Way out in the country,”
says the clerk of session, Maureen Hooper, “we just try
to keep the church together.” The four remaining members
of New Hope (Tennessee) Presbyterian Church meet once a month
for worship. All of the members are over seventy years old,
and they haven’t had a regular minister in a few years.
Since none of the members drives very often, they keep up with
the others by phone. It’s easy to think they don’t
have much of a story to tell. But each year, those four hold
a homecoming for a passel of others. The church walls ring with
laughter and good fellowship when over sixty people return for
dinner on the grounds, preaching, and tending the graves of
loved ones. Catching up on news, admiring new additions to the
family, and praying with and for each other give new life to
the small congregation. “You see, our grandparents are
buried here,” adds Ms. Hooper. “We have to keep
it together for ourselves and others.”
At First Presbyterian Church of Piggott, Arkansas, remote from
the center of the presbytery, staying connected to the larger
church is a priority. “Years ago,” comments Pam
Wayer, the clerk, “our session decided that we would take
part in most of the denominational offerings, like Christmas
Joy and the Peacemaking Offering and One Great Hour of Sharing.
Before each special offering, someone studies and then presents
a minute for mission based on that good work.” With just
twenty-four members, they’re also involved at the presbytery
level. Their intentional presence at presbytery meetings reminds
larger bodies of the unique ministries of smaller churches such
as First Church, Piggott, which has an active Presbyterian Women
with seven members, holds bimonthly, visitor-friendly fellowship
dinners, and is energetically searching for a full-time minister.
Small, yes, but mighty in their calls, these churches answer
the call to make a difference in God’s world. Much can
be learned from two or more gathering.
The Presbytery of the Mid-South has 65 churches and 10,537
members. |
