Four weeks ago, I wrote the last pastoral letter to you before beginning a journey to Africa with seventeen brothers and sisters from HCN. It was a return trip for Anna and me having first visited in June of 2008. Hermitage Church was well-cared-for by the exceptional pastoral staff team which remained state side. Preaching responsibilities were assigned to Ken Jewett, Rondy Smith, and Carol Waller. Pastoral responsibilities were shared by this team including Shane Tarter. As the senior associate, Rondy and I had conversations about possible needs which might arise but none of us could have predicted the grief care needed at the sudden death of nineteen year old, Palmer Maphet. Pastoral ministry is both Spirit-driven and instinctual. God equips us with gifts and graces or we are barren. Rondy and Shane and Carol and Ken moved toward the Maphet family and toward the HCN family with the gifts and graces of God and God carried everyone. Rondy led the congregation in mourning on Sunday and Shane helped to lead in the memorial service on Thursday. Tommy Boner left an emotional voice-mail message on my phone telling me how God had mightily used Rondy and Shane and the church all week and how proud he felt of the family.
We heard of Palmer’s death in Africa from a phone call in the early evening and those of us who knew him gathered to weep. We shared in a memorial service for him later in the week. We missed the comfort of weeping with all of you. Palmer Maphet was an exceptional young man who loved God and loved us. He died on mission for God. His race was too short.
All of our airline connections to and from Africa worked this year. Not all of the air conditioning units in the planes worked. We will schedule an evening to tell our stories to you and in the meantime, I will attempt to not tell them all in preaching. I look forward to hearing the stories of the Mission Team to Europe.
Ken Jewett is an ordained Wesleyan minister whose credentials will be transferred to the Church of the Nazarene this Thursday evening, July 8, 2010, in Memphis during the ordination service of District Assembly. Ken and Robin have lived their entire lives as members of the Wesleyan Church. This week, they become Nazarenes. Welcome. You make us better. I hope we make you better.
Ronnie Thompson was ordained an elder in the Church of the Nazarene on the North Arkansas District on Thursday, June 17, 2010. Congratulations to Ronnie. Ronnie served through most of his ministerial life at HCN. He is the husband of Jenni McMillan Thompson; the son of Ron and Delores Thompson; the son-in-law of Herb and Miriam McMillan. He is the wild and crazy daddy of Ben and Shelby.
Middle School Students participated in Mission Week last week in-town. The group worked one day at church, one day at the Siloma Medical Clinic, one day in downtown Nashville. Some of the students were Annie Cater, Kristin Paddon, Chandler Scott, Kailey Perkins, Holly Baughman, Marileigh Mabry, Jacob Paddon, Jared Mannen, Caleb Foster, Abby Elkins, Ashley Wallace, Hannah Jackson, Nathanael Jackson, Nikki Graves, Eddie Mahoney, Ryan Mahoney, Josh Elkins, Rachel Thimell, Clay Cochran, Keely Dozier, Olivia Garrett, Bryson Fox, Josh Pilarski, Isabella Green, Haylee Gold, JD Hall.
Some of the chaperones were Jake Resor, Daniel Smith, Ken Jewett, Treila Garrett, Diane Cater.
I will attend the District Conventions and Assembly in Memphis this week as a representative of our church. I hope to be home and back on a regular schedule next week. I miss regular schedules. I hope you are well and safe and vacationing and renewing and getting ready for new seasons in your life.
In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Howard
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