50th anniversary booklet
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Commemorative booklet from the 50th anniversary of St. Luke's.TRANSCRIPT
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church •
Dear Friends:
Most United Methodist Churches are started when the Bishop appoints a founding pastor to gather a new
group of Christians together and organize a congregation. Most new churches are given funds to pay
pastor salaries and to purchase land and build new facilities. However, that is not how St. Luke’s United
Methodist Church was started in .
A small group of lay people from Central Avenue Methodist Church felt called by God to organize a new
congregation of believers on the far north side of the city. Without the support of the Bishop and Cabinet
these lay persons started a congregation themselves. They rented the American Legion Hall in Broad Ripple,
invited retired pastors and lay people to lead the services, recruited Sunday School teachers and started a
worshipping community all on their own.
By March they had over people worshipping together, so the District Superintendent came on
March , and officially chartered the church –– St. Luke’s Methodist Church. Rev. Bill Imler was
appointed as the first pastor in June . St. Luke’s started without a pastor, without adequate facilities, and
without outside support. It’s a miracle that this congregation came into being!
In the course of fifty years most congregations will have ten or more senior pastors since most pastors only
stay four or five years in one congregation. However, St. Luke’s has had only four senior pastors in years:
Rev. Bill Imler served for years; Dr. Richard Hamilton served for years; Dr. Carver McGriff for years
and Dr. Kent Millard for years and counting. St. Luke’s has also been blessed with long-term associate
pastors like Rev. Cindy Bates who served here for years, Dr. Linda McCoy who has served here for years
and counting, and Rev. Carolyn Scanlan who has been on staff here years and counting.
When people ask how St. Luke’s grew to become one of the ten largest United Methodist Churches in the
nation, I tell them it is because God has provided passionate lay leaders and staff and long-term effective
pastoral leadership. The formula for growing large, society-transforming congregations is simple:
competent and faithful lay and clergy leadership over a long time.
For all that God has done through St. Luke’s over the past years we say “Thanks,” and for all that God
will do through St. Luke’s over the next 50 years we say “YES!” St. Paul put it this way: “Jesus Christ, whom
we proclaimed among you …was not ‘Yes’ and ‘No’; but in him it is always ‘YES!’” ( Corinthians :).
Grace and Peace,
Kent Millard
On November , , a group of approximately fifty persons interested in
establishing a new Methodist Church to serve the rapidly growing far north
side of Indianapolis met, selected officers and appointed committees. The first
worship service of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church was held in the Broad
Ripple Legion Hall at College Avenue on January , .
The name St. Luke’s was chosen at a congregational meeting on March , .
On the following Sunday, persons became members at a Constituting
Conference and St. Luke’s officially became a member of the Indiana
Conference. Guest ministers and lay speakers filled the pulpit until June ,
, at which time Revered William A. Imler, assigned by the Indiana
Conference as the pastor, preached his first sermon at St. Luke’s.
The site for the new church at and Illinois was approved in the spring of
, and the present church site was purchased in January of . The laying
of the cornerstone occurred on August , , and the new church was con-
secrated by Bishop Richard Raines on March , . The following year the
church school wing and parsonage were added.
Reverend Richard Hamilton was welcomed as the new pastor in November of
. He served St. Luke’s for / years, during which time a new sanctuary
was constructed. In June of , E. Carver McGriff became the new senior
pastor, and it was he who preached the first sermon in the new sanctuary on
September , . Under his leadership, St. Luke’s grew from a -member
congregation to one of , members in . Several building projects were
completed during the years Dr. McGriff served St. Luke’s, including the
library, parlor, transept, new office area, new youth rooms, and the Great Hall.
Dr. McGriff retired on June , , after serving St. Luke’s for years.
Reverend Dr. Kent Millard was appointed senior pastor effective October ,
, following a comprehensive search of all jurisdictions from coast to coast.
He served several churches with distinction in South Dakota and was a
District Superintendent in the South Dakota Conference. Dr. Millard earned a
Doctor of Ministry degree from McCormick Theological Seminary and an
honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Dakota Wesleyan University.
He studied for one year at Cambridge University in England and has two
masters degrees from Boston College.
In , ground was broken for a new 1,500-seat sanctuary as well as a new
children and adult education center and music facilities. The sanctuary was
consecrated in September , providing space for the dynamic and ever-
growing congregation of St. Luke’s as well as space for large events such as the
city-wide Celebration of Hope services, concerts by Christian artists Sandi
Patti and Twila Paris, and presentation sites for nationally-known speakers
such as John Rosemond, Bill Hybels and John Maxwell. During the 50th
anniversary celebration in March , a campaign to raise ,, in one
month was launched to build a new youth building. In anticipation of yet
another St. Luke’s miracle, groundbreaking for that building is set for April ,
and the building is scheduled to be complete by December .
At the end of , average worship attendance was over 3,300 persons (totals
include attendance at The Garden, a St. Luke’s satellite ministry), with a total
membership of over ,. Membership continues to grow, with - people
joining St. Luke’s each month. In May St. Luke’s will host the annual
nationwide Large Church Conference with a theme of “Passion + Vision =
Transformation,” sharing with other churches St. Luke’s vision of “transform-
ing our world into a compassionate, inclusive and Christ-like community,” by
encouraging and supporting each person’s God-given passion for ministry
and service.
“A very small group among church membership of an inner-city church had a dream of establishing a northside chapel for that church –
a family-oriented church in which elderly, middle-aged, children . . . where everyone would have a definite part.”
