WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH:
A LOCAL HISTORY
3425 W. 30th St= reet Indianapolis, IN 46222
![](3D"Wesley_Church_History_files/image001.gif")
=
Compiled and Wr=
itten
by:
Dr. Alvis H. S= tyron, Jr.
Senior Pastor<= /span>-2001
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
David Bivin, Ph.D., who proofed this work, making helpful suggestions.
I appreciate our Church Historian, Colleen Pontius who provided final overs=
ight
ensuring accuracy and completeness. Finally, I am deeply grateful to Wesley
United Methodist Church for the privilege to serve as their pastor. &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p;
WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: A LOCAL HISTORY
Introduction=
Standing=
the
test of time is the biblical truth that "Without a vision, the people
perish" (Proverbs 29:18). This local church history captures a visiona=
ry people
who seek to fulfill the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wesley is
comprised ultimately of three congregations who came together and who conti=
nue
to "go out together" touching people in the name of Christ. Empow=
ered
by the Spirit of God, Wesley United Methodist Church embraces the future! T=
he
Vision Statement. Through inspiring, meaningful
worship; vibrant, encouraging education; and supportive, intimate small gro=
ups,
we will train believers to be a contagious, inviting body of Christ that of=
fers
hands-on mission experiences to and with our community.
The Early Days
Olive Branch Methodist Church
In 1888 the Oli=
ve
Branch Methodist Church was organized. This community of faith was located =
in
the Flackville community on the West side of
Indianapolis at Thirtieth Street and Lafayette Road. Some records refer to =
this
church as the Flackville Methodist Church, loca=
ted at
Thirtieth and Guion Road. Both descriptions are
accurate. The church was in the "heart of Flackvi=
lle"
and Lafayette Road ran on the west side of the church while Guion
Road ran on the
1
2
east side of the church. (Exhibi=
t 1)
Prior to this time, the people of the vicinity attended church at New Augus=
ta
or Haughville, or in open air services when wea=
ther permitted. This church was built on land
originally owned by Mrs. Mary Landry, but was sold to Mr. Joseph Flack for a
small sum of money with the intent that it be used for a church site. If, f=
or
any reason, the church should be moved or torn down, the property would rev=
ert
back to the heirs. The community, surrounding area and city were served wel=
l by
this congregation. One well remembered family was the Howard family, especi=
ally
Elizabeth and Edith. The church cherished a pulpit Bible which was given in
Elizabeth's memory by her son, John. B. Howard. This Bible is carefully
showcased even today at Wesley United Methodist Church. On September 25, 19=
38,
Olive Branch celebrated her "Golden Anniversary." (Exhibit 2) Edith Howard made the
following contribution:
"FIFTY YEARS"
Tune: "Auld Lang Syne"<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;color:black;letter-spac=
ing:
-.2pt'>
I
Fifty years ago we're told our church began its life,
And now it still is going strong, in spite of years of strife.
The many workers, tried and true, have given us a start.
Now we must carry on the task, and each o=
ne do
his part.
II
Miss Watt was here on that first day, and Mrs. Kessler, too.<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;color:black;letter-spac=
ing:
-.2pt'>
And Mag and Carson Rush, we're told, bot=
h then
as now were true.
Ted Stout came to the meetings here, Will Miller came sometimes,
Mrs. Winecoup lived just down the street=
, they
all had happy times.
III
The crowd
came in from near and far in 1888. The Rev. Hickman did preside, our church=
to
dedicate. Through fifty years in the name of Christ our church has stood, my
dears. We hope that it will be here still for another
fifty years.
3
Rev. Glenn Clark
and his devoted wife, Maxine remember the work at
Olive Branch:
"A minister, newly arrived fr=
om
Iowa, his wife and two young children walked into a Methodist Church at West
30th and Guion Road on the first Sunday of July,
1946. It had been an unsettling week. The moving van was supposed to deliver
the household goods on Wednesday and on Saturday morning it had not arrived.
