-and-slide mats on the grass. Young people still walk to Lovers’ Leap; they also travel to nearby rivers for whitewater rafting. They still hike to Stone Door to enjoy the view from the cliff; they also engage in supervised rappelling and rock climbing on the cliff. They still swing to music in the evening; folk dancing to recorded music in the pavilion has been replaced with swaying to live band performances in Smith Multipurpose Building. Oldsters still congregate on the front porch of the hotel to quietly reminisce; only the occasional ringing of a cell phone interrupts the tranquility. Campers still dress casually for campfires; they wear casual clothes for other activities as well. Meals are still announced by the ringing of the dinner bell; food is now selected from a serving line. Rocking chairs still beckon from the weathered porches; they summon from the new breezeways and decks as well.
In reserving the facilities at the Assembly staff has given priority to groups within the Methodist Church, renamed the United Methodist Church in 1968. Others have been welcome to use the facilities, however, for overnight events or for day activities alone. Through the years Methodists and non-Methodists have scheduled day activities that included luncheons, dinners, parties, receptions, weddings, memorial services, reunions, meetings, festivals, photography and nature classes.
Cooperation with the community of Beersheba Springs has been important. In 1968 the Assembly began hosting the Arts and Crafts Festival, a fund-raiser for various community projects. Held in late August, it has continued to be an annual event. In 1980 residents and friends of Beersheba Springs were successful in an effort to place the hotel complex and other buildings in the community on the National Register of Historic Places. Since 2003 a Christmas party for children in the community has been held each year at the Assembly. Staff members participate in July 4th celebrations and parades. The observatory serves as an overlook for residents of the area and for those traveling through who pause to view the beauty of the valley. The stone inset reminds all to lift up their eyes unto the hills.
Beersheba Springs Assembly has served as a place of inspiration, study and fellowship for generations of people seeking respite and spiritual direction for their lives. Samuel Boyd Smith was once asked, “What is Beersheba?” He replied, “Why, Beersheba is the crown jewel of Tennessee!” Many agree that it continues to be just that.
Street Team Update – McKendree United Methodist Church Reprinted from The McKendree Vine, newsletter of McKendree United Methodist Church, May 15, 2008.
Editor’s Note: In the Street Team ministry, members of McKendree go door to door in a fast changing and growing area of Nashville. At each home they ask if there are any prayer needs and then offer to pray with the resident/s. Here, Jordan Callaway shares information about some response to the Street Team ministry.
By Jordan Callaway*
I hope these scenarios encourage you as much as they did us.
We met Jayvion, who was about 11-12 yrs. Old, and we asked him if he or his family had any prayer requests. He told us that his brother died last week. His brother’s name was Tony and he was 25. Apparently he was shot. We laid our hands on him and prayed for him and his family. When we were done praying, we gave him a Thirst flyer and told him to call the number if he ever wanted to come to church. As we were leaving his doorstep he called out, “I’m going to call this number!”
As we were knocking on a door some children were playing catch in the street. One of the kids saw us and yelled out, “Hey Jordan.” We all waved and said, “Hi.” I was confused as to how he knew my name. I asked him and he told me, “I remembered you from when you were here last time.” The thing was that we had not been there since March 18th so it had been almost two months since we had handed him a flyer on the playground. His name was Jawan and he and his cousin David said that they would like to come to church sometime.
The morning after street teams there was a message on the church answering machine that said, “There were 3 gentlemen that came to my door last night and asked if they could pray with me. I turned them away because I was ashamed and embarrassed. But now I am feeling bad that I turned them away because I do have a prayer request, it’s for a friend of mine; he needs your prayers. It really meant a lot that they came to my house and wanted to pray for me. I am so glad they are doing this ministry.”
There were several others that we prayed for a ministered to. We give God all the glory. A lot of intentional prayer went into this excursion. Many people in the church body were praying and have prayed for God to go before us and with us. We were able to see some of the fruit of those prayers. We did our part by being willing to share His love with others, and God did His part by softening hearts!
Keep praying church family! God is doing mighty things in this city!
*Jordan Callaway is McKendree UMC’s Administrator, Director of New Wine Ministries
Second Harvest Mobile pantry comes to Lewisburg
By Karen Hall
Staff Writer
From the Marshall County Tribune, Friday, March 28, 2008
While it may not be on a par with the fishes and loaves, a miracle of sorts took place in Lewisburg this week.