- Founding Member Fran Hughes,
. ’
Adult MinistriesADULT EDUCATION
Terri Coe, -
CLASS REGISTRATION:
DeAnna Moran, -
[email protected] & Marsha Reynolds, Chairs
CAFÉ CINEMA
Dr. Max Case, -
MARRIAGE MINISTRIES
Wedding Coordinator:Carol Helmus, -
MEN’S MINISTRIES
T.J. Burch, Coordinator
SINGLES MINISTRIES
Terri Coe, -
[email protected] Street, -
[email protected] Canon, Chair
SPIRITUAL LIFE CENTER
Betty Brandt, -
[email protected] Ernst, Chair
UNITED METHODIST WOMEN
Terri Coe, -
[email protected] Todd, President
Children’s MinistriesLorie Lee Andrews,-
[email protected] Strawmyer, Chair
PRESCHOOL/PARENTS’ DAY OUT/KINDERGARTEN
Bobbi Main, 846-3404 [email protected]
Fellowship MinistriesELDERBERRIES
Adra Wheeler, 846-3404 [email protected]
FELLOWSHIP COMMISSION
Carolyn Scanlan, 846-3404 [email protected] & Erica Lampe, Chairs
ReachOUT
Mary Boyer, 846-3404 [email protected] Hamilton and Henry Greene, Chairs
SOWERS
Mary Katherine Schnitz,-
[email protected] Conwell, Chair
Member Care/Caring MinistriesDEAF MINISTRY
Mary Katherine Schnitz,-
[email protected] Ogan, Chair
GRIEF MINISTRY
Mary Katherine Schnitz,-
HEALTH MINISTRIES
Mary Katherine Schnitz,-
[email protected] Manges, Chair
MEMBERSHIP
Mary Katherine Schnitz,-
MEMBERSHIP CLASS REGISTRATION:
Sylvia Forbes, -
[email protected] Frick, Chair
PRAYER MINISTRY
Dr. Jean Wilson, -
STEPHEN MINISTRY
Mary Katherine Schnitz,-
[email protected] Watkins, Chair
Mission OutreachCOMMUNITY MISSIONS
Jayne Moynahan Thorne,-
[email protected] Danquist, Chair
WORLD MISSIONS COMMISSION
Dr. Donald Griffith,-
[email protected] Walla, Chair
Music MinistriesADULT MUSIC
Dr. Charles Goehring,-
[email protected] Hardwick, Chair
CHILDREN’S MUSIC
Debra Nethercott, -
[email protected] & Sharon Hearn, Chairs
MUSIC OUTREACH
Mary Lynne Voigt, -
TAIZÉ PRAYER SERVICE
Pamela Haase, Taizé Coordinator
Youth and College MinistriesBrian Durand, -
[email protected] Schnitz, Chair
WorshipDr. Kent Millard, Senior Pastor,- [email protected]
Dr. Linda McCoy, The Garden,-
Dr. Dennis Flaugher,Word on Wednesday,-
Rev. Carolyn Scanlan,Later@St. Luke’s,-
Dr. Jean Wilson, Living Waters(coming Summer ) -
Supporting MinistriesADMINISTRATION
Julia Skiles, -
[email protected] Boyer, -
CHURCH COUNCIL
Dr. Kent Millard, -
[email protected] Thorne, Chair
COMMUNICATIONS/PUBLICATIONS
Lori Crantford, -
ENDOWMENT COMMITTEE
Bob Zehr, -
[email protected] Wise, Chair
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Julia Skiles, -
[email protected] Peek, Chair
HOSPITALITY AND VOLUNTEERS
Adra Wheeler, -
[email protected] Brownell, Chair
LEADERSHIP CABINET
Dr. Kent Millard, -
[email protected] Burger, Lay Leader
MEDIA MINISTRIES
Julia Skiles, -
[email protected] Pettigrew, Chair
OASIS BOOKSTORE
Sharon Holyoak, -
STAFF PARISH COMMITTEE
Dr. Kent Millard, -
[email protected] Walla, Chair
STEWARDSHIP COMMISSION
Bob Zehr, -
[email protected] Queisser, Chair
TRUSTEES COMMITTEE
Julia Skiles, -
[email protected] Rector, Chair
Partnering MinistriesTHE GARDEN AT BEEF AND BOARDS & OAK HILL
Dr. Linda McCoy, -
[email protected] Stark, -
[email protected] Blake, Chair
Mr. & Mrs. Vincent Adams
Miss Georgiana Adams
Miss Lynn Adams
Ms. Linda Scott Arant
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Bach
Mr. & Mrs. Ed Bailey, Sr.
Dr. & Mrs. George Baldwin
Mr. & Mrs. Leo Baldwin
Mrs. Frank Ball
Mrs. Carrie Bassett
Mr. & Mrs. Wells Bishop
Misses Anna & Edna Bixler
Mrs. C. A. Borchers
Mr. & Mrs. William Brannock
Mr. & Mrs. Burt Brinkerhoff
Mr. & Mrs. Carl Brown
Miss Barbara Brown
Mr. & Mrs. Royer Brown
Mr. & Mrs. James Bumgarner
Mrs. Parke Burford
Mrs. Howard Burgess
Mr. & Mrs. Gene Busche
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Buschmann
Mrs. Hazel Calvin
Miss Rena Carver
Mrs. Esther Cavanaugh
Mr. & Mrs. Joe Cavanaugh
Mr. & Mrs. William Clark
Mrs. Mary Jane Clark
Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Clifton
Miss Jena Coffin
Mr. & Mrs. Morris Conly
Mr. & Mrs. A. D. Conner
Mr. & Mrs. Curtis Conrad
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Cook
Mr. & Mrs. William Craigie
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Crane
Mr. George A. Crossland
Mr. & Mrs. George M. Crossland
Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Darnell
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Duke
Mr. Jack Dyer
Mr. & Mrs. John Dyer
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Ebbeler
Mrs. Donald Ellis
Ms. Carol Crane Engledow
Mrs. Norma Everett
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Fairley
Mrs. George Ferry
Mr. & Mrs. James Forsythe
Mr. & Mrs. Herbert Fry
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Gangstad
Mrs. Maxine Gordon
Mr. & Mrs. John Gardis
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Guthrie
Mrs. C. T. Hanna
Mr. & Mrs. John Harmon
Mr. & Mrs. Henry Hebert
Mr. & Mrs. George Heiny
Mr. E. R. Hisey
Mr. & Mrs. Roger Hooker
Mr. & Mrs. Walter Houppert
Mr. Donald E. Hughes
Mr. David B. Hughes
Mr. & Mrs. Francis Hughes
Mr. David L. Huncilman
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Huncilman
Mrs. William Imler
Mr. & Mrs. William Jeffries
Mrs. Donald Johns
Mr. & Mrs. Paul Johnston
Mrs. Karl Kayser
Mr. & Mrs. William Keenan
Mrs. Kathleen Keilman
Mr. & Mrs. Richard Kiger
Mrs. Clarence King
