To the church in West Virgina and Christians everywhere:
At about 6:15 this evening (Sunday, June 29th) an honored minister of the church received the mercy of God. Marge Green died in the Camden Clark Memorial Hospital here in Parkersburg, the city that she has called home for over 20 years. She has been well cared for by the faithful during her sudden illness. She passed peacefully and with dignity.
Marge came to West Virginia to serve as an Associate Regional Minister. She impacted our Women's, Youth, and Missional ministries in many wonderful ways. Upon her retirement she decided to stay in WV, her adopted home, and continued to serve actively in the congregation and region. Most recently she enjoyed our assembly in Huntington. She also received a first hand report about Junior Camp from two campers just prior to her downward slide. This made her happy and I dare say a bit proud!
Her niece and sister are coming to town, and the Memorial Service will be on Wednesday, July 2, at 11:00 am. This will take place at the Parkersburg First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 1400 Washington Ave, Parkersburg, WV.
This will call for a cancellation of the previusly scheduled "College of Ministers" gathering that was to happen in New Martinsville. All clergy are requested to come to Parkersburg instead, and are asked to bring vestments (white is the color for a memorial service - it is an Easter event!) for participation in the service procession.
Our church has been strengthened by the presence of Marge Green. She was and will continue to be a gift from God.
A lundheon celebration will follow the service.
My love to you all,
Thaddaeus
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Louise Griswold Remembered
We have received word that Louise Griswold, widow of Rev. Walter Griswold, passed away on Monday, May 19. She was 94 and was a resident of Greystone Villages near Beckley. Her late husband served as pastor of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Beckley from 1962-1965.
A memorial service will be held in Beckley in June, probably the 29th but the date is yet to be confirmed. Her ashes will be sent, as were Walter's ashes, to Decatur, Ill (Walter's birthplace) and San Antonio, TX, (Louise's birthplace).
Condolensces may be sent to Louise's son:
Jed Griswold
143 Waumsett Ave.
Cumberland, RI 02864
Our sincere sympathies to all who remember and celebrate the life of this servant of God.
A memorial service will be held in Beckley in June, probably the 29th but the date is yet to be confirmed. Her ashes will be sent, as were Walter's ashes, to Decatur, Ill (Walter's birthplace) and San Antonio, TX, (Louise's birthplace).
Condolensces may be sent to Louise's son:
Jed Griswold
143 Waumsett Ave.
Cumberland, RI 02864
Our sincere sympathies to all who remember and celebrate the life of this servant of God.
History Site Honors WV Woman
The following is from the Disciples of Christ Historical Society.
A Faithful Voice
But Disciple missionary, social justice advocate, and educator Mae Yoho Ward (1900-1983) never gave up. And her deep, life-long sense of God's presence probably explains why.Born to a West Virginia Disciple pastor two decades before women could vote, Ward studied at Bethany College, where she graduated in 1923. Going on to serve as director of religious education for the Christian Church in West Virginia and Ohio, she longed to follow in her father's footsteps and study at Yale Divinity School. When the Divinity School refused her admission because of gender, she instead entered a Yale graduate program in education.
After graduate school, Ward went to Argentina as a missionary with her husband Normal, whom she had met at Yale. But when the couple returned from Latin America to serve a church in Ohio, their marriage broke up. Having lost one child and now all alone with a young son, the Ivy League missionary and single mom worked any job she could, including cleaning hotel rooms and peddling biscuit samples in grocery stores. "It was a time of humiliation, hopelessness, and near poverty," her son later wrote.
In those dark days a miracle occurred, to borrow the son's term. Robert M. Hopkins (1878-1955), president of the United Christian Missionary Society, invited Ward in 1941 to serve as the organization's executive secretary for Latin America. She would later become chair of the UCMS World Mission Division – predecessor to today's Division of Overseas Ministries – and finally UCMS vice president, a post she held until retiring in 1967.
In addition to executive leadership, Ward also expressed her faith by speaking out on civil rights and farmworker justice. And retirement never seemed to stick. In 1969, the Board of Higher Education – now Higher Education Leadership Ministries (HELM) – called Ward back into service. Even after retiring a second time in 1976, Ward became a volunteer grounds keeper for Disciples headquarters in Indianapolis.
Despite obstacles in her life – a broken marriage at a time divorce was stigmatized, doors shut simply because she was a woman – Ward "continued to pursue what she understood to be God's call," says Scott Seay, assistant professor of the history of global Christianity at Christian Theological Seminary. He adds that Ward "understood that God calls and equips all people for ministry.”
