Introduction to Ministry Stories

My life in the service of the church has been a very satisfying, fulfilling one. At age 22 I was consecrated with my husband by Bishop Goodson of Virginia. I was not a typical minister’s wife. Having few domestic skills I did not take homemade soup to shut ins or start knitting ministries. But I used what talents I had and feel humbly grateful for opportunities in my life I would never have had otherwise.

One was the opportunity to travel to some exotic places like Sarawak (Borneo), behind the Iron Curtain, up the Amazon, on an African safari, to Panama and to the slums of India. We did not travel with a tour group but lived among the natives.

I had the opportunity to write—articles, curriculum, plays and books about my local church experiences. Then I gave workshops and talks on these books to National Conferences and Seminaries. I was the Key Presenter at state Denominational meetings for Christian Educators in almost all 50 states. I spoke before National Conferences of Christian Educators for the United Methodist Church, Presbyterian Church, Catholic Church, Episcopal Church, Church of the Brethren and many Ecumenical groups.

As exciting as all of this was, my most cherished blessing of being in ministry was the people I met along the way. David and I got to share intimately in the most important times in people’s lives. Dozens of weddings (each unique), christenings and funerals. We shared the agony of a young couple whose 2 year old son wandered from their home for just a few moments while his Mother was on the telephone and drowned in a nearby pond and the celebratory funeral recently of a 100 year old woman, still alert and engaged, who was in our first church and kept in touch with us every year since at Christmas. We were present when a family got the news that their son was killed in Vietnam and we had personal friendships with unbelievably brave persons who fled oppression in foreign countries and found a new life in our country and church community.

I was just a typical young girl from a conservative Southern town who feels that I have been truly blessed to have lived this life. I’d like to share some of these experiences