Mr. George King
Mrs. Ruth King
Mr. & Mrs. William Klingholz
Miss Minnie Knapp
Mr. & Mrs. Burton Knight
Miss Alice Krause
Mr. & Mrs. Hurley Lee
Mr. & Mrs. Everett Light
Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Lugar
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Lugar
Mr. & Mrs. Donald Lund
Mr. & Mrs. Loral Mahan
Mr. & Mrs. Rogers Malone
Mr. & Mrs. Francis Manifold
Mr. & Mrs. George Marshall
Mr. William Martin
Mr. & Mrs. John McColgin
Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd McColgin
Mr. & Mrs. Allan Means
Mr. & Mrs. George Miller
Mrs. Grace Miller
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Moore
Mr. & Mrs. Albert Morgan
Miss Helen Noble
Mrs. J. W. Noble
Mr. & Mrs. Harry Nolen
Miss Pamela Ann Nolen
Mrs. Warren D. Oakes
Mr. & Mrs. Garland Oglebay
Mrs. W. E. Orr
Mr. & Mrs. Julian Pace
Mr. & Mrs. Wilbur Porter
Mr. & Mrs. A. L. Pressell
Mr. & Mrs. Roy Price
Mr. & Mrs. Ted Pruyn
Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Reeve
Mr. James Roberts
Mr. & Mrs. John Roberts
Mr. & Mrs. O. T. Roberts
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Sage
Mr. & Mrs. William Schiltges
Mr. & Mrs. Lester Scott
Mr. & Mrs. Chalres Sharp
Mr. Verne Sharritts
Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Shields
Mr. & Mrs. Frazier Shipps
Mr. & Mrs. Charles Simison
Mr. & Mrs. Vincent Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Oscar Smitha
Mr. & Mrs. Percy Snively
Mr. & Mrs. Deane Stephenson
Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Stewart
Mr. & Mrs. John Vaughan
Mrs. George Vickery, Sr.
Mr. & Mrs. George Vickery, Jr.
Mr. & Mrs. P. W. Vickery, Sr.
Mr. & Mrs. P. W. Vickery, Jr.
Mrs. Alta Walker
Mr. & Mrs. Merlyn Walker
Mr. & Mrs. William Weest
Mr. & Mrs. Glenn White
Miss Marie White
Mrs. Gene Williams
Mr. & Mrs. Marvin Williams
Mrs. C. S. Wiltsie
Mr. & Mrs. Albert Wood
Mr. & Mrs. Edward Ziegler
*The names on this list include
families who were part of the
Constituting Conference and those
who joined in the years prior to
the move to West Street.
. ’
The Pioneers(1953-1959)
It may not have been the authentic Wild West, but
when a group of Methodist pioneers pulled up
stakes in their urban home church and, in effect,
hitched their wagon to God, bound for the wood-
ed, barely populated terrain of northside
Indianapolis... well, it had all the trappings of a Big
Adventure.
The story of How St. Luke’s Began contains all
the quintessential ingredients of a good How the
West Was Won-like story. There were strong men,
brave women, and obedient children (look, if
you’re going to take literary license with history,
always have the children be obedient) on the
journey that began at Central Avenue United
Methodist Church, in the heart of downtown
Indianapolis at & Central. The journey had
its small but potent roots in a November
meeting where people (representing out of interested
families) decided to start a new Methodist church to serve the
far northside of Marion County.
Every good western has a saloon, and How St. Luke’s Began is no
exception. By January , the group had taken squatter’s rights
(aka rented) a space to hold weekly Sunday morning worship.
That space was the American Legion Hall in Broad Ripple. Not
exactly a saloon, you say? “First thing we did every Sunday
morning was clean up from Saturday night,” says Alice Weest, a
charter member and currently a part-time employee at St. Luke’s
In a conversation with fellow founding members Betty Vickery
and Morris Conly, they remember and smile like it was yesterday.
“There were so few of us,” Alice begins. “Everyone kicked in to set
up.” “You cleaned up the cigars, didn’t you?” Morris teases. Alice
laughs. “We took care of the babies, pushed aside the pool tables
to set up the playpens.”
In , Morris was a young widower with five children, the
youngest of whom were toddling triplets. “The triplets were in
the poker room,” he remembers. “That’s where we had Sunday
reprinted from the September/October issue of the Communion
ABOVE: Portrait of Rev.William Imler by Rosemary Browne Beck.
RIGHT: Frame of the first St. Luke’sSanctuary, 1955.
School.” A donated brass cross and candlesticks, along with the
faith of those present and the spirit of God, transformed the Hall
into a place of worship. An offering was taken by passing the
hat – literally.
Services began bright & early at : in order to borrow pastors
who were willing to lend a hand to this raw church before
heading off to their own. Congregational meetings were held
following each service to lay plans. Al Wood, who was the group’s
chairman, writes “We worked on selecting a name, assigning
duties, collecting a bit more money (if we didn’t yet have the
for the week’s rent), creating our new organization... I studied
carefully the “Book of Discipline” of the Methodist church to
prepare the proper ritualistic agenda that would “constitute”
(create) our new church.”
Months of work, faith and vision came together on March , .
A Constituting Conference was held with Dr. Charles Alexander,
District Superintendent, and the chosen name, St. Luke’s
Methodist Church, became official. One hundred nineteen
strong men, brave women and obedient children were accepted
into membership that day. It was only the beginning.