In December the members of First United Methodist Church launched “Care Kitchen,” serving a free hot meal every Thursday night to anyone who cares to show up. At that time, Pastor Leland Carden and his volunteers announced that their next move would be to bring the Second Harvest Mobile Pantry program to Marshall County.
Tuesday, the mobile pantry made its first visit to Lewisburg. Nearly three dozen volunteers braved chilly March winds to meet the Second Harvest truck at the church’s parking lot at 9:15 a.m. and unload 9,000 pounds of food.
People needing free food were lined up around the block by the time the tables were arranged and “shopping” started. They were still going strong two hours later, through the line had shortened somewhat.
Word has been spread through the Human Services Department, the Lewisburg Housing Authority and local churches. Gayle Cook, area manager with Human Services and a member of First United Methodist Church, helped to get everything organized.
“We got it started and at this point we’re planning on doing it monthly ,” Cook says.
Second Harvest sends the first truck for free; the next one will cost $ 150, but Cook says, “I have faith it (the money) won’t be a problem.”
Anyone wishing to make a donation, may call the First United Methodist Church office at 359-3919.
“There’s a lot of people that have to make choices how they spend their money ,” she explains.
“Food, medicine, rent, utilities – there’s a lot of tough choices having to be made today.”
As one of the volunteers is leaving she calls to Cook, “You’re a miracle worker!” Cook replies, “No, Second Harvest is. It’s just a joy to be able to do it.”
Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee opened its doors in 1978. Its purpose is to provide a central distribution center for companies, groups and individuals who wish to help provide food for Middle Tennessee’s hungry.
Modeled after the first food bank established in Phoenix in the mid 1970s, Second Harvest is designed to collect food that would otherwise be wasted, inspect and sort this food, and distribute it to soup kitchens, pantries and shelters serving the hungry. During the first year, this process resulted in a total distribution of 160,000 pounds of food to 75 member agencies.
Today, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee is one of the largest and most comprehensive of more than 200 food banks and food distribution centers nationwide. During the 2006-’07 fiscal year, Second Harvest distributed more than 37.4 million pounds of food to hungry men, women, and children.
Note from Pastor Leland Carden: Donations have been received from several sources to provide 12 months of Second Harvest Mobile Food Pantry. A donation for seven of these months came from a woman who had been helped by our Benevolent Ministries at the Mary Farley Care Center. This woman had inherited some money and wanted to give back to help others.
An Adventure: Love in Action
By Mary Beth Coudal
Left to right, back row: Harris Tay, Adam Burgett, Margaret Bagwell. Front row: Christina Wichert, Emily Pennington. Image by Mary Beth Coudal, GBGM Administration.Last week, five US-2s completed their two years of service and gathered in New York to share insights and plan. US-2s are missionaries in their 20s and 30s who work in hope-filled places -- in this case, United Methodist-related mission centers.
"I graduated college not really knowing where I was headed next," Christina Wichert said. "I knew I wanted an adventure -- a way to get to know a different corner of the world, to meet people who could teach me something new about the world and myself, to grow as a leader and a Christian and make a meaningful difference somewhere. The US-2 program provided all these opportunities and more."
Ms. Wichert from Fairgrove, Michigan, worked with kids at Wesley-Rankin Center in Dallas, Texas. The children who gave her the most trouble turned out to be the ones she remembers most fondly.
In the fall, she will return to the Wesley Rankin Center as an AmeriCorp volunteer through Project Transformation, a United Methodist-related young adult program. Ms. Wichert will continue her work as a case manager with kids at Wesley Rankin.
For the summer, Ms. Wichert will stay in New York to teach young adults about contemporary issues at the Church Center for the United Nations.
Like Ms. Wichert, Emily Pennington worked with children as a US-2. She was the intern for spiritual life activities at the Cunningham Children's Home in Urbana, Illinois.
"I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to serve as a US-2," Ms. Pennington said. "Building a community with other like-minded young people and sharing God's love with the children of my placement site have been great sources of joy in my life." One way Ms. Pennington provided spiritual support was by teaching children how to resolve conflicts peaceably.
Ms. Pennington, whose hometown is Omaha, Nebraska, will attend Creighton University, also in Omaha, to work towards her master's degree in occupational therapy.
Originally from Temple Hills, Maryland, Harris Tay coordinated youth activities at Wesley Community Center, Inc., in Dayton, Ohio. He emphasized the importance of being a steady presence in a child's life. Two years, Mr. Tay reported, is a good length of time to be consistent and make a positive difference in a young person's life.
"Helping others should be an encounter of the selfless sharing of strengths and services," Harris Tay said. "Engaging social justice in any other way perpetuates cultural dominance and hurts the ones we are claiming to serve."