What made it so crucial was that the "Sunday clothes" for the fam=
ily
were on that truck, and the prospect effacing two new congregations in
"everyday" clothes was unnerving to say the least. We were saved =
that
embarrassment as things were unloaded before dark on Saturday evening."=
;
Mrs. Clark is still active at Wesley. I r=
emember
how loving, sensitive and caring she was to my
family as we were getting settled in at Wesley some 54 years later! Several
years ago Rev. Clark
reflected further:
"A Shell Oil station now occu=
pies
the site of the old church, but I never pass it but what a bit of nostalgia
comes over me for I remember the work and dedication of those who labored so
hard in the old church. Many of those people have passed on,
some have moved to some other communities or have transferred to other
churches. Some are still with us: Orville and Hazel Adams; Beulah Murphy; H=
azel
Brown; Virgil and Ruby Stokesberry; Edith Lois =
Barnes
and her mother, Blanch Howard; Darrell and Hazel Butler; Mabel Perry; Paul =
and
Fern Richwine and Roseanne Reprogle
are among friends of other years who are now members of Wesley."
It is noteworthy that in the year =
2000
and 2001 the church was blessed financially through the
bequests=
of the Barnes and Stokesberry estates.<=
/span>
St Paul Methodist Church
Up until 1876,
north
4
Sr., feeling that there should be a Sunday School in the community f=
or the
benefit of the children of his employees, established a school and church
services in the north end of his factory, 'TJdell
Works," and for a considerable length of time, secured the services of
Rev. O.C. Herriott to conduct evening services.=
This
was the beginning of religious services in north Indianapolis. Later, these
services were transferred to the school house at the corner of Michigan Road
and Thirtieth Street. A Union Sunday School started in this old frame school
house in the summer of 1877. An outgrowth of this Sunday School
was the
"Bob [her husband] and I were
both members of St. Paul Church for a long time, both of us having been
enrolled in the Cradle Roll. My earliest remembrances of St. Paul Church we=
re
about being in the Beginner (now Kindergarten) Department, and of being in =
the
First Grade Class, taught by Gladys Harding. St. Paul was a very large chur=
ch
when I was a child, having about 800 to 1,000 members. While most of the pe=
ople
who attended were from the immediate neighborhood of what was then called N=
orth
Indianapolis (28th street on the south, Northeastern Avenue of the east, the
Canal on the west, and north to Golden Hill), there were also people who ca=
me
from other areas. While it was certainly not a wealthy church, we had some
rather well-to-do and prominent members. There was a large Sunday School with especially large adult classes. At the time
there were separate classes for men and women. After junior high ages, there
were separate classes for teenage boys and girls. There was a rather large
teenage boys and above class during the middle 1930's taught by Sumner Stew=
ard.
We girls called it Steward's Sewing Circle. There also was a rather large g=
irls
class taught by Dr. Maude Jones which was organized
5
into a sorority sometime during the early 1930's. This sorority, the Alp=
ha
Pi Omega Sorority, is still active. A number of members and former members =
of
Wesley are still members of this sorority. During the depression years and
during the middle and late 1930's money was tight, and most of our social l=
ife
was built around church activities. There was a large and active Epworth Le=
ague
comprised of high school and college age members. Many marriages resulted f=
rom
having met someone there! We enjoyed summer camps at Battle Ground that pro=
ved
valuable for religious experience and instruction. Another organization was=
the
Drama Club of St. Paul which began in the Spring=
of
1930 with Harold Love as the first director. This group had about 35 or 40
members and presented several plays a year. We had very limited means; in f=
act,
at one time one of our directors was funded by government funds (WPA). Past=
or
Charles Lizenby (Liz) had a lasting influence o=
n the
young people. He was more than a pastor, but a confidant and a friend. As t=
he
1930's gave way to the 1940's our world changed dramatically and drastically
and would never again be the same. In 1941 and 1942 many of the men and you=
ng
men volunteered or were drafted into military service. They went overseas a=
nd
unfortunately many did not return. Two of whom we were very fond were Andy =
Fleenor, brother of Helen Carter, and Chester Ervin, =
son of
Irene Ervin and brother of Dorothy Crump. After World War II some of the
couples who had gone to St. Paul purchased homes in the area and became act=
ive
again. The result was the formation of a large class called the Homebuilders
Class. The Homebuilders Class was the forerunner to the present Lamplighter=
's
Class. Many of these same people are active in Wesley today; others moved to
churches in their area. Incidentally, we asked Charles Lizenby
to teach the class, which he did for some time." =
Dorcas
Morris tells of one of the most cherished and lasting ministries of the chu=
rch:
"Before St. Paul had a building of its own the Ladies Aid was organize=
d in
1884. A little group often women elected Mrs. Levina
Harrison as president, Carrie Selvage as secretary, and Mrs. Anson Terwillegar as treasurer. They met
6
in each others homes and did quilting and other hand work which they s=
old.
