Pastor’s Reflections
A Letter from Rev. David Hilton
Dear First Church Family,
I am writing this letter at the invitation of our pastor. I address you as ‘family’ because we are brothers and sisters. My sudden disappearance on November 6th has created some confusion. Rev. Wagner has been appropriately guarded in sharing information.
I am reminded of a quotation attributed to Mark Twain who said, “The report of my death has been grossly exaggerated.” But my life has changed dramatically. I can assure you that I am fully alive with some limitations. I did not retire. I resigned. Ministry is a lifelong calling from which none of us ever retire.
The Pastor’s Reflections in the January Ambassador sound like a eulogy. I really can’t improve upon it. If I didn’t have so much respect for the intelligence and integrity of our pastor, I would deny its authenticity. Thank you, John, for this and for your frequent phone calls and visits.
Nearly three months ago our pastor, who noted my increased breathing difficulty, insisted on taking me to the hospital. My shortness of breath and fatigue had been attributed to atrial fibrillation. Extensive testing at the hospital revealed interstitial lung disease.
Following five weeks in the hospital and transitional care, I am at home. Dependent upon oxygen full time, I have a 25-foot range of motion. Mary Lois and hospice offer compassionate care. I do not experience pain. My appetite has returned. I read, write and am completing several projects. Our children and grandchildren were here for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Strangely and wonderfully, I am more fully alive than ever. I experience comfort and peace. I am still learning, growing and sharing. I am filled with joy and gratitude.
Thank you for so many expressions of concern, support and prayer. It is not possible to acknowledge each of these personally. I do miss you and think of you often. I have the telephone nearby and am open to visits. We are comforted by the love and support of First Church and our Otterbein community.
Life is a gift of love to be fully lived and generously shared. My prayer is that we will all continue to share in the ministry entrusted to us when we were named and claimed in our baptism.
Blessings of love, joy and peace be with you always.
David
Getting To Know You…
For more than 50 years, Herman and Mary Emmert faithfully served churches in Indiana and Ohio.
Herman was born in Muncie, Indiana, in 1931, to Alfred and Elizabeth Emmert. His father was a former coal miner who received a call to ministry at 36. Herman’s childhood was spent in Marion, Indiana, where his father was the pastor of First United Brethren Church.
“My parents let us (he and sister Ruth) be regular kids, even if we were preacher’s kids,” said Herman. “The only time I ever felt imprisoned was when I had go to Sunday night services and prayer meetings.”
The family later moved to Brazil, Indiana, where Herman graduated from high school. He then went on to Indiana Central College in Indianapolis and then United Theological Seminary in Dayton.
Rev. Herman & Mary Emmert, 2010
It was while Herman was a senior at Indiana Central that he met Mary LaFollette.
Mary was born in New Salisbury, Indiana, on October 2, 1931, to Earl and Ary LaFollette. Her father worked on the railroad and her mother was a teacher . Mary’s three older brothers all became doctors, while Mary’s interests were in music.
She played the piano and sang all through high school and at church. After high school she went to Indiana University, where she majored in piano and minored in voice. She received a teaching degree and later taught music in the Indianapolis school system.
In 1952, Mary took a summer job directing the choir at a church in Georgetown, Indiana. The pastor, Alfred Emmert, was so impressed with Mary that he wrote his son, Herman, and told him he had better spend his vacation at home so he could meet a very special girl.
Herman and Mary did end up meeting that summer, and the special music the Sunday they met was a solo sung by Mary, “Hold Thou My Hand,” which was also the special music on their last Sunday before retirement from Middletown First UMC in 1996.
“We only saw each other every couple of weeks because we were both still in college,” said Herman. “It wasn’t enough, but we wrote lots of letters.”
A year later, on August 2, 1953, when they had both graduated from college, they were married.
In 1953 Herman began his seminary training, commuting to Dayton from Indianapolis while Mary kept her teaching job. Herman also served as a student pastor at Amity EUB, and during his ministry there, the church grew from 33 to 99 in attendance and the pastor’s position went from part-time to full-time. Their oldest child, Mark, was born there in 1956.
In 1957, following Herman’s ordination, they were appointed to Broadway EUB Church in Indianapolis where their second child, Michael, was born.
“Mary directed a city choir while we were there,” said Herman. “She had real musical talent.”
But Mary also had a stroke in 1959 while they were serving Broadway. Following the stroke she underwent serious surgery, months of unconsciousness, two and a half years of physical and occupational therapy and two years of speech therapy.
For two years Herman had his hands full dealing with Mary’s recovery, two small children, a church and Saturday night threatening phone calls from the John Birch Society, that was very strong in Indianapolis.