This fall, Mr. Tay will attend Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, to pursue his master of divinity, for which he received the Woodruff Fellowship, a full scholarship.
While Mr. Tay, Ms. Pennington, and Ms. Wichert worked with children and teens, Margaret Bagwell worked with an older crowd. She assisted volunteers, many of whom were retirees, at the UMCOR-Sager Brown in Baldwin, Louisiana. Projects included improving nonprofits' buildings in and around UMCOR-Sager Brown. One such beautifying project Ms. Bagwell oversaw was planting a garden at a domestic-abuse center.
"After two years in ministry, I've found that I perceive Jesus differently," said Ms. Bagwell. "Jesus' words speak to me louder and louder as a call to initiate change -- to respond to injustice in all its forms. I still believe Jesus is love, but not love as an emotion, love as an action." With the help of a Rotary Scholarship, Ms. Bagwell will pursue her master's degree in anthropology at Bristol University in Bristol, United Kingdom. She is originally from Warner Robins, Georgia.
"In my placement site I learned that though acts of charity are very necessary and good things, acts of justice truly make things better for those suffering from all forms of injustice," Adam Burgett said. "The church's task is to call on the world to repent for these injustices and make things better for all people." As a US-2, Mr. Burgett advocated for social and economic justice at the state capitol. He worked with the Crossroads Urban Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Mr. Burgett, from Goodlettsville, Tennessee, will pursue his master of divinity degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He received the Cal Turner, Jr., Fellowship, a full-tuition scholarship.
This 2006-2008 class of US-2s joins the more than 1,300 US-2s who have completed their service since the program's inception in 1951. Many US-2s are still committed to The United Methodist Church and continue to lead and serve as leaders in church and society.
More about the US-2 program can be found at new.gbgm-umc.org/about/us/mp/missionaries/youngadults/us2/ .
The Wesley-Rankin Center, the Cunningham Children's Home, the Wesley Community Center, UMCOR-Sager Brown, and the Crossroads Urban Center are among the 103 United Methodist National Mission Institutions in the United States. Information about these mission sites can be found at new.gbgm-umc.org/work/communities/nmi/ .
Interviews with these US-2s and others are or will be available at new.gbgm-umc.org/work/missionaries/podcasts/ .
Part IV
A History of Beersheba Springs Hotel and Assembly 1833-2007
By Ann Troutt
In 1999 the Tennessee Annual Conference approved the Together We Can Campaign to benefit the Assembly at Beersheba as well as other conference institutions. United Methodists from throughout the conference made pledges and, as payments designated for Beersheba came in, renovation and construction began to take place. Those involved tried to retain the historic integrity of the old buildings and they attempted to blend the architecture of the new buildings with the old.
The first structure was a bathhouse built in 2002. Located in the open space of the quadrangle between Marvell and Brick Row, it was a welcome addition and a much needed facility. Next a large maintenance building was erected. Late in 2002 Turner Family Lodge was completed. It consisted of two sections, each containing a lobby with a fireplace, a kitchen and 12 bedrooms with baths. Heated and air-conditioned, it provided the first modern year-round accommodations at the Assembly.
In 2003 sewer service was extended from Altamont to Beersheba Springs allowing connections to be made to new structures at the Assembly as well as to older buildings with their outmoded septic tanks. During 2003 the one-story East Side building was replaced with a larger two-story building that was heated and air-conditioned. It contained two meeting rooms and 22 bedrooms with baths.
Restoration of Upper Neal was completed in 2004 and the building was renamed Marcella V. Smith Row. It consisted of eight bedrooms with baths, heat and ceiling fans. The rooms were cooled by natural mountain air flowing through front and back screen doors, as in the past. First floor sleeping quarters in the Hotel were renovated in 2004. Two suites and four bedrooms in the Bishops’ Wing were provided with heat, air conditioning and modern baths. Ella Eaton Gill Dormitory was also constructed in 2004. The building contained bunk beds and a large bath in each end and it had a large meeting room and kitchen in the center. It provided accommodations for 32 persons and was heated and cooled.
By the end of 2004 there was a dilemma: with the increased sleeping capacity provided by the new buildings there was no longer a meeting place large enough for an entire group registered at the facility. United Methodists and other friends of the Assembly came through with the funds to erect a large enclosed structure and in 2006 the Samuel Boyd Smith Multipurpose Building was dedicated. Located in the center of the grounds on the site of the old pavilion, the temperature-controlled building could serve as a meeting hall, as a large classroom, or as a gym with half-court basketball.