When the first church was built, the women had enough money to pay for the =
plastering
and the carpet. Since their organization, the Aid has always contributed fr=
eely
to the church. The Aid also gave $5000.00 to the new church. They paid on t=
he
lot next door and on the parsonage. In 1929 the ladies redecorated and
furnished carpet for the main auditorium. All the money given was made from=
the
sale of handwork, suppers, working the State Fair, the Calendar Club and ot=
her
various ways. During the depression the women started welfare work. In the
summer time they canned food to give away during the coming winter. They
distributed clothing to the poor families and gave food baskets to the needy
during Thanksgiving and Christmas." (Exhibits
3-7)
The Merger
Having
enjoyed the "easy influx" of new members during the 1930's and ea=
rly
1940's made the decline of the late forties and early fifties all-the-more
painful. Churches throughout the United States were called upon to make tou=
gh
and unselfish decisions regarding their future ministry. Olive Branch Metho=
dist
and St. Paul Methodist were two churches that thought about kingdom growth =
as
opposed to personal survival. In 1952 these two courageous congregations
decided on a merger. (Exhibit 8) The
union was completed in January, 1953. The result of this merger was Wesley
Methodist Church. The decision to construct a new place of worship was taken
shortly after the merger was completed. A drive was launched in February 19=
53,
and the new church site selected was at the corner of Thirtieth Street and
Tibbs. This was just east of Olive Branch Methodist Church's previous locat=
ion.
While the construction on the new facility on the new site took place the n=
ew
congregation met at the Olive Branch Methodist Church. Ground was broken Ju=
ne
10, 1955. The cornerstone was laid January 8, 1956, and a little over five
months later consecration services were held on Sunday, June 24, 1956. The
Building
7
Committee was comprised of: Louis Wdowka,
chairman; Albert Craig; Ralph Mason; Charles Hollowell=
;
Mrs. Robert Locke; Edwin Duke; Mrs. Milton Bridgewater; William Schettler; and Mrs. Carl Klutney=
.
(Exhibits 9-14) Anita Wdowka
remembers:
'T)uring the planning stage the committe=
e met
almost weekly, much of the time around the kitchen table of chairman Lou Wd=
owka
[her husband]. They visited many churches to get ideas to be included in We=
sley
church. Ed Duke, one of the committee members, recalled at the 40th anniver=
sary
celebration that Lou Wdowka had saved the church thousands of dollars by
telling the suppliers they had better "sharpen their pencils" and
come up with a better price. Many times they did. The men actually gave
hands-on help in the construction of the church. Lou Wdowka was there every
evening as well as weekends. In twenty-five years of marriage that was the =
only
year Lou missed the 500-mile race because he wanted to be working at the
church."
The well designed sanctuary has served the church and the community
well. Many lives have been set on a positive course through the worship
experiences in this sanctuary. A distinguishing feature in the sanctuary is=
a
stained glass "Symbol of Faith," which is called the Rose Window.
The Rev. Richard Haley commented:
'The window is a passive - but important part - of the worship. As
people understand the symbols, they find subject for meditation and reveren=
ce."
The central theme is the Chi Rho symbol of the Greek word Christos, meaning
Christ. Above the letters is the yellow-hued dove, the Holy Spirit, shedding
rays of glory - like the dove that descended when Christ was baptized. Bapt=
ism
itself is symbolized in a shell dripping water in the upper right corner. A
grape cluster in the lower left stands for Christ and his followers and rem=
inds
believers of their association with, allegiance to and their work for Chris=
t.
