Recap of Anniversary Celebration CELEBRATING 60 YEARS OF MINISTRY @ SO 22 & PHOENIX AVE. As the song says, "It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing. That's how it is with God's love once you've experienced it; you spread His love to everyone; you want to pass it on." Last November/December, 2022, Suzanne Harmon Gibson remembered that Wesley's 60th anniversary of moving into their new facility would be rolling around in 2023, and a celebration was in order, causing a spark of excitement to ignite into a full flame within the congregation. The current church actually was formed in 1960 with the merger of two small southside churches, Glover and St. Luke's; however it took three years under the guidance of architect Jack Ledbetter and a building committee formed of a balanced group from Glover and St. Luke's to acquire land and complete erection of a facility on the corner of So. 22nd and Phoenix, where the first worship service was held on Easter Sunday, 1963. Under Gibson's able guidance and organization, the current membership of Wesley UMC hosted a homecoming/reunion celebration on Sunday, July 30, with 135 people in attendance for a rousing worship service led by Rev. Dennis Spence, who had his first pastoral appointment at Wesley. Based on Romans 8:1-4, Spence challenged the congregation to be three dimensional in living their Christian lives: be faithful (past), be relevant (present), and be hopeful (look/move to the future). Several current and former musicians were present to share their talents: Jo Maxwell, Justin Cates, Carrie Miller, Mary Beth Oliver,Shane Sanderson, Randy Alexander, Debbie Reather Travis, Kathy Sharp Plant, and Blanche (Hill) West. Two Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to two brothers in Christ from the original churches of Glover and St. Luke's who have faithfully served Jesus Christ with dedication: George Jensen and Harley Strang. Blanche West, Chair of the current One Council Board, presented the awards, focusing on the two men's loyal and never-faltering service in several different capacities such as finance and stewardship, trustees, and children's ministries, as well as Young at Heart activities through-out the years. Since 1960, Jensen and Strang have been "walking the talk." Scripture says: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9. "Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Jesus." Colossians 3:17 The audience erupted in a standing ovation of love and appreciation for the two.
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