JoAnne and I were at our church's annual summer picnic, held this year at Sunrise Park in Suffield, CT. I saw the cake on the table decorated with "40 years" but did not read further as the words were partly covered by the box. Thinking about the summer fiftieth anniversary celebrations of some in our congregation, my mind wondered, "Whose anniversary did I miss?"
JoAnne and I were completely surprised upon being told that the celebration cake (pictured) was for us. It was in honor of forty years of ministry as pastor and pastor's wife. In my case, JoAnne has always been a partner in ministry in so many ways. When we were ready for dessert, everyone gathered and Judy Holcomb, council chair, presented us with a beautiful card which I am reading in the picture. Enclosed was a generous gift card to local restaurants which we enjoy. In addition we were informed that the congregation was also collecting a gift for World Hope International, our favorite charity. We were delighted about this as we make a practice of giving each other this kind of gift as part of our Christmas and contribute regularly all year as well. Harrison and Carol Griffin also presented us with a new daylily named Daring Deception (pictured) for my collection in honor of the occasion. (Only daylily nuts like me try to keep track of the flower names.)
Forty years ago we arrived in a U-Haul at Bentley Creek Pennsylvania Wesleyan Church pulling our car behind and with our then 18 month-old daughter Keely belted in her bucket seat between us on the bench seat of the truck. Twelve years later we moved to Kirkville, near Syracuse, NY where we served at Community Wesleyan for 22 years. In 2013, I retired from full-time ministry and began part-time service as pastor at Copper Hill United Methodist Church in East Granby, CT. We have just completed 6 years in a country church that reminds me very much of the country church where I grew up.