The next necessary ingredient was a pastor. Just like when the
townsfolk in the Wild West wired the governor for a new sheriff,
the new St. Luke’s group was waiting for the bishop to appoint a
pastor. And so, in June , Rev. Bill Imler rode into town. It was
his second pastoral appointment, his first having been a
“two-point” assignment, serving two small churches in New York
State. His church was being held in
a pool hall; his parsonage was a
rented Broad Ripple bungalow
which doubled as the church
office. How did it feel to walk into
what amounted to a grassroots
operation? “I really had no concept
of how it would feel to start a new
church – no one was doing it,”
Imler shares. “This was a church
that wasn’t formed by a confer-
ence, district or pastor. It was
formed by lay people. As a young
pastor I was very blessed to have
lay people with experience who
had carried the ball this far.”
Meanwhile, back at the ranch... oh, wait. There was no ranch!
After the organizational groundwork for forming St. Luke’s had
been accomplished, next came the need for a building and land
to put it on. The land issue was resolved through the work and
generosity of founding member Fran Hughes, who traded a
parcel of land he owned for the land where St. Luke’s now sits. He
then sold it to St. Luke’s for , after holding it for the church
until funds could be secured. He wasn’t interested in profit; “He
just wanted to get back his father’s legacy,” Morris Conly says.
The site was chosen very deliberately. “ St. was Road
then,” says Alice Weest. “It was going to become a highway of
sorts, and we knew there was going to be growth.” Bill Imler
ABOVE: 1953 Indianapolis Starheadline.
RIGHT: Newspaper announcement.
shares that people on the church com-
mittee had great ideas. “We consulted
utility companies for statistics on
growth – mostly phone and electric.
We knew it was going to grow but had
no idea... when we came back [to visit]
we were overwhelmed!”
Early saw the purchase of acres
at and Illinois and the establish-
ment of a Building Fund Crusade,
which raised over , in pledges,
almost twice the amount anticipated.
The selection of an architect was a
careful process. Even though, accord-
ing to Rev. Imler, “someone even
suggested a log cabin!” the ultimate
design by church architect Harold
Wagoner was a mixture of Colonial
and Modern styles featuring Indiana
limestone and stonecutter’s art. On
March , , only three years after it
was officially created, St. Luke’s opened the doors to its new
Fellowship Hall, education area, office and parlor. The number
on the membership roll was nearing .
The final element of every good Western is, of course, bad guys.
Fortunately for the founding members, (but unfortunately for
this analogy), there was no bad guy, no Snidely Whiplash waiting
at the railroad tracks, waxed moustache in tow. Any “bad guy”
element would have to put down to sheer hard work and selfless-
ness. “You have to remember,” chides Alice Weest in her Alice
way, “we did not have lots of money. When we built the church,
the husbands did a lot of the work. They laid the tile in
Fellowship Hall, dug the septic, painted.” The original organ was
donated by the Vickery family (the organ now resides in the
Parlor). Carrie Oaks used an inheritance to purchase the
Fellowship Hall stove and refrigerator. That’s right – the ones
that are still in that kitchen years later.
Did they feel like pioneers? “Hmmm,” say Morris Conley,
mulling it over. “We made the decision to do it,” says Alice.
“Determined,” says Morris. Founding member Betty Vickery
remembers her husband George saying, “Tab [Tabernacle
Presbyterian] is too big – let’s go to that little church in the wild-
wood,” meaning St. Luke’s. “Mrs. Vickery [Betty’s mother-in-law]
said, ‘There’s no one here I know, but that’s good. It means young
people are coming,” Betty remembers. Morris takes up the
theme. “It’s hard to realize what’s been accomplished in such a
relatively short time, but we’ve always had this attitude – you are
the guiding light – it’s yours to take up and do it. The talent of
the new people is what’s made it a success.
“Oh my, yes, we are proud. It’s unbelievable.”
TOP: Dona Lou, Don, Bill,Carol and Lee Imler.
BOTTOM: Laying the cornerstone.
Changing Times(1959-1967)
When Dick and Anna Lee Hamilton arrived at St. Luke’s in
November 1959, the U.S. looked like this:
What Things Cost:
Car: , Gasoline: cents/gal
House: , Milk: ./gal
Postage Stamp: cents
Average Annual Salary: ,
Minimum Wage: . per hour
• Alaska and Hawaii become the and states.
• Virginia Supreme Court rules that state's laws against school
integration are unconstitutional.
• Popular Television Shows: Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Father
Knows Best, The Price is Right, Perry Mason.
• Popular Songs: Mack the Knife, High Hopes,
Personality, Venus
• Best Picture: Ben Hur
• Sports: Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Chicago Cubs 4-2 in the
World Series
So – the Price Is Right is still on TV, and the Cubs are still losing,
but otherwise America has seen very significant change in the last
years. The emerging change that faced America as it entered
the turbulent ‘s was something few could have foreseen. It
brought with it great emotion, great division and the need for
great faith.
The Hamiltons came to Indy at the end of the ’s from St. Mark’s
Methodist Church in Blooming-ton, Indiana. Their experiences
there and here have many parallels. “St. Mark’s was
a new church,” Dick says. “As a matter of fact, Anna
Lee was my only member for a while,” he recalls,
chuckling. “Bloomington was growing, and it was
a post-war time when new churches were being
started. We held our services in a funeral home
before we finally built a first unit, much like St.
Luke’s did, but no sanctuary. I was years into my
ministry before I had a sanctuary.”
St. Luke’s origins were, of course, in a legion hall,
not a funeral home, and there were about -
members when the Hamiltons took over the St.
Luke’s pastoral duties from the Imlers. Worship
was still held in the original building (now
Fellowship Hall), but everyone knew there would
expansion. “The whole church was started on the assumption
that this was a growing area,” Dick says. “It was never an issue of
shall we do that [build a sanctuary], but when. It takes time to get
the congregation feeling that they can do something like that.”
But as we all well know, the heart of St. Luke’s lies with the
passion and vision of its members to fulfill God’s plans. “St.
Luke’s was built on the energy, commitment and wisdom of the
lay leadership,” Dick says. “They were a wonderful group who
guided the church. They were very wise.”
Wise heads were needed for their next project: selecting an archi-
tect and a design concept for the expansion. “The Big Question
became who to hire,” Dick recalls. “We wanted to make a more
reprinted from the November/December issue of the Communion
ABOVE: Portrait of Rev. RichardHamilton by Rosemary Browne Beck.
