Faith Works 10-30-2026
Jeff Gill
An appreciation of clergy, always in order
___
October is soon ending, with time change this weekend leading us into All Saints on Sunday.
Before we fall back one hour, I’d like to make my own bow in the direction of Clergy Appreciation Month, observed by many traditions in October.
I never met my mother’s minister, the one who baptized her as World War II ended, cared for her in a hospital distant from her home, and was given leave to return in 1958 to marry my parents. Rev. Myrtle Park Storm graduated from Eureka College and was ordained in the first decade of the 1900s when few women were; she traveled the state of Illinois as an evangelist, and later after her marriage served settled pastorates in Kansas and Carlock, Illinois among others.
Her faith formation was important to my mother, and I know her teaching for me has roots in Rev. Storm. She died when I was not quite four, but I never met her; her influence was significant in my faith and ministry, all the same.
I barely recall Rev. Percy Thomas, who also died the summer before I turned four; he welcomed my parents into membership at the church I grew up in. He was born and raised in Wales, making his way to this country in a story I keep meaning to learn more about. Rev. Thomas had a long ministry in Steubenville, Ohio before his call to Valparaiso, Indiana, but his Welsh accent and courtly manners I still remember, if faintly.
The first minister I have clear, specific memories of is Rev. Thomas Alston, who came as Rev. Thomas retired and conducted his memorial on the latter’s unexpected death the next year. Rev. Tom preached sermons that included stories about what he learned not just in the Bible, but working in the pickle factory of his hometown as a young man. His faith was practical, applicable, pungent (and not to everyone’s taste).
When Rev. Alston moved on, Paul Porter came to town; Pastor Paul taught my cohort’s class preparing for baptism in 1972. I am not sure, but think he is still serving in retirement down in north Georgia. He tried to balance the desire for relevance asked by many with the staid traditionalism of the church of my youth; the late 1960s and early 70s were hard for many clergy.
Pastor Paul left, and I ended a youth representative on a pulpit committee looking for a new minister, a learning experience which has been useful to me in more ways than I can count. We ended up deciding to recommend the congregation extend a call to Rev. Dr. M.W. Robert Craig; much of the controversy of those times blew away once we had him and his family in residence, another lesson I learned (lots of promised turmoil never actually comes to pass).
Bob Craig arrived as I left for college, and while I never got to hear him preach much, he liked to recommend books to me (he got me started on Victor Frankl, for one), and was pleased I ended up attending his seminary in Indianapolis.
At Purdue, joined with University Church, an ecumenical campus ministry with a pair of ministers: Don Nead, a Presbyterian, and Ken Ewing, an American Baptist. There I ended up “on staff” joining the music director I’d taken an interest in, so Joyce Meredith was “in ministry” before I was! At UC I became a student assistant minister, or SAM. Don tended to supervise the SAMs, and in butting heads with Don I learned quite a bit about multi-staff ministry contexts.
Joyce and I married at UC, then went on to seminary, and there I served under Rick Powell as a student associate; Rick, his wife Jayna, and his brother Jim all showed me much much more about how ministry as a calling can work out in and through one’s whole life.
That’s just a few of the many ministers I appreciate in this month, and have valued through many years of my own ministry.
Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and preacher in central Ohio; he could keep going with this list! Tell him what ministers have been examples for you at knapsack77@gmail.com or follow @Knapsack on X.
Jeff Gill
An appreciation of clergy, always in order
___
October is soon ending, with time change this weekend leading us into All Saints on Sunday.
Before we fall back one hour, I’d like to make my own bow in the direction of Clergy Appreciation Month, observed by many traditions in October.
I never met my mother’s minister, the one who baptized her as World War II ended, cared for her in a hospital distant from her home, and was given leave to return in 1958 to marry my parents. Rev. Myrtle Park Storm graduated from Eureka College and was ordained in the first decade of the 1900s when few women were; she traveled the state of Illinois as an evangelist, and later after her marriage served settled pastorates in Kansas and Carlock, Illinois among others.
Her faith formation was important to my mother, and I know her teaching for me has roots in Rev. Storm. She died when I was not quite four, but I never met her; her influence was significant in my faith and ministry, all the same.
I barely recall Rev. Percy Thomas, who also died the summer before I turned four; he welcomed my parents into membership at the church I grew up in. He was born and raised in Wales, making his way to this country in a story I keep meaning to learn more about. Rev. Thomas had a long ministry in Steubenville, Ohio before his call to Valparaiso, Indiana, but his Welsh accent and courtly manners I still remember, if faintly.
The first minister I have clear, specific memories of is Rev. Thomas Alston, who came as Rev. Thomas retired and conducted his memorial on the latter’s unexpected death the next year. Rev. Tom preached sermons that included stories about what he learned not just in the Bible, but working in the pickle factory of his hometown as a young man. His faith was practical, applicable, pungent (and not to everyone’s taste).
When Rev. Alston moved on, Paul Porter came to town; Pastor Paul taught my cohort’s class preparing for baptism in 1972. I am not sure, but think he is still serving in retirement down in north Georgia. He tried to balance the desire for relevance asked by many with the staid traditionalism of the church of my youth; the late 1960s and early 70s were hard for many clergy.
Pastor Paul left, and I ended a youth representative on a pulpit committee looking for a new minister, a learning experience which has been useful to me in more ways than I can count. We ended up deciding to recommend the congregation extend a call to Rev. Dr. M.W. Robert Craig; much of the controversy of those times blew away once we had him and his family in residence, another lesson I learned (lots of promised turmoil never actually comes to pass).
Bob Craig arrived as I left for college, and while I never got to hear him preach much, he liked to recommend books to me (he got me started on Victor Frankl, for one), and was pleased I ended up attending his seminary in Indianapolis.
At Purdue, joined with University Church, an ecumenical campus ministry with a pair of ministers: Don Nead, a Presbyterian, and Ken Ewing, an American Baptist. There I ended up “on staff” joining the music director I’d taken an interest in, so Joyce Meredith was “in ministry” before I was! At UC I became a student assistant minister, or SAM. Don tended to supervise the SAMs, and in butting heads with Don I learned quite a bit about multi-staff ministry contexts.
Joyce and I married at UC, then went on to seminary, and there I served under Rick Powell as a student associate; Rick, his wife Jayna, and his brother Jim all showed me much much more about how ministry as a calling can work out in and through one’s whole life.
That’s just a few of the many ministers I appreciate in this month, and have valued through many years of my own ministry.
Jeff Gill is a writer, storyteller, and preacher in central Ohio; he could keep going with this list! Tell him what ministers have been examples for you at knapsack77@gmail.com or follow @Knapsack on X.
