News and Views

Rev. Bonnie McCubbin

“Soon and very soon,” sang the congregation as the sounds of steel drums echoed throughout the ballroom.  The body gathered after lunch on Thursday, May 28, to honor the lives of those who have gone to eternal life since the last Annual Conference.

As those gathered remembered the saints who had “run the race with perseverance and have now completed their course of faith,” a book of names with laity in our local churches was processed in after members of Annual Conference had the opportunity to inscribe them before the service. As each name was read aloud, the worship team poured water into the large font, evoking memories of the baptism all Christians share, which was remembered during Opening Worship. Additionally, as each name was read, the congregation heard the tolling of the Cokesbury Bell, which has been used for many years during the AC Memorial Service. It first rang to bring in students at Cokesbury College, the first Methodist College in the world, in Abingdon, Harford County, MD, and was loaned by the Lovely Lane Museum & Archives.

All told, 16 clergy and 21 clergy spouses were honored as their families sat in the front rows. Earlier in the Annual Conference Session, Bishop Easterling acknowledged that those who passed most recently will be honored next year so that we can celebrate their life and ministry more completely.

Rev. Narae Kim, the Associate Pastor at Severna Park UMC, Severna Park, MD, preached for the service, beginning with a Korean proverb that translates to, “Shared joy becomes double joy, and shared grief becomes half grief,” as a reminder of the mixed emotions we carry throughout this service and time of life. She said, “The love we shared was real.”

Using images from the theme, “Rooted in Christ: Love Boldly,” Rev. Kim wove a sermon full of wisdom and gentle humor. Using imagery of a tree, she explained that roots are mostly hidden underground, but they are the first thing to break from a seed. The roots anchor the trunk. When wind shakes everything around the tree, it’s the roots that interact with other roots in the soil, sharing messages and nutrients with each other. The roots help the tree endure throughout all the seasons of life. Over time, the tree becomes stronger and more resilient. Faith works the same way.

Rev. Kim continued, sharing that in sacred moments, when people stand to honor someone they love, they rarely talk about their accomplishments, awards, or accolades. Rather, families and friends share stories, kindness, faithfulness, laughter, sacrifice and love.

Continuing the strong imagery of being rooted in faith, Rev. Kim admonished the congregation that Christ doesn’t offer us a soft, easy, ground in which to walk and live our faith. Instead, Christ offers us a firm ground, a steady ground. Our loved ones didn’t look for the easy way out—every time they stood up for justice, healed the broken-hearted, and chose grace over anger, they were pushing their roots through hard, dark ground. They stood firm and helped others to learn to stand firm too.

Right now, we are in a “winter” season as we grieve the loss of our beloved family, friends, and colleagues. We see the dark, bare branches around us. The warmth we used to feel from their presence is gone. It’s easy to feel like death has won. “But the ground is keeping a holy secret,” claimed Rev. Kim. “The root is still alive. It’s holding firm. Life in Christ is never destroyed; it is only hidden for a season. But we remember them.” Our relationship is rooted in firm, unshakeable ground. But more importantly, she said, “God remembers them.” Our loved ones will not be forgotten because we have hope.

As the service was concluding, families were presented with a bright blue waxed amaryllis bulb by Bishop Easterling as the congregation sang “Hymn of Promise.” According to Worship Team member, Rev. Laura Norvell, “amaryllis are frequently gifted in the depths of winter. They are dormant…after their dormancy, they emerge with new life. It is a cycle of life, death, new life,” connecting the theme of the conference, the lyrics of the hymn, and the message from Rev. Kim.

“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). And love never ends.

Clergy:

• Rev. George A. Aist, 8/5/1933-9/6/2025
• Rev. Edison McKinley Amos 12/31/1928-8/3/2025
• Rev. Howard Ronald Ellis 2/23/1927-9/16/2025
• Rev. Ronald E. Flemming Tripplet 6/6/1973-4/11/2026
• Pastor Marshall Douglas Fraim 3/30/1932-3/22/2026
• Pastor Nancy L. Green 7/22/1951-3/30/2026
• Rev. Carroll Reese Gunkel 3/3/1937-7/13/2025
• Rev. James D. Manning 4/8/1935-3/19/2026
• Rev. Sherrin D. Marshall 9/6/1943-11/11/2025
• Rev. Curtis Lamar Mitchell 3/15/1930-2/17/2026
• Pastor Kermit Moore 10/21/1951-4/15/2026
• Rev. Conrad Delante Parker 2/14/1948-6/18/2025
• Rev. Francis Blaine Ricker 3/1/1937-12/26/2025
• Rev. Joan I. Senyk 10/14/1938-10/2/2025
• Rev. Thomas C. Starnes 6/14/1932-3/5/2026
• Rev. Edwin M. Wray 12/10/1938-3/2/2026

Clergy Spouses:

• Francette Boling 11/22/1936-12/8/2025
• Martha N. Bortner 4/27/1935-7/17/2025
• Lester E. Brantner 9/26/1954-2/26/2026
• Sylvia Creeger Burtner 8/3/1933-11/23/2025
• Judith Lynne Butler 5/8/1943-11/14/2025
• Virginia I. Cross 9/12/1937-7/24/2025
• Polly DeHart 2/4/1945-4/26/2026
• Cynthia E. Fleet 6/2/1960-9/21/2024
• Nina Mae Goodman 4/14/1935-1/12/2026
• Bessie C. Howard 8/2/1929-7/27/2025
• Dennis M. Letto 2/25/1948-12/11/2025
• Shirley S. Lewis 11/29/1935-7/29/2025
• Christine W. Miller-Betts 7/3/1936-6/5/2025
• Arettia C. Nair 5/5/1926-1/2/2026
• Sarah Kaeser Roberts 12/11/1946-9/2/2025
• Sylvia Matilda Sawyer 2/8/1951-11/1/2025
• Shirley Anne Sieglein 3/22/1944-6/23/2025
• William A. Thomas 1/13/1943-3/27/2026
• Mildred S. Warfield 12/17/1931-1/14/2026
• Evelyn G. White Warfield 10/11/1921-1/31/2026
• Shirley Ann Zimmerman 4/28/1937-10/11/2025