BELOW: Dick, David, John and Anna Lee Hamilton.
distinctive statement in this building. It became quite a point of
discussion.” (Archival documents make reference to the commit-
tee wanting a “significant” church.) The architect of the first
building, Harold Wagner, wasn’t available, so the search was on.
Through St. Luke’s member and architect Ray Thompson,
Edward Dart of Chicago was brought to the committee’s atten-
tion. “We went through the process of asking things like, ‘If this
building weren’t here, what would you want to build?’” Dick
remembers. “It was very apparent that he would not build a neo-
Colonial building. In fact, he made it disappear!” Dick says with
a laugh. “But the congregation did buy into this design; there was
no division.” Gone was the spire, up went a tower to accommo-
date bells. Where did the spire go, Dick? “I’m so sorry you asked
me about that,” he replies. “I have no idea.”
The new sanctuary (now Robertson
Chapel) was intentionally designed to
hold no more than people. “The
decision was made, back around ,
that this church was not going to
get larger than members,” Dick
recalls. Megachurches did not exist,
and “the whole milieu of church
thinking has been revolutionized since
then,” Dick states.
While the construction continued all
around them, the members of St. Luke’s
were forced to deal with another type
of building: the building pressure of
the civil rights movement and the changing society of the sixties.
A -year-old Baptist minister named Martin Luther King, Jr.
began to attract the nation’s attention as he campaigned for civil
rights. His messages of nonviolence were often overshadowed by
the violence that erupted–Birmingham, Montgomery, Jackson.
The year was the -year anniversary of the Emancipation
Proclamation, and King was determined to see that the black
community would be further freed from the shackles of segrega-
tion and discrimination.
On Sunday, August , , Dick Hamilton’s sermon was
entitled “Ten Questions for the Marchers.” The March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom was planned for the follow-
ing Saturday, and it had the attention of the nation. At the end
of the sermon, Rev. Hamilton made a surprising announce-
ment to the St. Luke’s congregation. “I announced I was going
on the march,” says Dick. “I was a pretty young, wild preacher,”
he begins. “Not wild, just dedicated,” Anna Lee interjects.
Dick smiles and continues. “I went downtown that Friday, got
on a bus with an Indianapolis group that was going to
Washington. We drove all night. I met Milton Willford when I
got there. He was a former Marine and had been on the Capitol
police force. At that time Milton was a student at CTS (Christian
Theological Seminary) in Indianapolis and a part-time youth
leader. Because he knew the city, he got me around.”
While Dick was in Washington with nearly , others listen-
ing to the dreams of Martin Luther King, Jr., back home in
Indiana some St. Luke’s members were upset by what their
pastor had done. “There were some who were upset that I was
going,” Dick remembers. He pauses, struggling with his memo-
ries and emotions as he continues with some difficulty. “That’s a
good example of the role of Fran Hughes in those days,” he says
tearfully. “He quietly went around to people, calmed them down.
These folks weren’t racist, they were just concerned about change,
fearful about schools. In the end people did not remain angry or
divided. We had no long-lasting problems because of this issue.”
St. Luke’s ties to the black community continued through the
efforts of many families and individuals who continued to
work with the Central Avenue Methodist Church community.
St. Luke’s itself, however, remained a white congregation. “There
were no blacks in our immediate neighborhood, none in our
congregation,” Dick says. “We would have black visitors occasion-
ally, but the issue of membership did come about. We were just a
small church,” he states. “They [the black community] would not
look at St. Luke’s to change things.”
Just as the tumultuous events of the summer of began to
fade, President Kennedy makes a fateful trip to Dallas Texas on
November . A shocked and mourning nation turned to one
another and their faith for answers. When asked to compare
Kennedy’s assassination to the events of September , , Dick
Hamilton notes, “It was very similar in how it [the assassination]
shook the nation’s reality. It was just an unbelievable event and it
had a strong impact on people. What kind of society had we
become? How can this kind of violence happen?” St. Luke’s serv-
ice that Sunday was packed, and partisanship was nowhere to be
seen. “The idea that a young man could be shot down like that,”
Dick says, shaking his head. “Politics
took a huge backseat.”
Still, in the midst of these events, St. Luke’s grew and remained
unified. The construction progressed, but before Dick Hamilton
could preach his first sermon in the new sanctuary, he was
transferred back to Bloomington as a Methodist District Super-
intendent.“I never wanted to be a D.S.,” Dick states,“so when they
discovered they had one too many D.S.’s in that district after the
merge, I quickly volunteered to vacate my position.” Dick served
at the Methodist Temple in Evansville, Indiana from -
before taking the senior pastor position at North United
Methodist Church in Indianapolis. He retired from North in ,
but it remains their home church.
So that the Hamiltons would have some sort of official event in
the new sanctuary before they left St. Luke’s, a farewell dinner was
organized and held there. “There was no floor, and we sat at card
tables,” Anna Lee remembers. “They just wanted to make sure we
were in there.” During the Hamiltons’ time here, they remember
Don Hughes (one of Fran Hughes’ sons and now a Methodist
minister) doing a film series much like our current Café Cinema.
And a young Dick Lugar, recently returned from a stint with
Navy Intelligence, became chairman of St. Luke’s Education
Commission and also started a book study. “Our time at St.
Luke’s was a wonderful time for us.” More things than the price
of a loaf of bread or a gallon of milk had changed by , but at
St. Luke’s some things still remained: the willingness to be an
open community of Christians gathering to seek, celebrate, live
and share the love of God for all creation.
ABOVE: Rev. Hamilton in the pulpit forhis going-away party in 1967.
By the time the Fall of rolled around,
St. Luke’s was years old, had a built a new -
seat worship space and was losing a beloved
senior pastor. Dick Hamilton was on his way to
Bloomington, and -year-old Carver McGriff
was on his way to take the helm at St. Luke’s. Dick
& Carver had known each other for years, dating
back to the time when Dick was pastor at St.
Mark’s in Bloomington and Carver – well, Carver
owned a children’s clothing store on the square
in Bloomington.
