Stew Peck

Stew Peck Presented at Sunday worship services on August 18, 2002

It is always a privilege to be asked to address a congregation of our church. Today I am honored and humbled to speak about memories of 50-55 years ago. Hopefully some memories will coincide with some facts. Thank you, Dr. Ritter, for asking me to share with everyone.

This coming September 29, 2002 marks the 50th anniversary of our official move from a much, much smaller church in downtown Birmingham to our present facility. Believe it or not, some members weren't too sure how many other members would travel west out of town almost a mile to the new church! We're talking the late 1940's here, folks.

Ann Groves Van Deusen and I were honored to serve as youth members of the Building Committee. Two of our MYF requests involved Fellowship Hall. We wanted a stage, basketball court and provisions for other games. We got the stage, and later held a number of musicals, plays, puppet shows and a veritable host of dramatic moments involving hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of youth and adults. The basketball setup didn't make it - a victim of last minute "adjustments" made in the name of cash savings and/or city regulations. You can only begin to imagine how excited I am now about the Christian Life Center soon to be erected for the use of our entire church family.

Before I share more memories, I believe I need to paint a brief picture of the old church downtown. Today you will see Roots on the southwest corner of Henrietta and Maple, with Harmony House closed up. They occupy the area of our old church and parsonage. There is a plaque on the Henrietta side of the building attesting to the church occupancy from 1871 to 1952. It also repeats the hymn words: "Faith of Our Fathers Living Still."

The front door was right on the south sidewalk of Maple Road, just west of the corner of Henrietta and Maple. You entered a small, mostly bare narthex, then turned right or left to walk up a full flight of stairs to the nave where worship was held. No ramps and no elevators. Everyone walked or was helped up the stairs. The balcony was up another flight.

A second floor location did have the advantage of lots of sunshine streaming through the stained glass windows on the east. I remember well how our Easter morning sunrise services were flooded with glorious sunshine. Ann and I were placed in the choir as 12 year olds since our own First Methodist Episcopal Church Choir Director was Victor Ulrich, the Birmingham School Choir Director. He told us, and a few others, to get up there and learn on the job. Our organist, Oscar Schmidt, was paid exactly the same as Mr. Ulrich. Zero, zip, nada, nothing. Volunteers, all.

A semi-circular altar rail curved out into the pew area from the front walls. The communion table was behind the altar rail. Communion was taken on our knees at the altar rail or served in the pews, much as we do today. The chancel area behind the communion table contained the organ (facing the choir), with the choir facing the organ and the congregation. The Eternal Light burned in the sanctuary behind the choir.

The parsonage was a two-story house right next door. The church office was in the parsonage. Elaine Jones was the church secretary. Adult and youth Sunday school classes were held in the Fellowship Hall on the main floor of the church, as you came in off Maple. Some classes were held in the parsonage or the Boiler Room. Arbon Dennis, for whom the Wednesday Morning Men's Study Group is named, taught classes practically everywhere for over 60 years! The classes in the Boiler Room were okay during winter, but not too great during fall or spring.

The children's Sunday school building was about the size of the garage now standing beside the east driveway into our parking lot. Attached to the "backside" of the church proper, on the south, it was basically one big room with a small movable podium at one end and rolling blackboards for dividers for small sessions of individual grade groups. What a difference now!

One of my most vivid memories concerns the night my sister, Carol Susan Peck, was confirmed in late 1951. I had hitch-hiked home from Michigan State College in a driving rain storm. My final ride dropped me off at the church door on Maple. I ran in, up the stairs to the nave and up more stairs to the balcony. I arrived, dripping wet, just as my sister and several others were kneeling at our altar rail. Within seconds of my arrival, Dr. Arnold Runkel and Rev. James Wright were confirming my sister. God had helped me make it safely and just in time.

The last memory I'll share with you today involves both the parsonage and the Children's Sunday School Building. I am sworn to secrecy on any names other than my own, but some of us had some jugs of delicious Franklin Cider Mill apple juice. This was the real, non-pasteurized stuff. It was rumored that a handful of raisins might improve the taste, especially if you kept the cap loose and stored it where it could warm up daily and cool down nightly for a couple of days.

Knowing that the children's Sunday school building was not used during the week, we stashed a jug inside the podium and pushed it up against the wall to hide the contents. Worked pretty well. Good tang. Fearing possible discovery there, we found that we could exit a second floor window onto the back roof of the parsonage and place a jug or two behind the chimney, out of sight of the window. Since this roof faced south, our apple juice with raisins was warmed and cooled quite nicely and the result was, as some might say, "VERY TASTY."

I may share additional memories with you someday. Today, I ask you to join me and my family in praises to Almighty God, thanking Him for the rich blessings of his love to each and every one of us, and our extended families! Surely He is in this place, and in the hearts and lives of everyone who loves Him. Old church, new church, Life Center: let us remember all the many blessings that God has bestowed upon each one of us. Sorrow comes and goes; only God remains steadfast forever and ever. Amen.