Many people have used their skills and resources to make Beersheba Springs Assembly what it is today. Several building names honor the dedication and generosity of individuals and families who have held a special appreciation for Beersheba. Marvell was named for Marvin and Dell Cook during the very earliest years of the Assembly. Marvin (W.M.) Cook was a minister of the Tennessee Conference who spent many hours repairing and building at the Assembly. The stone fireplace in the hotel lobby and the stone inlay with scripture on the observatory were his handiwork. Turner Family Lodge honored the family of Cal Turner, a member of Brentwood United Methodist Church in Nashville and an avid supporter of a number of United Methodist institutions. Marcella V. Smith Row honored a member of Forest Hills United Methodist Church in Nashville. Marcella Smith came to Beersheba year after year for events such as Family Fellowship and each time she stayed in the row of log rooms that, after her death, were named for her. The construction of Ella Eaton Gill Dormitory utilized funds from the sale of property on Black Mountain near Crossville. In 1934 Ella Eaton Gill had donated the mountain acreage to Cumberland Mountain School, an institution of the Tennessee Conference of the Methodist Church. After the school closed, the Tennessee Conference continued to follow her wishes to allow the property to serve as a wildlife preserve and a site for nature appreciation. It was sold in 2001 to the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation to become part of the Cumberland Trail State Park. In 2006 the Multipurpose Building was named for the late Samuel Boyd Smith, a member of Belmont United Methodist Church who devoted many hours to making plans for Beersheba and other outdoor ministries during the years he served on the Tennessee Conference Camping Committee.
Dedicated assembly managers have supervised operation and maintenance and, often with the assistance of a spouse, have offered warm hospitality to guests since 1942. Managers and the years they served were: A. J. Davis, 1942-1948; Dennis Brown, 1949-1966; John N. Balch, 1967; James A. Jacobs, 1968-1970; Elwood Denson, 1971-1973; Herman Buchanan, 1974-1977; I. B. Pennington, 1978-1981; Robert Cate, 1982; Don Clemmons, 1983; Gerald Reid, 1984-1991; William (Bill) Woehler, 1991-1999; Larry Kalas, 1999-2001; Irmie Blanton, 2002-2005; Phillip Geissal, 2005-2006; Richard V. (Dickie) Hinton, 2007.
With the increased interest in camping in the 1970s, the Tennessee Conference created a full-time position of Coordinator of Camping, later termed Director of Camping. Carl Elkins served in this office from 1976 until 1984 dealing with many aspects of program and property at Beersheba and other conference camps. Succeeding directors of camping continued to supervise facilities and many dealt with program. Those directors and the years they served were: James F. Swiney, Jr., 1984-1987; James G. Hughes, Jr., 1987-1995; Terry Carty, 1995-1997; L. C. Troutt, 1998-2001; Beth Morris, 2002-2007.
Facilities and program continue to be a blend of the old and new at Beersheba. The charm of yesteryear is still available in certain rooms that have not yet been modernized. Worship services are still held in the Chapel and at Vesper Point; they are also held in the new Smith Multipurpose Building and in the meeting rooms of other new buildings. Morning watch is still held on the observatory overlooking the valley; it is also held on the deck of Turner Family Lodge overlooking the wooded area. Classes are still held in the lobby of the hotel with participants sitting in rocking chairs by the fireplace; classes are also held in the new meeting rooms and Smith Multipurpose Building with presenters using the latest visual aids and sound systems. Parents still chat on the porches of the quadrangle while their children play in the open area; they also leave their infants and toddlers in the attractive nursery provided in a room of Brick Row. In the quad youngsters still enjoy tetherball, volleyball, badminton and playground equipment; they also delight in slip-and-slide mats on the grass. Young people still walk to Lovers’ Leap; they also travel to nearby rivers for whitewater rafting. They still hike to Stone Door to enjoy the view from the cliff; they also engage in supervised rappelling and rock climbing on the cliff. They still swing to music in the evening; folk dancing to recorded music in the pavilion has been replaced with swaying to live band performances in Smith Multipurpose Building. Oldsters still congregate on the front porch of the hotel to quietly reminisce; only the occasional ringing of a cell phone interrupts the tranquility. Campers still dress casually for campfires; they wear casual clothes for other activities as well. Meals are still announced by the ringing of the dinner bell; food is now selected from a serving line. Rocking chairs still beckon from the weathered porches; they summon from the new breezeways and decks as well.