“My dad always said ‘Be your own boss if you
can,” says Carver. Sound advice, especially since
Carver was fired from his first sales job “for
incompetence.” An Indianapolis native, Carver
served in the Army in World War II, then came
back home to attend college at Butler University. The ill-fated
sales position was followed by a stint as assistant manager in a
department store. “I can do this better on my own,” Carver
thought, and so he opened the children’s store. “It was not a great
success,” he admits.
Whether it was the tedium of tights, the odiousness of overalls
or simply Divine intervention, Carver is hard-pressed to say
what exactly prompted him to go into the ministry. “It’s hard to
define that moment,” he shares. “I was never happy or right
about my life until the day I left for seminary. And I have never
felt unhappy or wrong about my life since then. Somewhere
along the line I crossed the Great Divide.”
He attended Garrett Theological Seminary in the Chicago area,
then came back to Indianapolis and started a church on the east-
side. His from-scratch church (Asbury Park, which is a different
denomination now) grew to members in the time Carver
was there. When the Bishop reassigned Dick Hamilton as
District Superintendent in the Bloomington area in , he
tapped Carver as the new St. Luke’s Senior Pastor. Carver & Dick
Hamilton had also maintained a friendship and before he left
St. Luke’s, Dick Hamilton said, “It was not up to me to pick my
successor, but if it had been, I’d pick the man they picked.”
It might have literally been the proverbial match made in heaven.
When he came in St. Luke’s membership was . When he
retired in , it was nearing , with in regular worship
attendance. Why the phenomenal growth? “We had community
growth, certainly,” says Carver, “and we had fantastic staff, clergy,
members... but deep in my heart, I think God wanted St. Luke’s to
grow. Time and time and time again God stepped in at crucial
moments to make up for my mistakes.”
There were certainly enough landmines to step in if he’d had a
mind to. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s and RFK’s assassinations . . .
Vietnam . . . Kent State . . . Watergate . . . the OPEC oil crisis . . .
inflation . . . Roe v. Wade . . . Three Mile Island & Love Canal . .
. the Iran hostages . . . Reaganomics . . . corporate takeovers . . .
drug epidemic . . . Challenger space shuttle . . . AIDS . . . Iran-contra
. . . Desert Storm . . . Rodney King beating. While there were
highlights (Neil Armstrong walks on the moon, Communist
reform, the tearing down of the Berlin Wall), the years that
found Carver McGriff at the spiritual helm of St. Luke’s had
reprinted from the January/February issue of the Communion
Carving Out Their Niche(1967-1993)
ABOVE: Portrait of Dr. Carver McGriffby Rosemary Browne Beck.
their share of tragically powerful events. Carver’s approach to
tackling the issues: “I felt that many contemporary issues that are
political should not be talked about from the pulpit. We would
use small groups and invite people on either side to discuss
views.” Some issues, however, ended up meriting a sermon.
“Vietnam,” Carver says. “I started out as a hawk (pro-war) and
ended up as a dove (anti-war). Many people questioned the
patriotism of clergy who were opposed to the war. But because I
was a veteran, had been wounded, was a POW (Carver’s unit was
part of the invasion of Normandy in WWII), they couldn’t do
that with me.” Civil rights continued to be a focus at St. Luke’s,
as staff and members continued to work on fostering harmony.
Another issue that began to gain more attention was homosexu-
ality. “I knew I had to speak my mind, and I tried to be neither
disdainful nor disrespectful. I got a call from a member,” he
continues, “who said, ‘Carver, I don’t agree with you on this issue
and I don’t know if I can be part of this church.’ We met and
talked for over an hour. I told him I respected how
he felt but he also knew my position. He ended up
staying as a member – not sure he ever agreed with
me, but he stayed.”
Lots of people stayed, and they needed more space.
During this time, St. Luke’s added on Great Hall,
the Parlor, the Library and the Transept to the
Sanctuary. If the word “Transept” doesn’t sound
familiar, try “The Penalty Box.” While St. Luke’s
legend has it that Carver put you in the penalty box
if you brought children into the Sanctuary for service, the truth
is it was affectionately known as the penalty box because late-
comers often had no choice but to sit in this area where the view
was, shall we say, Grade B rather than Grade A. And what about
the Carver-doesn’t-like-kids-in-worship legend? “Yes, it’s true,”
Carver admits but hastily adds, “I like kids, I really do!” and
launches into several warm & fuzzy Carver & Kids stories where,
by the time he’s done, you can actually imagine him in a purple
dinosaur suit singing “I Love You, You Love Me.” “I just always
felt that when kids talked or cried during worship it was distract-
ing for everyone,” he says. “But really, we babysit a lot and I like
kids, I do!”
In , tragedy struck St. Luke’s in a very personal way. Carver’s
wife, Ruth Ann, died in an automobile accident. “The congrega-
tion ministered to me in a wonderful way,” he says reflectively.
“Many people said it made me a better preacher. The death of a
person you love most, coupled with the necessity of going on,
caused me to draw upon my faith more deeply than I ever had
ABOVE: Carver, Ruth Ann and Amy McGriff.
RIGHT: McGriff, Imler, Hamilton andLeRoy Hodapp at the September1967 Sanctuary consecration service.
before. Some of the
things I believed in
my head . . . I now
believed in my heart.”
Despite that tragedy – or perhaps in light of the congregation’s
response – Carver insists that he does not have one unpleasant
memory of his time as senior pastor of St. Luke’s. “In years I
never encountered a single moment where someone did not act
Christian. Not that I didn’t meet a few screwy people,” he says
with a chuckle, “but there’s a great spirit here that is generated by
the people, the thousands of people who have worshipped at
St. Luke’s. It was passion-driven then and it is passion-driven
today.” When asked what he sees for St. Luke’s ten years down the
road, he responds, “I think it will be one of the most important
forces for good in Indianapolis and the surrounding territories.”
Carver takes a bit of credit himself for St. Luke’s growth, saying “I
was something of a factor – you can’t have someone in the pulpit
and not have an affect,” but he gives most of the credit to God for
sending wonderful staff and lay leaders to St. Luke’s during its -
year history.“I would like to name various staff members to whom
I feel great indebtedness, but if I did I’d surely forget someone,” he
says.“So if they read this, please let them know how grateful I am.”
