A Nostalgic Look at BUMC UMW![]() SUBMITTED BY GAIL R. SHEFFER Looking through my file cabinet recently I discovered a membership roster for the "New Life Circle" January 2003. There were two other UMW circles at that time, "Circle of Love" and "Wesleyanns." Our minister's wife, Rochelle Davis, felt the need for a younger group of United Methodist Women, thus the formation of the "New Life Circle" made up of Brenda Beck, Louise Cooper, Rochelle Davis, Martha Doerner, Grace Fowler, Martha Harber, Dena Kitchens, Dottie Langford, Mary Langford, Carolyn Matthews, Becky Mitchell, Frances Patterson, Gail Powell, Helen Roberts, Joy (Roebuck) Maney, Janice Ross, Joyce Ross, Ann Smith, Judy Stewart, Esther Stroud, Mary Loyce Wheeler, and Ann Wright. Dena Kitchens was the youngest member and I (Gail Bales Powell) was the oldest. I remember Dena saying it felt weird being in the same circle with her mother. We met monthly in members' homes or the Fellowship Hall and loved to "eat out" and go on retreats. A member of one of the other circles asked, "But what do you all do?" Our reply was "we eat, we laugh, we eat, we sing, we eat, we pray, and we study." I remember doing a program on Prayer and another on The Holy Spirit. Mary Loyce Wheeler was our authority of Bible study and kept us on the straight and narrow. One of our favorite things was to go on retreats. We went to Camp Glisson, to Gene and Rochelle's Cabin, Cades Cove in Dillard, a couple of places at Lake Lanier, Calloway Gardens, a Cabin on the river in Blue Ridge, and a family outing to Martha and Steve Doerner's log cabin in Jackson, Ga. I remember in the car on our way to Calloway Gardens Dena announcing, "Guess what, I am pregnant again." (That was Taylor.) A few months later we were having dinner at "Steak and Ale: and we all (including the waiters) were worried that the baby would make its appearance while we were there. FOND MEMORIES: Ann Wright bringing her new Bread Maker to a retreat and making bread for us; Esther Stroud always heading outside and gathering materials for a centerpiece for our table and always telling us about the tricks she played on John (short sheeting the bed, putting a picture on the pillow so he wouldn't be lonely); Laying on the deck at Lake Lanier watching the Monarch Butterflies going over; Sisters Martha Harber and Carolyn Matthews sharing tales of growing up in North Georgia; The pot luck when nearly everyone brought dishes of potato salad; Frances Peterson leading us in songs and how much fun we had just singing; Everyone sharing news of their husbands and kids. I also remember at Gene and Rochelle's cabin they had bunk beds. Becky Mitchell was on the bottom and I had the top and whenever Becky turned over I got sea sick. Oh yes, we discussed the church and the going-ons and planning our input into the activities there. And we ate, and we sang, and we ate, and we laughed, and we just enjoyed being together.
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When I was 19, I had not been in church since I was 9 or 10. I despised the church as I envisioned it. To make her happy I visited a neighborhood UMC on my mother’s birthday with no intention of ever going back. I was greeted very warmly by a kind gentleman at the door. Five minutes after arriving home from the service that afternoon, the same gentleman, Mike Kitchens, was at my front door. We sat and talked about the congregation’s history and ministry. I still was not convinced. Then I received a phone call from someone my age, Jim Grier, telling me about the college age group that met on Sunday night just before the evening service. I returned that evening and was welcomed by a group that were to become my closet friends. The youth minister, Larry Parton, a young seminary student, delivered the sermon and at the end opened the altar for anyone who desired to kneel down and pray. As I watched person by person rise and go to the alter, I felt called to do so also. It was at that altar that I began to reconcile my tortured soul to God’s love. Ken Compton's story of his first encounter with Brookhaven. Thank you, Ken, for sharing. Sometimes while cleaning closets and weeding out, you find treasures from the past. Thank you, Jill, for sharing this!
As I was entering the post yesterday I began wondering what those first meetings were like. Was the log cabin someone's home? Was it one open room or a few smaller rooms?