This symbol grew out of John 15: If: "I am the true vine and my Father=
is
the husbandman ... ye are the branches; he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for with=
out me
ye can do nothing." (Exhibits =
15-16)
8
The coming together of these two congrega=
tions,
both with a rich heritage and strong identity, bore witness to the unifying
presence of the Holy Spirit. To the glory of God they became "One in t=
he
Bond of Love," carrying the gospel message to the city of Indianapolis=
and
the world. One should not take lightly the miracle of a successful merger.<=
/span>
This merger
included the dead and the living! When the new Wesley congregation
purchased the property at Thirtieth and Tibbs, a cemetery, already on the
property and east of the
building, was placed in their care. A report had been circulated that the
church had desecrated the cemetery, but that was properly squelched through=
a
newspaper article. (Exhibit 17)=
The
Sunday issue of the Indianapolis Times, March 18, 1962, tells of the Myers
cemetery which was moved to the cemetery at Thirtieth and Tibbs. (Exhibit 18) The Olive Branch ceme=
tery
was actually moved to the new location. One large marker was placed in the
cemetery to honor all who were
buried there. For some time this sacred area was "off limits" to =
any
activity. Even today when the youth park cars for the different races at the
Speedway, this area is not used, rather it is "roped off."=
The Educational Building
Growth
continued and discipleship was a must. Anita Wdowka recalls: "The need=
for
additional space for an educational unit was obvious by the crowded conditi=
on
of our Sunday School classes. We used room dividers to have separate areas =
for
each class. One little four-year-old came into the pre-kindergarten area,
looked around and said in a loud voice, 'It is too darned crowded in here.'=
The
teachers laughed but it was true."
Consequently, ground breaking
ceremonies for an educational building took place April 17, 1960.
The "corner
setting" for this important building was June 26, 1960.<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.5pt;color:black;letter-spac=
ing:
-.2pt'> Pastor Forest Howell, who
served from 1957 through 1962, Building Committee chairman James C. Nail a=
nd
Trustee
9
chairman Richard Tewksbury led the way. The
importance of a growing, dynamic Sunday School w=
as
emphasized. Sunday School had always been import=
ant to
Wesley Methodist. (Exhibit 19) =
Nellie
Herron stated:
"I remember when Junior Sunday School classes were held in the
little house of West 30th Street, which is now a VFW Hall across from the <=
span
class=3DSpellE>Flackville Church. I helped to teach the Juniors,
ages 9 and 10. We had between 30 and 40 children. Letha Neal was the
Superintendent of the group that met there. This was after the St. Paul and=
Flackville Churches merged. Rev. Haley's daughter was=
in
the class and she asked 'Who was Mary's doctor when Jesus was born?'"<=
/span>
The Rev. Glenn Clark stated: "The members of the Come-Join-Us C=
lass
were the backbone of the Olive Branch Methodist Church providing inspiration
for the minister and funds to keep the church solvent during the
mid-forties." Rev. Clark served the Olive Branch Church during the yea=
rs
of 1946 and 1947. Even today in the year 2001, the Come-Join-Us-Class joins
other classes to help lead the way and set the pace for participation in
ministry. The promotion=
claimed
that just fifty-cents a week more per member could fund the new project. (Exhibits 20-21) Nail wrote: "=
;Our
church is continuing to grow about 15 percent in membership every year. In a
recent report covering approximately 300 churches in the Northwest Indiana
Conference, Wesley Methodist ranked fifth in number of new members." (Exhibits 22-24) This building ena=
bled
the church to broaden her ministry. At a later date a playground was added.=
The
grounds have always added to the churches "curb appeal," and have
enhanced the community, largely due to the careful oversight of Dick Pottenger, and many reflect of the careful oversight =
given
by Jim Crump to each building project. Anita Wdowka states:
"After Rev. Howell left to become District Superintendent, Rev.
Kendall Sands was appointed to serve at Wesley. Rev. Sands served from 1962
through 1969. During his tenure the MYF really flourished. Rev. Sands and L=
ydia
assumed the leadership of this group for Sunday night meetings as well as g=
oing
on camping trips and other outside
10
activities. Their charming
daughter, Lori, was active in this group. Rev. Sands was well loved by youth
and adults alike."