“Part of the joy in my life is to watch things happen at St. Luke’s.
I treasure my friendship with Kent Millard,” Carver concludes.
“I think the most extraordinary example of God being at work
here is sending Kent. He’s a sweetheart.” A sweetheart and a kid-
loving softie... looks like our God really is a loving God after all.
Two St. Luke’s MysteriesThe BellsI asked both Dick Hamilton & Carver McGriff about the bells that
don’t ring (in the tower over what is now Robertson Chapel).
“Not enough money, I think, to put in real bells,” was Dick’s
answer. Carver just said,“No, they’re not real, they play a record-
ing.” Dick relayed a story about a call he received from a Jewish
woman who lived nearby complaining about the loudness of
the recorded bells on Sunday morning.“You know,”she told Dick,
“Jewish people don’t get up early on a Sunday morning. Could
you turn those bells down?”They complied.
The SteepleYou can’t get a straight
answer from Hamilton or
McGriff on the subject of
where the tall, extremely
noticeable steeple from
the first St. Luke’s building
went. “I don’t know –
you’ll have to ask Carver
about that one,” Dick says.
Carver’s response to the
same question: “People
would come up to me and
say, ‘Hey Carver, have you
seen Dick Hamilton late-
ly? He’s trying to sell a
steeple.”
ABOVE: Too full for the Sanctuaryalready – Easter 1982.
October . A -year-old pastor, not from this conference, not
from this place, steps up into the pulpit where Carver McGriff
might just as well have actually left his shoes. The significance of
the job at hand, the immense popularity of the man that Kent
Millard had to replace, the not-quite-figurative collectively held
breath of the congregation – all these things were palpable at
St. Luke’s on that fall Sunday morning.
For his debut, St. Luke’s new senior pastor had written a sermon
entitled “For All That Has Been, Thanks, and For All That Will
Be, Yes.” Nearly a decade later, it is a theme that continues to
frame Kent Millard’s approach to pastoring –– grateful for those
people and actions that have shaped St. Luke’s, and an openness,
an eagerness for accepting God’s will for what will come.
In the quiet hours of that week before he first took the St.
Luke’s pulpit, Kent had to be thinking of alternative sermon
titles . . . titles like, “I Came, I Saw, I Got Kicked Out.” “Give a
Bald Pastor a Break.” “I’m OK, You’re OK, Carver Was Just
Tall.”“For All That Has Been, Thanks, and for All
That Will Be, Well, I Probably Won’t Be Here to
See It.” It was against the advice of many friends
and colleagues that he took the St. Luke’s job.
Following a long-term, beloved, effective senior
pastor is risky business. “My friends said ‘Don’t
go [to Indianapolis]. Put your name on the list,
but don’t really go –– it’s professional suicide,”
Kent shares. “Only about 10% of pastors who
follow a long-term pastor last more than a year
or two.” In fact, in a Communion exclusive, Kent
reveals that he was actually 4th or 5th choice on
the list for the job. “Yes, there were others ahead
of me,” he confides in a Barbara Walters-type moment. “They
ultimately turned it down because of the significant risk of it
being a short-term assignment.”
But Kent was reared in Faith – Faith, SD that is. “Population ,
miles to the next town in any direction,” Kent says. “I look at
the journey from there to St. Luke’s –– it’s amazing to
me.” He credits that journey with getting him ready for
the work here. “It seems all my life in ministry has been
preparing me for St. Luke’s. I learned lessons at each
church –– managing staff, building facilities, mission out-
reach, race relations –– without those experiences I would
not have been ready to come here.”
Still, the choice was not an easy one. Kent & Minnietta
talked, prayed, wrestled with leaving family & friends
behind. Last year, Kent shared that one of the songs from
A Transforming Vision Rides into Town(1993-present)
reprinted from the March/April issue of the Communion
ABOVE: Portrait of Dr. Kent Millard byRosemary Browne Beck.
LEFT: Renderings for the new Sanctuary.
RIGHT: Dr. Millard’s contribution to the Sanctuary support
beam graffiti.
BELOW: Ready for Easter, 1999.
“Superstar” helped him make that decision.
“Minnietta and I had come to Indianapolis to meet
with Bishop White and some members of our Staff
Parish Committee. I was absolutely torn over what
God might be calling us to do. On the one hand, I
was happy in Sioux Falls and excited about the next
chapter in the life of that congregation. On the
other hand, I wanted to be open to do whatever
God called me to do and to go wherever I was sent.
“We were staying at the Wyndham Gardens hotel and I had
about three hours to make a decision and give an answer . . .
finally, I went for a walk in the little park north of the hotel. I
knelt down and started praying the prayer that Jesus prayed:
"Father, let this cup pass from me yet not my will but thine be
done." I prayed that prayer over and over and then a song from
Jesus Christ Superstar came to me. In the Garden of
Gethsemane scene Jesus
prays: “God thy will is
hard but you hold every
card. Take me now before
I change my mind.’
After praying that prayer
a feeling of peace came
over me and I asked God
to "take me now before I
change my mind." I went
back to the hotel and told
Minnietta that we would
let God take us to St. Luke's and I have felt since that moment
that God led us to serve in this congregation.”
(Minnietta had a turning-point song as well. “I was listening to
an easy-listening radio station,” she shares, “which is why it
was so strange when "Indiana Wants Me" –– definitely a
Country/Western song –– came on. I'd never heard it before.
And it was the last song I heard at 5 p.m. when I was going home
so we could leave early the next morning for the interview at
St. Luke's! I think it was one of those “God incidences.”)
