John Shearer: Retired Methodist Ministers Visit New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Congregation

  • Tuesday, September 24, 2019
  • John Shearer

Last week, approximately a half dozen retired United Methodist ministers plus some spouses went to visit an old denominational friend – a former Methodist church building in East Chattanooga that was closed in 1991.

 

While there, they also met and became acquainted with some new friends – members of the New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church that since 1996 have been using the historic building.

 

And it turned out to be an apparent blessing on both sides.

 

I had written a story last January about some of the now-closed Methodist church buildings still standing in Chattanooga.

In most cases, the members of the churches had voted to close them either because of declining attendance in lieu of building upkeep, or a merging of churches, or the opening of a new UMC church in that area.

 

I had mentioned this building, which was constructed in 1925 as Manker Memorial Methodist and eventually became East Chattanooga UMC before closing.

 

Deacon Ron Griffin at New Jerrusalem was told about my story from a friend in California who saw it online, so he emailed me and, through additional correspondence, invited me to tour the building. So I did a few days later with several church members there to greet me. We compared historical notes and other thoughts, and I wrote another story about my positive experiences.

 

My wife is a retired United Methodist minister, and I started thinking that she and some of the retired pastors in the Scenic South District of the Holston Conference might enjoy seeing the church as well during their monthly luncheon gathering.

 

That was finally arranged for last Tuesday.

 

After we arrived in a van and an additional car at the church at 2625 N. Chamberlain Ave., the eight or 10 members of New Jerusalem who were able to be there greeted us with warm smiles and hellos and even some cookies and other desserts.

 

We were all white, and they were all black, but that was hardly noticeable and we all communed as one. We were linked not only by the church building, but also by our common Christian beliefs and heritage.

 

Everyone went in and sat down in the sanctuary/nave, and Mr. Griffin formally welcomed us and introduced the other church members on hand. He also told us about some of the restoration and other projects they have been doing, and that the Rev. Kelvert Scruggs, who also works at Tyner Academy, will be formally installed as pastor at 4 p.m. this Sunday, Sept. 29, at the church.

 

Some of the United Methodist pastors – none of whom served at that church, although they knew some of the former pastors -- then asked questions with sincerity about various other aspects of the New Jerusalem church, including membership and outreach ministries.

 

A tour was then given, including getting to see some old stone markers from when the building was a Methodist church.

 

At a time when the world still struggles to be made whole regarding racial, ethnic, religious and even Christian harmony, a sense of God’s peace filled the church for a few minutes that Tuesday afternoon.

 

In short, church seemed to be held between two culturally different groups linked by this handsome old church building.

 

As Mr. Griffin later shared in an email, “Tuesday at New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church was magical, spiritual, cultural, and totally amazing.  The retired Methodist ministers are warm, devoted, knowledgeable and ‘kind.’  My words could never express the amount of fun that the New Jerusalem members experienced during the ministers’ visits. “

 

The feeling was apparently mutual, based on the comments of one of the United Methodist ministers afterward. “I am glad we took the trip. It was amazing to see how these folks have claimed the history along with the building; that almost never happens! And, they were so hospitable and friendly,” the minister said.

 

Jcshearer2@comcast.net


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