With clear missional objectives, Wesley =
forged
ahead. Betty Rugh proclaims, "Wesley conti=
nues
to be a community church and is active in t=
his community
today."
The United Methodist Church
As if the challenge of merging two
congregations was not enough, the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the
Methodist Episcopal Church also engaged in a merger in 1968. From the merger
came the United Methodist Church, 11 million members strong. The Church has
endeavored to become a community in which all persons, regardless of racial=
or
ethnic background, can participate in every level of its connectional life =
and
ministry. The United Methodist Church represents the confluence of three
streams of tradition: Methodism, the Church of the United Brethren in Chris=
t,
and The Evangelical Association. With other churches that are also members =
of
the body of Christ, it humbly and gratefully offers up its praise to God
through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit for creating and sustaining grace.=
It
seeks further grace as it ministers to the world. (2000 Book of Discipline,=
p.
20)
Here come the United Methodists!; particularly
St. Mark United
Methodist Church
In 1971, St. Mark United Methodist Church, located at 16th and
11
Methodists! Services for the Speed=
way
Boulevard Methodist Church, as it was first called, were begun in a home on
Sharon Avenue. The first baptism was recorded on December 26, 1926. After t=
he
building of the church at 16th and Medford, the congregation marched from t=
he
Sharon Avenue home to the new church to the words of "Onward Christian
Soldiers," and began worship services in their new home. In the 1930's=
men
from the church dug out a basement. Through the depression years the young
church struggled to stay open and often held '"Penny Suppers" to =
help
pay the interest on the mortgage and ward off foreclosure. For the sum of f=
orty
cents, the congregation provided supper and a play! During the time of Rev.
Thomas Luke's ministry (1941-1945), the church's name was changed to St. Ma=
rk.
In addition to the annual fund-raising bazaar and fish fry projects, they r=
an a
coffee and doughnuts stand on the night before the Indy 500 race. St. Mark =
was
known as a community-minded congregation. They housed and sponsored such
diverse groups as Scouts and Camp Fire Girls, as well as Alcoholics Anonymo=
us
meetings. (Exhibit 25) But perh=
aps
the project dearest to the hearts of its members was the Child Care Center,
which continued to operate for a while. A great spiritual involvement at St.
Mark and the special feeling of the Christmas Season was made even more
meaningful to the congregation through the yearly Christmas Tea and Vesper
Services sponsored by the Women's Society. Of great importance to this
Christ-centered congregation was the calling of people to ministry. At least
one member of the congregation heard the call of God to ministry, the Rev.
James Butler, the son of Hazel Butler. After a membership peak of 326 in 19=
54,
a steady decline developed. In 1967 the church began to seek new possibilit=
ies
for continued ministry, thus leading to the merger with Wesley in 1971. The
conference stepped in and encouraged this union, according to Jerry Korn. J=
erry
also points out an unusual twist. He recalls the conference allowing St. Ma=
rk
to sell its building and carry the proceeds with them to Wesley. This resul=
ted
in a financial blessing of $65,000.00 and a stronger congregation due to the
influx of new members. In merging with Wesley, the two churches set forth a
covenant: We covenant together as two congregations to become one congregatio=
n of
Jesus Christ our Lord. We
12
covenant
The Nineteen Seventies
As Wesley
begins ministry in the seventies, Pastor Keith S. Carlisle writes: "On=
e of
the fascinating aspects of the great rivers is the way they are formed. A
number of streams flow into the river until it becomes large. As in the cas=
e of
the Ohio river, two rivers flow together to form=
the
From 1969
until January 1972, Rev. Paul Baker served as Associate Pastor. Rev. Baker =
is
now Pastor Emeritus and continues to be acti=
ve
in the life and work of Wesley. Rev.
Baker comments:
"I was brought in to cover all the households produced by the combined=
churches. We did not have the benefit of t=
he
loop around the city; consequently, the work was
fairly tedious at times."
The mini=
stry
of Wesley Home Missions helped to kick off this decade. Rev. Paul Baker
along with member Ruth Ann Hogsett served as the catalyst to this effective mini=
stry.