T.J Liggett, former CTS president, believes that there was “no doubt that she held a very vital and strong sense of God's presence. But that sense was more than just a sentiment or a feeling. It was a fundamental, operational principle. ... In the midst of plans, budgets, boards, committees, Mae saw the presence and activity of God."During a long life spanning most of the 20th century, Mae Yoho Ward was an exemplary Disciple – persevering in hardship, committed to service, passionate about justice, and constant in prayer.
Written by: Ted Parks for the Disciples of Christ Historical Society
Thursday, June 12, 2008
From the Regional Minister: Death of an Honored Pastor
The Reverend James Lowe passed away early this week. Jim is an honored and respected minister of the church. He held the title Minister Emeritus from our congregation in Grafton. He died in Beckley where services will be held. Viewing will take place on Thursday from 5-9, and the service of grateful memory will be held at 1:00 on Friday at the Rose & Quisenberry Funeral Home in Beckley. The Reverend Don Snyder will be the presiding minister. I will represent the region and offer our collective love to his family and our appreciation for a fine life of ministry. Also representing the region will be at his funeral will be the Regional Minister Emeritus and the Deputy Regional Minister.Thaddaeus B. AllenRegional Minister
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Kevin Snow Honored
Release by Lexington Theological Seminary:
LEXINGTON, KY. Kevin Snow of Huntington, WV was among thosestudents receiving graduate theological degrees May 16 at LexingtonTheological Seminary. He earned a Master of Divinity degree.
He has been called to serve as Clergy Resident with CommunityChristian Church in Kansas City, MO. The residency is sponsored by LillyEndowment, Inc.
During the annual Seminary Awards Celebration on May 15, Snowwas awarded the Christian Board of Publication Award, The George V. MooreAward for Excellence in Field Education, and the R. Robert and Linda CueniAward for Excellence in Homiletics. In seminary, Snow served as associateminister of Oxford Christian Church, Oxford, KY. He was also a studentrepresentative to the Seminary¹s Master¹s Committee.
He is the son of Edgar and Holly Snow of Huntington and agraduate of Marshall University.
Lexington Theological Seminary is a graduate theologicalinstitution affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
LEXINGTON, KY. Kevin Snow of Huntington, WV was among thosestudents receiving graduate theological degrees May 16 at LexingtonTheological Seminary. He earned a Master of Divinity degree.
He has been called to serve as Clergy Resident with CommunityChristian Church in Kansas City, MO. The residency is sponsored by LillyEndowment, Inc.
During the annual Seminary Awards Celebration on May 15, Snowwas awarded the Christian Board of Publication Award, The George V. MooreAward for Excellence in Field Education, and the R. Robert and Linda CueniAward for Excellence in Homiletics. In seminary, Snow served as associateminister of Oxford Christian Church, Oxford, KY. He was also a studentrepresentative to the Seminary¹s Master¹s Committee.
He is the son of Edgar and Holly Snow of Huntington and agraduate of Marshall University.
Lexington Theological Seminary is a graduate theologicalinstitution affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).
General Church: Longtime Disciples Leaders Announce Plans To Step Aside
Disciples News Service:
(Indianapolis, Ind. – DNS – May 30, 2008) - Two longtime general ministry servants have announced their plans to step aside so that they can spend more time together.
Johnny Wray, director of Week of Compassion since 1992, and Deborrah Wray, a development officer with the Christian Church Foundation since 1992, will leave their positions at the end of 2008.
The couple wed in 2002, and desires to spend more time together in less travel-dominated fields.
“Johnny has done a tremendous job in connecting Disciples with the poor, the victims of war and natural disasters and those who have been oppressed,” said Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President. “He has been the face of Week of Compassion, and he has served the church well.”
During his tenure, Week of Compassion has become one of the church’s most well-known ministries, providing emergency funding and humanitarian aid through church partnerships around the globe, every day.
“The past decade and a half have been the most fulfilling and rewarding years of my life,” Johnny Wray told the Week of Compassion Committee. “But I believe now is the time for new leadership at the helm of WOC, and Deb and I look forward to returning to our place in Mississippi.”
John Richardson, chair of the Week of Compassion Committee, said: “We respect Johnny’s desire to spend a greater amount of time on his farm with family. People around the world have been blessed by Johnny’s ability to raise money and then ensure that it gets to those in need. His name will forever be linked to the Disciples of Christ ministries of disaster relief, political or economic crisis, and the ministries of self-help and development to lift the poorest people in the world out of poverty, hunger and injustice. He has connected the individuals in our local church pews to the needs of the whole world.”
