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 The Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall passes through downtown Wapakoneta Wednesday, September 1. Staff photo/William Laney By CARLA MEYER
Staff Writer
For 45 minutes, the roar of motorcycles could be heard passing under an American flag hanging from two ladder trucks. For 45 minutes, area residents gathered in the shadow of the Auglaize County Courthouse and Wapakoneta Fire Station waved and clapped as motorcyclists rode by.
The smiles and waves turned into clapping and cheers as the Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall passed down Willipie Street on its way to Custenborder Field in Sidney where it was greeted by a field of American flags.
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Tuesday, 27 January 2009 |
By KRISTA HAYES
Staff Writer
This summer, a long-time pastor plans to leave the pulpit and hang up his cassock.
The Rev. Greg Roberts announced he intends to end eight years as the pastor of the Salem United Methodist Church and move to a small town in southern Ohio.
After giving his last sermon on June 28, Roberts along with his wife, Diane, plan to pack up their belongings and move to the small town of New Market, located five miles south of Hillsboro. In a new house built out in the country, they plan to raise their two grandchildren, Xavier, 11, and Lyric, 6.
“Since I will be raising my two grandchildren, I guess sitting out on the porch, rocking in a chair while enjoying my retirement will be out of the question,” Roberts said with a laugh. “I am looking forward to it though, watching them grow and all.”
Before arriving in 2001 to serve as the pastor of the Salem United Methodist Church to a congregation of 165, Roberts preached at Conway Chapel United Methodist Church as a lay speaker to 15 members before arriving to preach at Sinking Spring United Methodist Church before packed pews of 70.
Both churches are near Peebles, in southern Ohio.
“One Saturday morning, my district superintendent, Shirley Cadle, called me at home and asked me to fill in for a few weeks at a church that had been disrupted by internal strife,” Roberts said.
At the time, Roberts was not a pastor and had spoke in a few churches as a lay speaker but nothing to this magnitude.
“I knew I wasn’t qualified for what she was asking, so I made excuses but she kept after me,” Roberts said. “Finally, I said, ‘Surely you must have some other people you could call,’ and she said, ‘No, you’re our last resort.’ It’s not very flattering to know you’re at the bottom of the barrel, but I gave in since it was just going to be for a few weeks.”
Seven years later, Roberts found himself still serving the church when another district superintendent, Philip Brooks, called and asked if he’d come to Salem United Methodist Church in Wapakoneta.
“I never did get a phone call from God; both of my calls came from God’s appointed servants,” Roberts said. “There were times, actually many of them, when I wondered if God had really called me or if I had just been ready for a change in my life. Either way, there I stood, united with my congregation at Salem United Methodist Church in the service of Jesus Christ.”
In his years at the Salem United Methodist Church, Roberts said the biggest accomplishment or impact he feels he has made on the church together with his family is getting people to see beyond the walls of the church were ministry is concerned.
“During my first Sunday sermon at Salem, I told everyone in the congregation to take off their wrist watch and place it on their other arm, in a attempt to show them that change does feel awkward at first until you begin to make progress and get use to new ways,” Roberts said. “Over time, as people got more involved, they began seeing beyond the walls of the building and understood how they were assigned to the community and not just the church. Getting up and going to church every Sunday morning as ones only involvement in the community is a poor excuse for spirituality.”
While Roberts said he has no clue as to who will fill his empty shoes after he retires this summer, he said the decision to choose an individual lies upon the district superintendent and the Parish Relations Committee.
In April, the district superintendent is scheduled to meet with the Parish Relations Committee, and together they interview potential replacements and choose the best one that they think will be the most qualified for the position, Roberts said.
He noted the interview process can take a considerable amount of time and nine or 10 interviews may take place, unless a flag goes up and someone really sets the committee on edge.
“The process can be intimidating because they can and do ask the pastors anything, such as, ‘Do you believe in the Bible or what’s you personal relationship with God like?’” Roberts said.
In retiring, Roberts said the one thing that he will miss the most about the Salem United Methodist Church is the people.
“My experience in preaching at Salem has just been wonderful,” Roberts said. “The people have been so supportive and willing to overlook both mine and the church’s shortcomings that they welcomed me with open arms and gave me a fair chance. Leaving will be bittersweet, and I just want to thank everyone for being so accepting, even for an old hillbilly like me.”
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 28 January 2009 )
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