(Editor’s note: The following is a submission to The Recorder’s weekly column titled “Faith Matters.” Each Saturday, a different faith leader in Franklin County offers a personal religious perspective in this space. For information on becoming part of this series, email religion@recorder.com or call 413-772-0261, ext. 265.)
On a late May evening in 1738, Rev. John Wesley slowly walked through the streets of London, England on his way to a society meeting. He was on his way to Nettle Court in Aldersgate, even though he did not want to go. He was struggling mightily under his failing faith. His ministries and private life had been one disaster after another. He desperately wanted to experience real faith. During the meeting, a member read the preface from Martin Luther to the book Letter to the Romans. The words struck Wesley to the core and set him on a course to revive Christianity.
Because of his message, the pulpits of England were closed to him. Encouraged by his friend, George Whitfield, he became a field preacher, reaching thousands in coal mines and factories. The open air grass-roots style eventually made it to the colonies. It exploded during Western expansion. Circuit riding ministers supervised small groups over a large area; lay people kept the groups active while ministers reinforced faith and spiritual growth on their rare visits.
Fast forward to Greenfield
First United Methodist Church is a 21st-century version of this early Methodist tradition. For the past eight years, we have been a group of trained lay people teaming with clergy to lead the congregation. The team is made up of a pastor, Karen Gutowski, and four lay servants – Sharlene Cormie, Kurt Pearson, Kris Pelis and Jeanette Streeter – as well as several others on the team who add gifts of music leadership and worship support. These key leaders provide a wonderful diversity of ideas and gifts to the church. They keep us on task as we seek to be a people growing in our faith and inviting others to also know the joy of Jesus’ love. We all take a turn in the pulpit leading worship; with the exception of the first Sunday of the month, when Pastor Karen leads worship and serves communion, the congregation doesn’t know who might be preaching. We offer the congregation five different styles of preaching.
5 styles of preaching
Sharlene’s preaching style is passionate and typically about service and how we as a congregation can help others. Whether it be going with a group from FUMC to John’s Island in South Carolina every March to work with Rural Mission helping poor families fix their homes or simply helping with the caretaking of our building. Rural Mission has been a big part of our congregation for more than 25 years.
Kurt’s preaching style tends to lean towards the historic aspect of the Bible. A sermon of his will typically include the background of the Bible story or he will set the scene with descriptions of housing, clothing and social structure. He will take that history and apply the lesson to today.
Kris’ preaching style is emotional and usually geared toward helping in the community and giving to those less fortunate. She is a big proponent of feeding the hungry in our community.
Jeannette’s preaching style is breaking down the scripture reading and explaining what each part means to us today.
Pastor Karen’s preaching style is fun and witty. She infuses the sermon with drama and song while instilling in the congregation the message of her sermon. Pastor Karen is a lifelong United Methodist and has been a pastor for 21 years. She first experienced her call into the ministry when she was 12 years old, but put aside the idea that she could be a minister. While many discouraged her from considering the ministry, several pastors encouraged her to listen to her call. For a long time she continued as a lay servant, preaching when called upon and taking on many tasks in the congregation where she was a member. In the 1990s, she found that God’s persistent call and a sense that she was ready for the commitment to the ministry came together and she began serving a church in Springfield while continuing her education in a program for second career people.
The congregation blends the best of Methodist tradition of calling lay people into active ministry with a pastor to share responsibilities for the spiritual journey of the people and the responsibility to be in the world making changes and seeking to be signs of justice. The ministry team provides Bible study, mission and outreach support; we support national, international and local missions such as Church World Services; Heifer Project; Rural Mission; and Franklin County Community Meals. And most importantly, the team helps with congregational care in support of the pastor.
Our road to change
Nothing is permanent except change — especially when it is unwanted and can throw us off balance, which is what happened to FUMC eight years ago when we were left without a pastor and had to put some leadership into place to keep us going. If we keep an open mind, open eyes and an open heart, we will often discover in change great opportunities and experiences we would never have imagined. Maybe you can’t change the whole world, but here is what you can do. You can make the world a better place for one – one person; one animal; one neighborhood or one community. It is in doing whatever good you can right around you that you discover life’s purpose and meaning. There is nothing like a support system – family members, friends, and neighbors we can call on and know that they will be there for us. They will provide everything from a word of encouragement to a full-fledged rescue, and we can’t imagine life without them.
If you decide to come and spend your Sabbath worship with us, you will find a group of sojourning Christians supporting and caring for each other. You may even sense the Holy Spirit that led an Anglican priest to accept the world as his parish.
First United Methodist Church worships at 10 a.m. on Sundays (9:30 a.m. in July and August) and offers Sunday school during service for children 3 years to fifth grade. Office hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. We are located at 25 Church St., Greenfield. You can reach us at 413-772-6935 or by email at fumcgreenfield@comcast.net