A Message from the Pastor
This past week I received the quarterly edition of the alumni magazine from my Undergraduate school, Susquehanna University. In the ‘deaths’ section was a notice of the death of the Rev. Charles Coates, a fellow Susquehanna alum, and a long-time colleague. I have known Charlie for all of my days in ministry (nearly 27 years), and met him when I began my first call in a congregation in the same District as Charlie’s congregation. Charlie was one of my mentors in my early days. His gentleness and wisdom was invaluable to me as I worked through those first years in parish ministry. Later on Charlie became a music pal and we played guitar and mandolin together with the Frosty Valley Dulcimer Friends. Charlie retired about 10 years ago but remained active in interim ministry. For a time he served as interim pastor in a congregation only a few miles from my church in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, and we were able to renew our collegial ties.
I will always remember Charlie as one who passed on his faith. He shared his faith not only with all of those in his congregation, but even with us young, starting-out pastors. He was a friend to many and an inspiration to all.
I will always remember Charlie as one who passed on his faith. He shared his faith not only with all of those in his congregation, but even with us young, starting-out pastors. He was a friend to many and an inspiration to all.
A few Sundays ago we honored two of our pastors who are members here at Christ the King. Pastor Rufus Cuthbertson celebrated 65 years as an ordained minister and is approaching his 90th year of age. Pastor Dick Gantt celebrated 50 years as an ordained minister. What a legacy these two men have of more than 115 years in ministry. I can only imagine how many lives they have touched in those years, and how many times they have passed on their faith to others.
The writer of Hebrews refers to the “great cloud of witnesses” that make up the saints of God. Each one of us is living out our lives in faith, sharing that faith with others in our words and deeds.