Ruth
Ann identified a
needy person who was without a coat. A lady with no fuel to warm her home
13=
crossed the path of Rev. Baker. These two
initial needs served as the springboard to Wesley
Home Missions.
The church benefited from the
continuity of leadership during this decade. Rev. Philip Stone served from =
1974
to 1984. The community continued to change. Wesley found herself a transiti=
onal
church in a transitional community. Churches in transitional communities mu=
st
have the continuity of leadership. Rev. Stone said, "The church exists=
as
a preservative. Christ is the enabler who makes the high life possible. We =
are
an essential part of what he is trying to accomplish. He has no other hands=
but
ours. It is our intent and purpose to become more responsible followers of
Christ." People continued to leave the surrounding community, moving to
subdivisions several miles outside the immediate community. Many of those
members continue to drive back to the church for worship and service. Their
roots run deep at Wesley and their commitment does not waver. What was once=
a
suburban ministry had become an urban ministry. =
Once a
community church, Wesley is now a destination church. Most members drive ba=
ck
into the community for Sunday worship and other activities.
The Nineteen Eighties
Back to =
the
basics might best describe the "rally cry" of this decade. Wesley
joined with other United Methodists in celebrating the 200th Birthday of the
Sunday School on April 27, 1980. The Sunday wors=
hip
service was dedicated to the Sunday School. (Exhibit 26) There were reflection=
s -
written and oral - testimonies and a bold proclamation concerning the neces=
sity
of the Sunday School. Rev. Stone writes:<=
span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;color:black;letter-spac=
ing:
-.2pt'>
"Today, we are celebrating the
200th anniversary of the Church School. The Church School has given the Uni=
ted
Methodist Church a rich heritage which we want to recognize this morning. T=
he
Church School was born out of a need to nurture the faith of the adults in =
John
Wesley's societies and to provide for the needs of poor and orphaned childr=
en.
There is still a need to nurture our children, youth, and adults so that th=
ey
can become
14
more spiritual and more responsible
members of the church and of the world. The hope and future of the church r=
ests
on the continuing nurture of its members so that their faith is strengthened
and so that they can better discuss God's will for the church."
An unidentified person wrote the following:
"There are many problems and issues facing the church and its
educational program. The Church School enrollment has dropped . . . These
problems must be met head-on and we must work together to overcome them if =
the
education program of the Church is going to succeed. Through the Church Sch=
ool
we can discover a way of life that is more consistent with the example set =
by
Jesus Christ. We can continue to mature in our relationship with God through
Jesus Christ. With God's help and with a united effort, we can make this ha=
ppen
if we make the Church School a regular part of our Church activities."=
(Exhibits 27-28)
The mid-eighties brought about a
change in pastoral leadership. Pastor Calvin Brandenburg writes:
"Wesley United Methodist Church celebrates and serves Jesus Chr=
ist
through encouraging self acceptance, and providing opportunities for person=
al
growth in an atmosphere of a loving and caring community. We believe that m=
uch
of life's deepest satisfactions come out of building significant relationsh=
ips
with others. We Care is our motto and we try to implement it in words and
deeds. We pray that we may continue to share God's love with others."<=
/span>
The group called
the "Good Samaritans" began in this decade and carried over into =
the nineties.
This group ministered to members who needed transportation to and from hosp=
ital
visits and also to members with handicaps and disabilities. Barbara Hylton
recalls that members of this group sat with her husband, Dale, during her
surgery and following Dale's surgery a total of 42
15
persons= assisted them in some way. Russell Carter was highlighted by Dale as= one of many who made a special contribution of time and skill. The Hyltons also hold in high regard the "prayer chain" that is very active at Wesley.
Wesley impacted the community and city thr= ough the Wesley Home Mission, reaching into the commu= nity where needs were found. Men and women volunteered their services at = Methodist Hospital through the White Cross Guilds: The St. Mark and T= he St. Paul/Wesley Guilds. From a decade-and-a-half where th= ere were only two pastoral changes, Wesley would face three pastoral changes in= the next decade.
