Why another blog?
Why did I create another blog? Well, it certainly wasn’t because I had tons of free time!
No, the main reason I wanted another blog was because there are times when I do feel like I am “Between a (Theological) Rock and a Hard Place.” And since I want to keep my “Prayerlogue” http://www.prayerlogue.blogspot.com just that - a “prayer” logue filled with mostly prayers, devotionals, meditations and sermons, I decided to create another blog for my “ramblings” and thoughts.
Who am I, and how have I come to this place in my physical and spiritual journey? That’s a long story. Fifty-one+ years long, as a matter of fact.
My husband Joe and I have been married 30 years this past summer. We have 2 boys, Joe, Jr who got married this summer, and John who has started the University of Tennessee with a Jazz major. So, while I don’t have to “see to” them much anymore, we still care for my Dad, and my husband’s Dad (my mother has “gone home” and Joe’s mother is in a nursing home in the later stages of Alzheimer’s.) Plus, we live on a 65 acre, 200 year old family farm, and I own a business,( http://www.newmanvalley.com ) with 1 full-time employee, that is located here on the farm.
We are life-long Methodists. We belong to a church in a 3-point charge in the Knoxville District, in the Holston Conference. I’ve been a member here for 41 of my 51 years, joining the church as a 10 year old after taking confirmation class in the fall of 1964.
I grew up in one of the churches on the circuit, and Joe grew up in one of the others. When we got married, I moved my membership to “his” church, but we really feel like we belong to all three. (When we got married, we didn’t send invitations, we just printed it in the bulletin, which is used in all three churches - there was standing room only at the wedding!)
I have been active in the church all my life. I remember leading “prayer meeting” when I was about 10-12, and being called on to pray in the congregation as an early teenager. We’ve held nearly every position in the local church. Joe has been/is Church and Parsonage trustee, SS superintendent, music leader, and chair of the Church Council.
My most continuous positions are member of the PPR, Lay Leader, Adult SS teacher, and since the late 70’s - Certified Lay Speaker. But my “passion” is Bible study. There is nothing I love more than studying God’s Word.
We’ve tried to “leave” the UMC for nearly 25 years now, but God keeps bringing us back here. We feel such a need to minister to these people. “Preachers” come and go but the laity stays around. (We’ve had 14 pastors in these 40 years, and with one staying 9 years - that makes 13 for the other 31 years, or an average of only 2.5 years each!) Or as I’ve often heard my Mother say, “I was here when he came, and I’ll be here when he leaves, and I’ll be John Brown if a preacher makes me leave my church!”
Well, that’s it in a nutshell. There is, of course, a much longer story, which is the reason I needed a place to write it down. I’m sure I’ll be telling some of these stories as I go along.
Oh, one more thing - I’m about as “Southern” as they come. And, I often write like I talk. So, if you need a “translation” just ask!
Betty
No, the main reason I wanted another blog was because there are times when I do feel like I am “Between a (Theological) Rock and a Hard Place.” And since I want to keep my “Prayerlogue” http://www.prayerlogue.blogspot.com just that - a “prayer” logue filled with mostly prayers, devotionals, meditations and sermons, I decided to create another blog for my “ramblings” and thoughts.
Who am I, and how have I come to this place in my physical and spiritual journey? That’s a long story. Fifty-one+ years long, as a matter of fact.
My husband Joe and I have been married 30 years this past summer. We have 2 boys, Joe, Jr who got married this summer, and John who has started the University of Tennessee with a Jazz major. So, while I don’t have to “see to” them much anymore, we still care for my Dad, and my husband’s Dad (my mother has “gone home” and Joe’s mother is in a nursing home in the later stages of Alzheimer’s.) Plus, we live on a 65 acre, 200 year old family farm, and I own a business,( http://www.newmanvalley.com ) with 1 full-time employee, that is located here on the farm.
We are life-long Methodists. We belong to a church in a 3-point charge in the Knoxville District, in the Holston Conference. I’ve been a member here for 41 of my 51 years, joining the church as a 10 year old after taking confirmation class in the fall of 1964.
I grew up in one of the churches on the circuit, and Joe grew up in one of the others. When we got married, I moved my membership to “his” church, but we really feel like we belong to all three. (When we got married, we didn’t send invitations, we just printed it in the bulletin, which is used in all three churches - there was standing room only at the wedding!)
I have been active in the church all my life. I remember leading “prayer meeting” when I was about 10-12, and being called on to pray in the congregation as an early teenager. We’ve held nearly every position in the local church. Joe has been/is Church and Parsonage trustee, SS superintendent, music leader, and chair of the Church Council.
My most continuous positions are member of the PPR, Lay Leader, Adult SS teacher, and since the late 70’s - Certified Lay Speaker. But my “passion” is Bible study. There is nothing I love more than studying God’s Word.
We’ve tried to “leave” the UMC for nearly 25 years now, but God keeps bringing us back here. We feel such a need to minister to these people. “Preachers” come and go but the laity stays around. (We’ve had 14 pastors in these 40 years, and with one staying 9 years - that makes 13 for the other 31 years, or an average of only 2.5 years each!) Or as I’ve often heard my Mother say, “I was here when he came, and I’ll be here when he leaves, and I’ll be John Brown if a preacher makes me leave my church!”
Well, that’s it in a nutshell. There is, of course, a much longer story, which is the reason I needed a place to write it down. I’m sure I’ll be telling some of these stories as I go along.
Oh, one more thing - I’m about as “Southern” as they come. And, I often write like I talk. So, if you need a “translation” just ask!
Betty
posted by Betty Newman at 10:00 PM
2 Comments:
Betty,
I'm responding to the comment you left on my blog. I would have responded there but thought it was important enough to go directly to the source.
There are several misconceptions within your comments. First, the conference does not own the church facilities. They are held "in trust" by the conference. The official owners of the building are the officers of the congregation's incorporation, normally the Board of Trustees, so as long as their is a Bd. of Trustees and an operating incorporation, the conference has no rights over the buildings.
The conference cannot force a congregation to close. What the conference can do is not appoint a pastor to the congregation. A congregation is closed only by the vote of its members. I don't know who has told you something other than this, but they don't know the Discipline very well.
I did respond on my blog about what your mother said about pastors, I'll let you look there if you're interested.
Hello again Betty,
This time on your other Blog where I look forward to further stories about yourlife in the Church.
Do I detect a minor "Hornets Nest"from,johnb?It all sounds rather politcal(small p).
I'll talk to you again soon,
Derek
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