In 1961, he got a call from Cincinnati’s district superintendent offering him Mt. Healthy EUB Church, a strong congregation which became 400 attending.
“I took the church and was happy to leave Indianapolis,” said Herman.
The Emmerts stayed in Cincinnati until 1972, when they left for Glenwood UMC in Columbus. By that time, Mark and Michael were in 10th and 8th grade and didn’t want to go, but both did well in Columbus, said Herman. After seven years in Columbus, Herman accepted an appointment at Monroe Street UMC in Toledo.
“By then, we loved Glenwood and didn’t want to leave,” said Herman. “Every move has been a struggle.”
In 1985, Herman became District Superintendent of the Dayton North District and every Sunday attended one of the 69 churches he supervised, always unannounced.
“In the fall during charge conference time, Mary hardly saw me at all,” he said.
After six years as a DS, Herman was appointed to Middletown First, a prestigious appointment.
“I chose Middletown even though there were other choices,” said Herman. “We had been in big cities the whole time and wanted to be in a smaller situation.”
Both Herman and Mary loved Middletown, but during their time here, Mary began to have more health problems connected to the stroke.
Following Herman’s “retirement” in 1996, he worked in Admissions and taught some classes at United Theological Seminary, served as an interim pastor for 11 months at a Cincinnati church and took a position as a visiting pastor at Anderson Hills UMC for seven years.
“In 2006 we moved to Otterbein Lebanon and I really retired,” he said. “But I still preach when I’m asked.”
The Emmerts’ two children both live in Ohio. Michael is controller at a company in Mason and Mark is a deputy in Columbus. The Emmerts have two grandchildren, Ashley and Amy, and two great-grandchildren, Braden and Ethan.
“Mary was a beautiful wife and mother,” said Herman. “Her spirit is strong. She’s been through a lot and still has a great spirit.”
by JoAnn Wagner
This article is one in a series of interviews with various long-time church members we are featuring. We hope you enjoy getting to know them a little bit better.
College & Military Care Packages This Month!
Baking Reminder
*Cookies needed Feb 23*
Those who plan to make cookies for the “Care Packages for College Students & Military “ should mark your calendar to bake and bring cookies in on Feb 23 (boxes will be packed that day then shipped).
We are asking for you to bake cookies that are small to medium in size (2” or less) and the quantity should be (8) baggies of (6) cookies each; the size & quantity is important as boxes only allow so much space and we wish the cookies to make it in one piece. Please contact the church office to let us know that you will be baking so we can make sure there is enough for all the packages.
Please contact the office or Imogene Orts for questions or to help with this outreach.
Care Package Update
Please provide current college/military addresses to the church office this month to help us prepare for the mailing of care packages to your loved ones!
A Good Mystery and A New Year’s Resolution
Join me to discover what lurks in our church library. As one of your new year’s resolutions, expand your horizons with a journey to Afghanistan and the story of the Dressmaker of Khair Khana, who with her sisters created a dressmaking business in their home during the Taliban rule (A UMW Education for Mission book). Spend a few hours perusing the other inspirational, historical and devotional materials in our library—help me sort, update and reorganize these books. Follow up on William Sloan Coffin, whom Rev. Wagner mentioned on a recent Sunday.
Or send suggestions of new books, websites, CD’s, etc. you have found that are part of your spiritual growth and devotional life.
Calling all interested library lovers!
Contact your new library coordinator, Anita Shew
Food In Nepal
Update from Dr. Les & Debbie Dornon, missionaries to Nepal working in the Tansen Hospital
Now I want to find out who is reading these articles….does anyone remember what DalBhat is? I wrote briefly about it in a previous story. Anyone? That’s okay! I don’t remember most things these days. (Now what was I going to say??) HA! We just enjoyed a wonderful 3 weeks with Luke, Laura and Rachel here in Tansen. One thing we did together every day in Tansen was eat Dal Bhat!
Delicious DalBhat!
Article describes each item on this plate.
Dal is a type of lentil sauce, and Bhat is cooked rice. Here is a picture of the wonderful meal that our house helper prepared for us each day. Let me try to describe it in words. It would be much better if you could taste and smell it, as well….
Starting at the 12 o’clock position on the plate, there is the “tarakari” or curried vegetables. (This day it was cauliflower, with a few green beans and tomatoes). At 1 o’clock are “pokora” (shredded veggies in gram flour and egg batter, deep fried). 3 o’clock is “moulah” (giant white radish with a sesame seed and spices flavoring), then “green achar” (spicy cilantro flavored sauce). At 6 o’clock is the Tansen specialty called “chukaune” – like a potato salad with yoghurt, spices and turmeric; then “red achar” – tomato, ginger and garlic spiced sauce, and finally, “saag” – a type of green leafy vegetable made delicious with tomatoes, onion, garlic and spices. In the middle is the rice covered with the dal sauce. YUM! (Or as my kids say, Nom nom…) Happy New Year and good eating!
