When I first came to Marietta FUMC in 2004, one of the folks who took me under her wing, gave me a sense of belonging here, and believed in me was Beverly McAfee.
One of the things on my job description was to complete one Habitat for Humanity build a year. Rev. Sam Storey put me in connection with Beverly to help me figure out how to “do” a Habitat build.
There were several reasons why Beverly and for that matter Rev. Storey could have had for not really taking the time and energy to pour into me in this way.
I was coming from somewhere else with no real experience or bona fides for leading the program of this great and storied church.
I had paid no dues and done nothing really to prove myself in the area of professional church work.
It would have been easy to say, “I’ve already served my time doing that, It’s somebody else’s turn!”
But Beverly and Sam and so many countless others here gave me the benefit of the doubt, took time to share their experiences with me, helped me understand how they had seen the process work, and got about helping me secure funding, volunteers, and attention to make Habitat for Humanity happen every year.
I was pretty proud of that one Habitat Build that we did.
Then I quickly learned that in our heyday of Habitat for Humanity partnership, Beverly McAfee and so many of you would build several houses in a matter of months. You built out a whole street of Habitat Houses.
As I understand the lore, this was the Marietta Miracle or something of that nature.
Over the years I (mostly) watched as Beverly led our church to build the Park on Polk and I (mostly) watched as she led a revival of a mentoring ministry, Marietta Mentors for Leadership, which is still alive and thriving today.
She has accomplished more in her spare time than I have in my professional church career.
We have had our differences along the way too.
She once let me know that the staff of a church is where good ideas go to die.
Which is true, I’m afraid.
I think she would tell you I was in on the suggestion to commemorate the 175th anniversary of our church with a refrigerator magnet.
As you know Beverly’s idea, building the park, was a little grander and was accomplished in her own inimitable style.
I guess for me the Marietta Miracle or the construction of the park or leading Marietta Mentors for Leadership pale in comparison to what Beverly did for us. She believes in her church family even at times when there wasn’t much reason to. And she cares for us and is glad to show us what we are trying to do.
Beverly understands how the church family works.
To this day, I’m unsure of her politics or how she feels about really any of the things we can choose from to divide us.
I do know she believes in me and the ministry of our church.
I bet Beverly has taken an interest in you or your ministry maybe. I hope you will join us to hear about her latest adventure in caring for her church family over lunch on Wednesday, August 17.
It reminds me of all the times you took an interest in someone in your church family or something they were trying to do.
We are trying to do lots of things this fall. We going to be getting to know refugee families to help them become a part of our nation. We are going to be offering prayer and resources to people in our community who have nowhere else to go.
There are flowers to deliver, worship of God, prayer, food packing, and children to teach.
And there's no telling what Beverly might be up to next.
We are going to need your help. I know you could say "It's someone else's turn" or "Since the pandemic..." or "Well, there's a lot going on, and..."
Whatever else is going on these days, know your church family cares about you and believes in you.
See you soon,
Forrest
