Meet our Pastor
A Message from our Pastor
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"A Caring Church on the Move for Christ"
Meet our Pastor
A Message from our Pastor
(click here)
Biographical
Information
James Robert (Jim Bob) Reeves and Family
I was born December 24, 1946, in the Haywood County Hospital in Waynesville, North Carolina. I grew up on the family dairy farm, located twelve miles north of town in a community known as Crabtree Ironduff. In 1978, my wife and I bought the 140+ year-old farmhouse built by my great-grandfather after he returned from the Civil War.
After receiving my calling to full-time Christian service in 1963 at a Youth and Missions Conference at Lake Junaluska Assembly, I began my studies at Brevard College in 1964. Upon graduation from Brevard College, I attended Scarritt College for Christian Workers, where I earned my Bachelor of Science degree in 1968, in Nashville, Tennessee. For the next three years, I attended Duke Divinity School and graduated with a Master of Divinity in 1971. Since that time, I have been serving town and country churches in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church. In 1986, I received my Doctorate of Ministry degree from Drew University in New Jersey.
In 1979, Robin Lynne Alexander and I were married in Mooresville, North Carolina, and together we have three daughters: Anna Elizabeth, Sarah Katherine, and Laura Nan. Anna is a pharmaceutical representative with Abbott Laboratories for the Hickory, North Carolina area; Nan is a rising senior at Western Carolina University, and Sarah is the stay-at-home daughter who looks after her parents.
Robin has been an educator with the Iredell-Statesville Schools system for the past thirty-one years and retired last July. At the present time, she tutors, substitutes for former colleagues, conducts writing remediation workshops, and is a part-time employee for Merle Norman Cosmetics. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree, Master of Arts degree, and Certificate of Advanced Study in English degree at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In 2001, she achieved National Board Certification. Although she is entertaining thoughts of returning to the classroom, she has not yet made a firm decision.
We are moving to McKendree United Methodist Church from Christ Boulevard United Methodist Church in Statesville after serving there for seven years. Excited that God has led us to be part of this community, we look forward to the ministry we will accomplish together. God is good indeed!!
From the Pastor
As the autumn season begins, our church is teeming
with all kinds of activities, celebrations, and meetings. I urge you
to view all of these events as opportunities for serving the Lord Jesus Christ
with prayerful and eager hearts as we move into this busy season. As
all of us already know, God calls us to His service but wants us to do his will
with a cheerful and expectant attitude.
On October 3, we are having our 2009 bazaar. I hope you are already making
crafts, baking, or cleaning out closets to donate items for the yard sale, but
also remember that we need your help on the day of the bazaar. For
the past two Sundays, a list of possible opportunities to make our bazaar a
great one has been in the bulletin - if you have not already made a
commitment, take the time and decide what you can do. Yes, bazaars can be
hectic, time consuming, and just one more thing to do . . . BUT they can also be
a time of fellowship, good fun, and a way for others to see Christ in us.
Think about it . . .
World Communion Sunday is October 4 when people all over the world are sharing
in the symbolic meal of Communion. Communion reminds us of who we are and
whose we are, so make a special effort to join us on the first Sunday in October
to share in the meal that Christ gave us.
Camp Loy White Sunday on October 11 promises to be a special day of eating and
fellowship. As usual, our service here at McKendree begins at 9:30 AM by
celebrating National Children's Sunday, with the children of McKendree Church in
charge of the service. At 10:30, instead of Sunday School, we will
travel as a group to Camp Loy White, where we will have a covered-dish meal and
enjoy our Gastonia District park. Bring a well-filled basket and
join us!
Robin, the girls and I have been here for over a year, and you have heard me
speak of our farmhouse on a number of occasions, but on October 13, the
Grandagers will be the second group to visit the farm - the
Confirmation Class stayed there in April of this year. The house is
a simple 143-year-old structure, but Robin and I welcome you to visit it.
Evcn if you are not a Grandager, consider joining the caravan on Tuesday,
October 13.
And then, the culminating event in October is Charge Conference. If you
have a report for this meeting, please complete it on time. Dr. Lyn
Sorrells, our District Superintendent, will be conducting the meeting, and if
you have not had an opportunity to meet him, think about attending Charge
Conference.
November promises to be just as eventful as the month of October. On November 1, we will be remembering the saints of McKendree United Methodist Church as well as the saints of our Church Universal. If you have a person who you wish to remember, please give the name either to me or to a member of the Worship Committee so that we may remember the life and service of this individual during the service.
All of us owe a great deal to the men and women who have fought in previous confrontations as well as in current ones. On November 8, we will be honoring our veterans during Veterans' Sunday. A retired Marine is coming to deliver the message on that Sunday, so make plans to hear him and to pay tribute to the persons who have endangered their own lives in order to keep you, your loved ones, and the United States of America safe.
Last year, I celebrated the Love Feast with you for the first time as part of the Advent season. The Love Feast has always been a special event for me, and I believe that many of you were touched by this service as well. This year, our Love Feast will be on Thanksgiving Sunday, November 22. The Friendship Class has already eagerly agreed to assist in this celebration, so go ahead and put this date on your calendar.
AT the Reeves' house, Thanksgiving is a favorite holiday, where we eat lots of food, visit with our extended families, and have a generally great time. Our family wants to wish all of you an early Thanksgiving blessing in the newsletter.
Then, November 29 is the first Sunday of Advent. What a whirlwind of activity and celebration leading up to such an important season as we anticipate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ! God has blessed this church in so many ways, and the Reeves family has been so blessed to be a part of this church. I want to invite you and to urge you to participate in the many activities that are coming up and view them as avenues for letting others see Christ in you. Have a blessed autumn season!
Blessings in Christ!
Jim
I am excited about being in my second year with you at McKendree United Methodist Church. Robin, Anna, Sarah, Nan and I marvel at our good fortune to be appointed to such a warm, loving, and active church. I look forward to continuing to work with you in Christ's service.
As the summer wanes and our children begin to think about returning to school in August, I want to bring several items to your attention and ask that you give prayerful consideration to being actively involved in these endeavors. First of all, the Friendship Class has talked with me about their sponsoring what they are calling "Christmas in August for Children." This project aims to provide children with much-needed school supplies and food. I encourage you to read the Friendship Class's article in the newsletter, pay attention to the weekly updates in the worship service during the month of August, and get involved in a worthy outreach project.
I also want to encourage you to continue to support the Lincolnton Christian Ministry, which has a desperate need for food items. While we have supported this organization in the past, in recent months our contributions have declined. Although times are hard for many of our congregation, I urge you to support this outreach to others as much as you can. Christ behooves us to do good things for others, for in so doing, we also do good things for Him.
On a financial note, we are running
ahead of last year's giving, but we are still behind. I encourage you to
catch up your offerings if you have gotten behind and to consider tithing if you
are not already doing so. God only asks for 10% of all that he has
provided us. If your financial situation does not enable you to give
10% now, consider increasing your giving by a percentage. Don't
allow our country's economic downturn to become a spiritual downturn in regard
to your commitment to this church with your talents, gifts, and service.
Yours in Christ, Jim