The Nineteen Nineties
This new decade= began under the leadership of Rev. Jeff Trees. Rev. Trees served from 1989 through 1995, providing continuity of leadership. Continuity of leadership remained a need for Wesley. Leadership with= a sense of call to urban settings would certainly be appropriate. This decade produced some formidable challenges which drained energy, decreased the number of active participants, and created deep resolves within those who stayed at the task. However, "y= ou can't walk backwards," and Wesley did not try. Energies pooled together brought some exciting ministries. Wesley used th= is decade to partner with families in transition and became linked with the Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN). Kirn Grant has coordinated this wonderful ministry with the help of many enthusiastic servants who minister to these families. IHN has = been like fuel to a fire, creating a concrete missional objective for Wesley. Marilyn Whitis states:
"A lack of affor=
dable
housing along with an increase in poverty have created a growing homeless population in this country. The Interfaith Hospitality Netwo=
rk
was founded in New Jersey in 1988 as a community respons=
e to
their homelessness, and it has become a national faith based program to help
homeless families. IHN is a private, non-profit corporation supported by
concerned individuals, religious organizations, corporations and
16
churches=
, Catholic, Protestant and Jewish. There is an estimated 3,500 people=
who
are homeless on any given day in
Wesley used the nineties to reach out to hurting women through "Survival Skills for Women.&q= uot; DeeEllen Davis recalls: "Rhonda Shipley gave the nudge to begin 'survi= val skills' and Kim Grant and I joined her in the effort. Several of these women have given testimony to the difference our church has = made in their lives." Rhonda Shipley shares:
“Fall 1994 marked the beginning of Wesley Community Services' newest program: Survival Skills for Women. In cooperation with Christamore Hous= e, two fall classes were held at the church. The program is designed to empower low income women from the church neighborhood to impr= ove their life situations for themselves and their children.
17
Twelve women from the church, community an=
d Christamore House have been trained as group facilitators. Church volunteers provided an amazing amount of v=
olunteer
service by serving breakfasts and suppers, baby-sitting, providing
transportation, and tutoring school age children while the mothers attend
class. Already grants totaling $8,000 have been received=
to
continue Survival Skills for Women into 1995. Wesley Community Services was
able to begin Survival Skills for Women by investing $4,989 in training,
facilitator and participant manuals from money left to WCS by Mr. Langer,
Marilyn Whitis' step-father.
Rev. Glen Beck,
after leading his 6th Mission Awareness Trip to Central Africa, said, 'There is nothing quite like a trip to the mission field to get your
heart broken with those things which break the hea=
rt
of God.' For Wesley Community Services, our community is a mission field and Survival Skills for Women is just one of the tool=
s we
use in that mission field. Fletcher Place Community Center, Campbell Chapel=
AME
Zion Church, Eastside Community Investments, John Boner Community Center,
Roberts Park United Methodist Church, Coburn Place Safe Haven; these were e=
arly
mission fields for Survival Skills for Women. We
facilitated a lot of classes those first couple of years, and we
18
Survival Skills for Youth programs for the South East Neighborhood Development Corporation's youth program. It was exhilarating, but now it was also exhausting. I think it was DeeEllen who first said, in essence, that we have to teach the= se people to fish. So we started giving the program away. We invested money in another SSW facilitator training to get more certified trainers in the Indianapolis area. We purchased three additi= onal sets of facilitator materials and set up a leaner system so that organizati= ons who just wanted to offer a class once or twice a year could do so with very little expense. We donated participant manuals to get SSW programs started other places because we knew that they would be so excited by the program that they would find a way to = keep it going. We served as consultants and coaches and sometimes as cheerleaders for other SSW programs. Because of DeeEllen Davis' relationship with the IU School of Social Work, when on= e of her colleagues took a position in public housing administration, she starte= d a SSW program for public housing residents. The graduation from SSW for many women is an exciting occasion-and that seems even more so with the wom= en from the public housing program. Wesley used to loan them = blue choir robes for their graduation ceremonies. Wh= en we brought new choir robes, Wesley donated a dozen of the old robes to the = SSW program at public housing. Because of Kim Grant's involvement with World Hu= nger year, a partnership between World Hunger Year and SS was formed that result= ed in, among other things, conferences all around the country in which replica= ble, "best practice" ideas-ideas that empowered poor and hungry Americ= ans and gave them tools they need to become self-reliant-ideas shared and local relationships were established and plans for collaboration were born. Wesley hosted one of these groups in July 1996, and through our work in SSW, we were one of 500 grassroots organizations featur= ed in Reinvesting In Americ= a, a book of successful community-based programs. Because of Wesley's involvement with Interfaith Hospitality Network, Survival Sk= ills for Women is offered to those homeless women. The last Survival Skills National Conference was held
