WOMEN’S HISTORY AT NORTHMINSTER

PART II

(Second in a series of articles celebrating Women’s History Month)

In the early days at Northminster the Monroe News-Star still had a religion editor and a religion page on Saturday. It seems that the religion editor was intrigued with this little band of renegades who had formed a new church. On one Saturday there was an extensive article about Northminster with numerous quotes from founding members. One such quote was from Pricilla Asbury, a leader in our formation and later a member of our initial Coordinating Council along with Kay Southern, Harold Hughens and yours truly. In the article Pricilla was quoted saying “[a]t Northminster women will hold leadership roles in all aspects of church life”. Unheard of for a local Baptist church at the time.

Shortly thereafter for some reason we decided to apply for membership in the local Baptist association. We knew we were going to be a very different Baptist church from other Baptist churches in the association. But I guess we were just trying to be neighborly. Well, in spite of never having done it before, the association put us under “watch care” for a year. Then, having never attended any of our worship services or otherwise reaching out to us, they sent us a long list of questions to answer. Like, who do you believe Jesus is? Why don’t you have deacons and a pastor? In the future will you perhaps ordain or call a woman as your pastor? Etc., etc. Then this one: “In an article in the newspaper one of your members is quoted as saying ‘[at] Northminster women will hold leadership roles in all aspects of church life’. What do you mean by that?

We were still meeting then at Temple B’nai Israel, and we all sat down together in the Temple’s fellowship hall and worked out answers to their questions. Our answers were written down, and a meeting was scheduled with the association to respond to their questions. Individual members agreed to answer specific questions. At the meeting with the leaders of the association the question was asked about the newspaper article and leadership of women at Northminster. That was Pricilla’s quote, so she answered the question. Pricilla said that what she meant was that [a]t Northminster women will hold leadership roles in all aspects of church life, quoting exactly what she had said in the article. And so, since day one, of course that is how it has been. Well, needless to say, for several reasons the association denied our membership. In the reasons they gave they didn’t mention leadership of women, but we suspected that was in the back of their minds, or maybe the front.

One more quick story for this article. The time came when we needed to leave the Temple and have a home of our own. There were no suitable places available to buy or to rent. One Sunday night in a business meeting church member Walker Glenn, who was also a building contractor, started figuring on a napkin. He said that if we built a very simple building, he thought we could afford it. We had previously purchased our property at the corner of Loop Road and Lamy Lane so we already had the place where our building could be constructed. Well, Hannah Clark had always wanted to be an architect, but her daddy convinced her she should be a doctor. Hannah took about a week and drew out what essentially became our simple building. Of course, it was also necessary that we place that drawing with an architect to draft the plans and specs prior to construction. I forgot, but in his book Coming Home, Dr. Gaddy reminded me that Kay Southern also drew plans that ended up being within a few square feet and similar to Hannah’s design.

Thankfully, at Northminster women have held leadership roles in all aspects of church life from the beginning. More stories coming next week!

Craig Henry

PS: For anyone who hasn’t read it, I encourage you to read Dr. Welton Gaddy’s book Coming Home, about Northminster’s early years. It’s an amazing early history. There are a few copies in the church office for borrowing. And I have several copies and would love to lend you one.

Opening Hymn: O God, How We Have Wandered

 The tune for this contemporary text ppears five times in J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, and first appeared as a hymn setting in the early 1800s. It has an ecumenical history reaching back many centuries. Originally it was a German love song. Set to the tune PASSION CHORALE by Hans Leo Hassler, 1601 and harmonized by Bach, 1729.

Middle Hymn:  When Sorrow Floods the Troubled Heart

The hymn was written in 1989 by Rebecca Turner and Paul Simpson Duke. It is set to the tune KINGSFOLD, a traditional English melody arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906.

Gospel Acclamation: Parable

Again, the choir announces and responds to the text from Matthew, which is a parable, with the words “through parable Jesus reveals God’s truth.” These words set to music by D.H. Clark.

Anthem: Keep Your Lamps

Composer, conductor, educator Dr. Andre Thomas set this spiritual for choir in 2003. This piece has been sung thousands of times. Dr. Thomas retired as Director of Choral, Florida State University a few years ago, is the President of the American Choral Directors Association, and is a mentor of Debi Chandler and Justin Havard.

Communion Anthem:  This Little Light Of Mine

This was the favorite song of civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, who could sing as well as she could give powerful speeches. During that era this spiritual was sometimes modified and sung as “This little light of freedom.” Our choral scholars will sing this spiritual during communion.

Closing Hymn:  Jesu, Jesu, Fill Us with Your Love

This African folk melody was presented to the Church at Chereponi, Northern Ghana, by Ghanaian musicologist, A.A. Mensah. Tom Colvin, a Scottish missionary, wrote these words to this adapted form of the melody in dedication to the Church of Chereponi. The tune, CHEREPONI, was written in 1969 and arranged for congregational singing by Jane Marshall in 1982.

I pray we all take the opportunity to worship together this Sunday. Pacem, Debi

We pray for...

Camille Peterson on the passing of her brother, Rev. Paul Smith, who was a retired missionary to Jordan; Brandy Kimble-Keen (recovering from surgery); Conrad Rispoli; Bill Krutzer; Mary Dale Hughes (mother of Vickie Krutzer); Lowery & Barbara Thompson; Welton (back in Cornerstone room 529) & Judy Gaddy; Jimmy Curry; Tracy & Mary Sandow (Tracy is in Avalon Place accepting visitors); Jackie Poettgen (grandmother of Erich Hankamer; Buddy Aulds, son in law of Kay Southern; Kade Stapleton (extendeamily of Hannah Clark); Duane Crews (nephew of Hannah Clark); Kay Southern, Judy Eddington, Jay Aro; Our friends and partner church, Iglesia Bautista Enmanuel, in Ciego de Avila, Cuba.

We congratulate..

Mara Loeb and Pat Hayes on their recent brilliant performances in Arsenic and Old Lace at Strauss Theatre Center.

March Mission Trunk Emphasis

Renewal Center of NELA

Needs: Styrofoam trays (3-compartment to-go trays), knife-spoon-fork packages (all of which can be found at Sam’s Club). Plastic utensils, adult diapers, feminine hygiene products, Dixie cups, trash bags, toilet tissue, paper towels, Dawn dishwashing liquid, washing detergent, all cleaning supplies, shampoo, toothpaste/brushes, water in jugs or bottles, coffee. Large ticket items needed: Pressure washer, lawn equipment.

Request for Clothes Hangers

Clothes hangers are needed to help with our Immigrant Mission. Mara Loeb requests clothes hangers of any kind, wire or otherwise. There will be a dedicated box near the mission trunk for you to drop off your extra hangers! Thank you!