The document I used as a resource described the meetings as "Sunday School services." Were there Sunday school classes followed by a worship service? Or was it all wrapped up into one experience? Who was there? Were entire families present and did they all participate? Or did the children play together in a corner while the adults met? The article mentioned that they met Sunday afternoons. I wonder what time in the afternoon that was. Did they meet early in the afternoon right after lunch? Or was it later in the afternoon? Maybe it was late afternoon, finishing up just in time for dinner. Did they share meals together? Maybe they held their services and then ate dinner together. It does not mention how many people were in attendance, though later a subset of 37 became the charter members of the Methodist church (more on that later) so it seems to me that cabin must have been either pretty large or very full. I find it interesting to imagine those early meetings. What are your thoughts or imaginings? One hundred years ago a faithful group in the community of Brookhaven were meeting together weekly on Sunday afternoons. They first met, in the Spring of 1922, in a log cabin on property adjacent to our current property. Another property was donated for a church building, but work was stopped as it was discovered that the deed to the property was unclear. This setback did not deter the spirit and determination of those with the faith to continue religious services in Brookhaven.
This was just the beginning of the work God had in store for our church community. Watch here for more as we review the history of Brookhaven UMC. Sunday I shared a few thoughts about a couple of my favorite people at Brookhaven. An excerpt follows: Many people wear crosses, but it is their actions that tell us more about their Christianity. Ms. Saidee was an example of that. She always wore a cross necklace. And she always wore her faith in the way she lived her life. She welcomed others into her home, and she was a steady presence in the Recovery ministry for as long as she was able. And there was something different about her that people could sense. People she hardly knew would ask her to pray for them. They could tell she followed Jesus and loved people. The cross she wore was important, because of how she lived her life. And her daughter has followed her example as well. You know, Ms. Claudia works in the Child Development Center. She, too, wears a cross necklace. And she, too, wears her faith in the way she lives her life. Sometimes, when she is helping in the baby room, and she gets to rock the babies, they will reach up and hold her cross. As they do, she sings “Jesus Loves Me” to them, teaching them very early on about the love of Jesus. She also leads chapel at the school. She sings with them, teaches Bible stories and prays with them. Sometimes, when the kids see her in the hall or in the classroom, they will ask her to pray for them. ![]() Fifty years. Sunday, July 20, 1969. My first quarter of seminary completed and a few months into a role for which I was ill prepared - Youth Director at Brookhaven United Methodist Church. I put my little black and white TV in my car that Sunday afternoon and headed to the church for a UMYF Watch Party. After evening worship, we headed down to the fellowship hall and gathered around that old TV. While we waited, we shared snacks thanks to Othella, Margaret, Oscar, Bill and Elizabeth. The scenes broadcast that night were low contrast and grainy. Eventually, we turned off the overhead lights hoping for a better picture. Finally, at 10:56 p.m. Neil Armstrong placed his foot on the powdery surface saying, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” becoming the first human to walk on the surface of the moon. Huddled around that old TV we shared an amazing moment of exploration and discovery. For me that one moment has become symbolic of my own explorations and discoveries during my three years at Brookhaven. Some of the happiest times of my life were spent there with the BUMCY kids - playing volleyball in the parking lot, going to Camp Glisson, on a youth choir trip to Florida, countless Sunday evenings in discussion groups, seeing one young person after another latch on to the grace of God, and, with the help of the BUMCY kids and adults, experiencing grace too. Some of the unhappiest days of my life were also spent there as I learned just how ill prepared I was to be a youth director - spiritually, mentally, morally. The “footprints” lead through the dark days as well as the happy days of exploration and discovery. If there are any good memories of those days we shared together thank God for them. For any angry, sad, disappointing feelings of those days we shared, I am deeply sorry and hope for your grace and forgiveness. Andrew Peters, Oscar and Margaret Grier, Othella McDaniel, Saidee Dial, Bill and Elizabeth Walker and many others have all moved on to larger rooms in God’s house for further exploration and discovery. Those of us still here are hopefully still engaged in exploration and discovery of God’s grace, who we are and who, by that grace, we have it in us to be. Three years at Brookhaven - “one small step” for me that led, not to giant leaps, but to a life of small steps, some well-placed, others not so much. In many ways, it was the beginning of life for me and I thank God for the time we had together. Hopefully, if you were there you, upon reflection will find yourself thankful too. Submitted by Larry Parton