19
in
The Wesley Home Missions whose named changed to Wesley Community Services during this decade, broadened its ministry and h= as become a model for ministry for any church or social
20
agency. This ministry embraces local needs and is led by a professional soc= ial worker, DeeEllen Davis. She has a very capable group of co-laborers who help to carry out this wonderful ministry. DeeEllen reflects:
"As best as we can collectively remember, Wesley Community Servi=
ces
has
been in existence a little over 30 years.=
In its early years it was called Wesley Home
Mission. Through school teachers and school soci=
al
workers the word spread and Wesley
began collecting, sorting and distributing items
needed by children and their families. We
discovered needs of people that couldn't be met =
by
funds at governmental agencies. So
money was donated and Rev. Paul Baker kept the check book in his hip pocket.
Paul and
Flossine have b=
een
working tirelessly to serve people for over 30 years. They still
regularly attend our monthly meetings and supply
advice and support. Overtime, a food
pantry developed and a clothing bank. Christmas assistance expanded. About =
10
years
ago, we decided to make a concentrated effort to serve our church neighborh=
ood
instead
of spreading ourselves so thin across the city. We developed a relationship
with
Christamore House so they could screen people for need and make referrals to us =
as
people needed help on utility bills and so forth. This basically helped us
avoid going into
people's homes, which is what Paul used to do so
graciously to see what people needed.
The thing I like about Wesley Community Services=
is
that we have some fine traditions
that we continue, but we also are constantly evo=
lving
- picking up new projects and
wrapping up others. When we had done Survival Skills for Women classes for
three years
we passed it on to others in the city and we
discovered Interfaith Hospitality Network.
This keeps us being creative and we find the work
that matches our church volunteer force
at any given time. Our programs are supported by
special offerings at Lent and Advent,
Faith Promise donations, or direct donations to
Wesley Community Services." (Exhibit
29)
21
The childcare ministry, now called the "Learning Circle Preschool," was given birth in the mid-eighties. Kim Grant recalls that Sue Whitaker was the catalyst to this ministry and DeeEllen Davis recalls t= he name change to "Learning Circle Preschool." Primarily the name was changed to get the word out that our program offered educational opportunities to children, preparing them for kindergarten and first grade. This ministry is under the conscientious direction of Ms. Earlene Hobbs.
The Missions Committee, led by cur= rent chairperson Kaye Smith, strengthens the mission endeavors of Wesley. Under their umbrella is Faith Promise. Faith Promise continued to build steam during t= his decade. Faith Promise addresses needs locally, nationally and international= ly. Faith Promise is different from a church pledge. It is not a pledge made to the church; it i= s a promise to God. People are encouraged to pledge on the basis of revelation rather than a reason. Gayle Becher and Kaye Smi= th state through a creative bulletin board: "Make your promise, not on the basis o= f what you think you have to give, but on the basis of what you believe God will <= /span>enable you to give." The Faith Promise goal for 2001 was $8000.00. National projects include a District Work Project which is located in Texas. This project bri= ngs individuals together to assist in building and remodeling churches in need. The Nom= e, Alaska Community Center is also a target for mission through Faith Promise. This young teen center provides a safe, affirming and creative place for children and youth to spend late afternoons. This center provides youth wit= h summer educati= onal training concentrating on math and reading skills. Families are assisted in= addressing prob= lems that could destroy their home life and children. There are three "International Projects." Operation Classroom is a program that provides support for schools in Sierra Leone, Africa, including school supplies, books, health kits and financial aid is provided to this project. T= he United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) assists churches in direct ministry to pe= rsons in need in the areas of emergency response, hunger