His wife, Debbie, will leave the Foundation as the vice president serving donors and congregations in an area that stretches from Illinois to New York and into the Northeast.
“The church has been blessed by Debbie’s faithfulness, attentiveness and leadership,” said Gary Kidwell, Foundation president. “Her passion for the ministries of the church is unwavering, and her love for the church helped her play an important role in connecting Disciples donors with their passions.”
“This was not just a job for Debbie – this has been ministry.”
Kidwell said Darwin Collins, who had been announced to join the Foundation staff in the fall, will assume sole responsibility for the Great Lakes Zone after Debbie leaves. “We are grateful that there will be some significant time for the two people to overlap so that our services to donors and congregations in that area will be seamless,” Kidwell said.
The Office of General Minister and President, in consultation with the Week of Compassion Committee, will appoint a search committee to seek Johnny Wray’s replacement.
The Christian Church Foundation is a general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) devoted to helping Disciples make a difference through planned gifts and permanent funds that undergird church ministries. To find out more about Christian Church Foundation, visit: www.disciples.org/ccf/. To learn more about Week of Compassion, go to: www.weekofcompassion.org
(Indianapolis, Ind. – DNS – May 30, 2008) - Two longtime general ministry servants have announced their plans to step aside so that they can spend more time together.
Johnny Wray, director of Week of Compassion since 1992, and Deborrah Wray, a development officer with the Christian Church Foundation since 1992, will leave their positions at the end of 2008.
The couple wed in 2002, and desires to spend more time together in less travel-dominated fields.
“Johnny has done a tremendous job in connecting Disciples with the poor, the victims of war and natural disasters and those who have been oppressed,” said Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President. “He has been the face of Week of Compassion, and he has served the church well.”
During his tenure, Week of Compassion has become one of the church’s most well-known ministries, providing emergency funding and humanitarian aid through church partnerships around the globe, every day.
“The past decade and a half have been the most fulfilling and rewarding years of my life,” Johnny Wray told the Week of Compassion Committee. “But I believe now is the time for new leadership at the helm of WOC, and Deb and I look forward to returning to our place in Mississippi.”
John Richardson, chair of the Week of Compassion Committee, said: “We respect Johnny’s desire to spend a greater amount of time on his farm with family. People around the world have been blessed by Johnny’s ability to raise money and then ensure that it gets to those in need. His name will forever be linked to the Disciples of Christ ministries of disaster relief, political or economic crisis, and the ministries of self-help and development to lift the poorest people in the world out of poverty, hunger and injustice. He has connected the individuals in our local church pews to the needs of the whole world.”
His wife, Debbie, will leave the Foundation as the vice president serving donors and congregations in an area that stretches from Illinois to New York and into the Northeast.
“The church has been blessed by Debbie’s faithfulness, attentiveness and leadership,” said Gary Kidwell, Foundation president. “Her passion for the ministries of the church is unwavering, and her love for the church helped her play an important role in connecting Disciples donors with their passions.”
“This was not just a job for Debbie – this has been ministry.”
Kidwell said Darwin Collins, who had been announced to join the Foundation staff in the fall, will assume sole responsibility for the Great Lakes Zone after Debbie leaves. “We are grateful that there will be some significant time for the two people to overlap so that our services to donors and congregations in that area will be seamless,” Kidwell said.
The Office of General Minister and President, in consultation with the Week of Compassion Committee, will appoint a search committee to seek Johnny Wray’s replacement.
The Christian Church Foundation is a general ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) devoted to helping Disciples make a difference through planned gifts and permanent funds that undergird church ministries. To find out more about Christian Church Foundation, visit: www.disciples.org/ccf/. To learn more about Week of Compassion, go to: www.weekofcompassion.org
College of Ministers to Gather
The clergy, active and retired, of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia will gather as "The College of Ministers" at First Christian Church, New Martinsville on July 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Leadership at this first gathering will be by the Regional Minister, who will guide a discussion on Ministers and Finances.
Reservations for the day should be made by June 27 with Rev. David Chafin. Questions may also be directed to him.
Reservations for the day should be made by June 27 with Rev. David Chafin. Questions may also be directed to him.
Regional Board to Gather
The Regional Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia will gather at 10:30 a.m. on July 26, in the Community Room at First Christian Church, Parkersburg (lower level). Questions or reservations for the meeting should be directed to the Regional Office as soon as possible.
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