An example of church member’s faithfulness at Brookhaven UMC was evident when the Atlanta area had been hit with a major ice storm one winter. Ice was everywhere on the church property and in particular was on the sloped driveway leading to the Child Development Center (CDC). There was a large swath of thick ice in this area that would be dangerous for the children, parents, and teachers arriving at the CDC on Monday morning. I don’t recall why but for some reason I went over to the church and noticed that three church members were busy assessing how they could remove the ice. Two of the church members present, Red Warwick and Dorsey Britt, were in their 80’s at the time but that didn’t seem to stop them from trying to make the area safe to walk on. They got their shovels and picks out and started to break up the ice. Another church member, John Fields, also helped and started applying salt to the area once the ice had been substantially removed. I was just amazed that these men had the foresight to know how dangerous this ice would be in entering the CDC and then to actually to do something about it. You could tell from them seeing them work that this wasn’t the first time they had given of their time and talent to their church. Such committed and faithful members for sure. Submitted by Phil Rogers
![]() I have towered over the City of Brookhaven well over 50 years – WAY before Brookhaven even thought of becoming a city. From my perch at 1366 N. Druid Hills Road, I have been fortunate to see a world go by. I’ve seen trees planted and then cut down, streets widened, houses built, houses torn down, grocery stores come and go, street lights installed, a lot of happy weddings and unfortunately, a lot of sad funerals. I’ve seen many people come to town and not so many people leave. I’ve seen my home turn from a 100% Caucasian community into something much more stimulating and diverse. I’ve seen people walk a short distance to my home and some that have come from faraway places. Some of my new friends are from ALL over the world AND from ALL over the United States. There are males, females, gays, lesbians, and transgenders. We’ve got single folks, divorcees, married couples with and without children. We’ve got babies and teenagers. People with walkers, wheelchairs, and the occasional crutches. We’ve pretty much got a little bit of everything and we like it that way. Some folks have been coming here for over 70 years. They were married here, baptized and raised their children and grandchildren here. They’ve also mourned the loss of family members and/or friends and, now, the time has come for all these wonderful people to mourn me. You see, I am their steeple and I’m about to be replaced. If you’ve seen me lately, you can tell I am worn out. And, when Hurricane Irma took my cross away, we didn’t know if this was an omen or a blessing. Churches all over the country have been struggling and many have closed. We thought that might be the case for this church too. Over the years, I’ve seen our pews filled to capacity, although that’s recently not the case. Sometimes there are only 50 people coming on Sunday morning. Low attendance makes it difficult to financially sustain an old building and pay salaries, but we manage. We’re on a very busy, active, popular corner and many people use our description when giving directions – “take a left (or right depending on where you’re coming from) at the old white church on the corner.” We have been approached numerous times by developers who wanted us to move so they could tear us down and build some townhomes. It was very tempting. But fortunately, this little landmark corner of Brookhaven has stayed strong and I’m so proud of what so few have recently accomplished. In addition to our Sunday morning services, did you know that there is an Hispanic church meeting three times per week? There’s also an African American church meeting on Sunday nights (you should hear their music and prayers – very uplifting). On Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights there are recovery meetings and on the second and forth Saturday of every month, there’s a Soulful Saturday service for the recovery folks who enjoy hotdogs and bingo after the service. We have a men’s and women’s clothes closet that is open every Monday night where we distribute hundreds of articles of donated clothing, shoes and personal care kits. We have a food co-op that’s open the 4th Saturday morning of every month. A Women’s Bible Study meets every Wednesday night. A Girl Scout Troop meets in our Children’s Room and we house Dr. Joan Teach of the Community Resource Center where adults, students and families can find information and support regarding their learning differences (i.e., ADHD). One hundred pre-school children attend our award-winning child-development center, which has 30 full-time employees (mostly highly acclaimed teachers who have been there for years). I’m not sure but I think I will miss their silly squealing, laughter, and chattering the most – the children’s that is – not the teachers, although they will be missed too! Yep, my time has come. I’m moving on to be recycled and turned into something clean and new - kind of like my replacement. I’ll miss this old place, this corner at Briarwood and N. Druid Hills, this town and especially these people who call Brookhaven home. I hope you’ll come by sometime – you’re welcome whenever you want to visit. You won’t be met by someone forcing a Bible into your hand or asking you to join. Instead, you’ll be met with a smile, possibly a welcoming handshake and a few introductions. You’ll get to sit on some old wooden pews that make funny noises (even though everyone sits on long seat cushions) and soak in the beautiful stained-glass windows that have been here almost as long as I have. You can listen to some beautiful music sung by a very small choir, accompanied by an amazing piano and organ player (you should hear those pipes. They shake my core and rock the whole building)! The time will go by fast and then you’ll be on your way – kind of like me. But . . . come back to visit, to participate, or just to silently pray. And, if you decide to stick around, you’ll not only see a world go by, you’ll make a difference in the community, just like I did. Enjoy! |
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