In Him,
लेस (Les) and देबी (Debbie)
P.S. To see more photos and stories, please check our blog: http://dornonnepalmission.wordpress.com/
Remember, every third Sunday of the month we collect donations to support Les and Debbie’s work in Nepal. You may drop your donation in the collection jars or add it to your regular offering using your envelope; just write “Dornons” along with the designated amount.
Music Notes by Mary Ellen Clinard
The Bells Are Back!
We are starting rehearsals for handbells beginning TODAY, January 19th 4:00 pm in the Music Office. We will play in worship on March 2nd. This is a great time to explore handbells and give glory to God through music. You don’t have to be able to read music to play handbells but it helps a little. We welcome anyone from junior high on up! The “Choir Door” (as you are looking at the church from the back, the door on the far right hand side) will be unlocked.
Soup, Sandwiches & Singing: March 16th
Immediately after church on February 23rd, join us in the Fellowship Hall to explore some of the little-known hymns in our United Methodist Hymnal. There’s lots of great music that we don’t sing yet and this is a special opportunity to learn more about the expanse of hymns available to us during worship. Come enjoy a good lunch and some singing! It would help greatly in our planning if you would call the office and let us know you are attending!
UMW—2013
Sometimes it seems like the UMW is always selling something: tickets, flowers, peelers, cookbooks, cookies. Why? Who gets the money? This year we were able to raise $7,000! Except for $1,000 which goes to the district UMW for special missions, all of it is used locally. This year’s recipients were: the Art Central Foundation (Middletown organization that provides free art lessons for low income children), Dove House (Butler County women’s shelter), Hope House, MANY (Middletown Area Neediest Youth), and the Pregnancy Center. We also contributed to several FUMC missions: Breakfast Club, Neighborhood Food Pantry/Benevolent Fund, SHALOM, and Whiz kids. The UMW thanks this congregation for your continued generosity!
First Friday Concert Series 2014
FEBRUARY 7 MIKE HEMMELGARN
Part magician, part juggler, part ventriloquist, totally entertaining! Get in on the act as audience participation, laughter and amazing, daring feats are seen in our church sanctuary before your very eyes!
MARCH 7 CEOH MOHR CELTIC BAND
One of the most popular Celtic Bands in southwest Ohio joins us with music from the British Isles. Just in time for St. Patrick’s celebrations.
This concert series wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Middletown Community Foundation, the Miriam G. Knoll Charitable Foundation, The Barnitz Fund and the congregation of First United Methodist Church, Middletown. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for helping us make downtown Middletown a destination for the arts!
2014 Pledge Update
Your response to the 2014 stewardship campaign is extraordinary. Half of the pledges represented an increase in giving, which is what I asked you to consider when we began the campaign.
It is also worth noting that there were 14 new pledges. That says to me we are headed in the right direction. This is only possible because of your generosity and the kindness of your heart. You have recognized our commitment to the needs of our neighbors, as well as the far reaching missions around the globe.
Thank you for your financial commitment ‘To Making Mission and Ministry Happen.’
In Christ’s Love,
Mike Snyder
Community Ministries Corner
Lives Touched in 2013
Last year our various Community Ministries served over 5,000 needs…
177 people were fed through Emergency Food bags
3,390 Monday Breakfasts were served
302 children were cared for through our Hispanic Ministry
Over 100 received support through our cancer support groups
240 nights out of the cold were overseen through SHALOM
1,225 sales were made in the Food Pantry, saving neighbors lots of dollars
About 12 families were served through Benevolent Funds for various emergency services
You can be proud of the dollars, food items and hours you have given to these ministries. The impact is seen and felt in this neighborhood and nearby community. Great job, everybody!
February Birthdays
1 Matthew Dixon, Hannah Dornon
3 Sandy Mills
4 Bob Sears, Beth Watson
5 Mark Frazer
7 David Wittman
8 Anita McLaughlin
9 Mary Davis, Lynda Goecke
10 John McDaniel
11 Roy Ickes, Gene Saylor,
David Wieneke
13 Jack Diefenbach, Martha Gill
14 Mary Roehll
16 Mary Ellen Clinard
17 Phyllis Richmond
19 Bill Alderton, Dean Prushing, Helen Tucker
24 Joni Bachelor, Eric Young
28 Donna Burley