In reserving the facilities at the Assembly staff has given priority to groups within the Methodist Church, renamed the United Methodist Church in 1968. Others have been welcome to use the facilities, however, for overnight events or for day activities alone. Through the years Methodists and non-Methodists have scheduled day activities that included luncheons, dinners, parties, receptions, weddings, memorial services, reunions, meetings, festivals, photography and nature classes.
Cooperation with the community of Beersheba Springs has been important. In 1968 the Assembly began hosting the Arts and Crafts Festival, a fund-raiser for various community projects. Held in late August, it has continued to be an annual event. In 1980 residents and friends of Beersheba Springs were successful in an effort to place the hotel complex and other buildings in the community on the National Register of Historic Places. Since 2003 a Christmas party for children in the community has been held each year at the Assembly. Staff members participate in July 4th celebrations and parades. The observatory serves as an overlook for residents of the area and for those traveling through who pause to view the beauty of the valley. The stone inset reminds all to lift up their eyes unto the hills.
Beersheba Springs Assembly has served as a place of inspiration, study and fellowship for generations of people seeking respite and spiritual direction for their lives. Samuel Boyd Smith was once asked, “What is Beersheba?” He replied, “Why, Beersheba is the crown jewel of Tennessee!” Many agree that it continues to be just that.
Licensing School Participants, Beersheba, May 18-24, 2008
Front Row: Lanita Pride, Dean, Ann Hatcher, Mike Guertin, Brett Gibbons, Danny Coffelt, Rick Dixon, Jimmy Hendricks; 2nd Row: Cathy Cowan, Drew Shelley, Barry Phelps, Gloria Schott, Elizabeth Williams, Don Logan, Tommy Flood, Stacy Cowan; Back Row: Ernie Garner, Bryan Wilson, William Rogan, Eddie Vance, Charles Williams, Dean; Kimi Brown, Wynn Batson, Michele Morton, Judy Stevenson, Jeff Sellers, Ronnie Melton. Photo by Ryan Bennett, DeanApril 27th Church Music Gala at The Schermerhorn
Guest artist Wintley PhippsOn April 27th the Brentwood United Methodist Church Chancel Choir with guest artist Wintley Phipps appeared in concert at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The performance was accompanied by “The Orchestra at Brentwood,” a group comprised of members of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra as well as free-lance players and session players. The Choir and orchestra were conducted by David Keith, Director of Music, Worship and the Arts at Brentwood United Methodist Church. Dr. Keith assumed this position in August, 2006. Prior to coming to Brentwood he was chair of the department of conducting and ensemble activities at Southwestern Seminary. The Chancel Choir has 130+ members, and there are 60 in the Treble Chorus (ages 4th grade through 9th grade) which is directed by James Wells, Director of Music for Youth and Children at Brentwood UMC.
The great hymns of the church never sounded better as they did at the acoustically incredible Schermerhorn Center. Among pieces performed by the choir were “Love Divine, All Loves, Excelling,” “Praise to the Lord the Almighty,” “To God Be the Glory,” “How Firm a Foundation,” “Rejoice the Lord is King.”
A section of the large Brentwood United Methodist Chancel Choir prepares for performance at the Schermerhorn Symphony CenterGuest artist Wintley Augustus Phipps was born in Trinidad, West Indies, and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is a world-renowned vocal artist, pastor, motivational speaker, and education activist. He is the founder, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Dream Academy, Inc. The Dream Academy is a non-profit organization that features a customized on line curriculum to increase reading, math, English comprehension and proficiency; an enhanced capacity to navigate the Internet; and weekly one-to-one mentoring that focuses on values enrichment and character building for children of prisoners and those falling behind in school.
He has performed on the Oprah Winfrey Show, The Billy Graham Crusades, Saturday Night Live, and numerous television shows and telethons. He has sung before four U.S. Presidents, performed at the Vatican, and was nominated for Grammy Awards in 1988 and 1989. His recording of hymns is the ONLY recording ever endorsed by Bill Graham.
The Treble Chorus under the direction of James WellsRounding out the musical feast were a performance of Symphony No. 3 in C-minor by Camille Saint-Saens featuring organist Gregg Bunn; and an orchestral performance of Symphony No. 5 in D-Major, op. 107 “Reformation” by Felix Mendelssohn.
Near the beginning of the program Wintley Phipps and an appreciative audience applauded the presence of Dr. Howard Olds who is retiring as Senior Pastor of Brentwood UMC at Annual Conference 2008.
posted by TN Conference UMC @ 12:15 PM
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