One big decision led to another: “When I got here,” Kent says, “it
was really important to me to meet Carver. He was the main
person I wanted to get to know.” Determined not to become what
others had predicted (he was referred to as the “unintended inter-
im, short-term pastor” by a major church consultant), Kent nixed
all the naysayers by becoming friends with Carver. “While Carver
& I are different,” Kent confides,“we have the same heart’s desires,
the same agenda. Carver did not want to see a church he loved
and had worked so hard for fall apart, and neither did I.” They’ve
done weddings and funerals together, and have co-authored a
book (The Passion-Driven Congregation). “It’s a huge testimony
BELOW: Cornerstone.
when two senior pastors can work together,” Kent says. “Carver
has always been very supportive of me.” Kent also extends his
thanks to Bishop White, because “he took a risk and entrusted the
largest congregation in his area to an unknown pastor from South
Dakota. It was a huge leap of faith.”
But then leaps of faith are what St. Luke’s has always been about.
Reflecting on the anniversary of this church, Kent says, “I
thank God for the miracle of the establishment of St. Luke’s.
Most churches are started by the Bishop and the Cabinet with an
appointed pastor. St. Luke’s was started by or so lay people ––
led by Fran Hughes, Al Wood and others –– who organized with-
out a pastor and were chartered on March 8, 1953, still without
a pastor! They went six months without a pastor and did so
because of their commitment to organizing the church, getting
preachers or preaching themselves . . . that kind of lay leadership
and commitment, that passion has continued. At most churches,
lay people come up with ideas and rely on the pastors to imple-
ment them. Here,” he continues, “lay people come up with ideas
and don’t expect anyone else to implement them. They model
what it means to rely on the passion of the people to get things
done. Most churches start ministry from the top down; at
St. Luke’s it’s from the bottom up. That’s our culture.”
Before Kent’s arrival, a visioning committee painstakingly
crafted St. Luke’s mission statement: “An open community of
Christians gathering to seek, celebrate, live and share the love of
God for all creation.” That open, loving and active environment
continued to account for steady growth in membership, and the
issue of space became St. Luke’s “toddler” –– something that
simply could not be ignored. In the “Expect a Miracle” cam-
paign was launched, and over million in gifts and pledges was
raised to expand the Education Wing, create a larger space for
the Music Department and build a -seat Sanctuary.
Those spaces were completed in . A second cam-
paign, “With God, All Things Are Possible” raised
another million to help pay for expanded parking and
assist with the building expenses. And this month, Kent is
leading the charge for the “Miracle Month of March” to
raise ,, in one month for the new Youth Center.
“Being at St. Luke’s has taught me to expect miracles,”
Kent says emphatically. “The miracle of generosity has
happened as we’ve spent million in facilities ––
million in pledges with million of that paid in a -year
period. Meanwhile, the annual fund giving continues
to increase as well. Amazing.” That type of generous
giving in made possible St. Luke’s first-ever operat-
ing contingency fund to tide the church over during the
low months of giving, eliminating the need to borrow
money to pay expenses. Always looking forward, Kent
speaks to a future challenge. “In St. Luke’s will
probably have to provide space for our burgeoning
Children’s Ministry. The ‘ building is already about
% full, so we’ll need another capital campaign. If we
want to keep reaching more children,” he continues,
“we’ll need more space. By the time I retire I’d like to see
those identified needs completed.”
Those needs are sim-
ply another result of
St. Luke’s vision –– to
transform our world
into a compassionate,
inclusive and Christ-
like community. “I see St. Luke’s continuing to make a huge
impact in our community, state and nation,” Kent says. “St.
Luke’s has always been a paradigm-breaking chuch. The conven-
tional wisdom paradigm is that only fundamental churches can
grow –– St. Luke’s is a progressive church that’s growing. Another
paradigm-breaking aspect of St. Luke’s is that the senior minister
is not the only one who preaches –– at St. Luke’s all pastors are
preaching pastors. Another paradigm shift is holding all services
in the Sanctuary –– we have services in many locations.
“St. Luke’s has always had a forward-looking history. [Author and
church consultant] Lyle Schaller says that the church in the year
will look much like St. Luke’s –– a large church with
several satellites. We’re really made up of “mini churches” – kids,
youth, adult ed, missions, The Garden, Later, singles, etc. Right now
our average attendance is ,” Kent continues.“In terms of num-
bers, Jesus once fed people with loaves and fish. Our goal
is to feed people weekly in multiple services and locations. In
the people of St. Luke’s gave , to missions beyond our
church; I think by the time I retire we’ll be giving away million
annually, and we will be transforming the world.”
When it comes to St. Luke’s, there may be no subject nearer and
dearer to Kent’s heart than the goal of transformation. “Our
vision engenders passion in me,” he says, leaning across the table
to emphasize his point, “because I see how we can make a
difference. The local church is the hope of the world because it
makes a difference to and in people. I see St. Luke’s as a flagship
church of leading hope.”
Even though the “R” word – retirement – escaped Kent’s lips a
time or two, it’s not in his imminent plans. “I’m and my plan is
to retire when I’m or so,” he states. “St. Luke’s has become a
spiritual home for my children. When we moved here the one
sacrifice we thought we were making was leaving our family
behind,” he says. “Then our daughter Koretta came to the
University of Indianapolis, our son Kendall went to law school at
IU, Minnietta’s mom came to live with us and then my mom
moved here! God is so faithful, he brought them here.”
What about Kent? “I want people to know how much I love this
congregation,” he says sincerely. “Sometimes I have to keep my
composure on Sunday mornings when I sit up front and look at
the congregation and think ‘I love these people!’ Longevity deep-
ens affection, and I grow more in love with this congregation, its
mission and vision every year. I’m the luckiest pastor in the
world to serve St. Luke’s . . . there’s an ambiance of ‘with God
anything is possible,’ that we can do anything we set our minds
to. There is more talent, commitment and generosity here than
in any church I’ve been a part of.”
And his message to the members of the past years, the mem-
bers of the next years? “For Everything That Has Been,
Thanks, and For Everything That Will Be, Yes.”
ABOVE: Rendering for proposed youth building – 2003.
It’s been a fifty-year growth spurt for St. Luke’s UMC:
Membership ,
Worship Space Pool Hall -seat SanctuaryAnnual Budget , ,,
Building Campaign , ,,
St. Luke’s was started as an outreach church, and that mission also continuesfifty years later. In addition to a commitment to offer opportunities for spiri-tual and personal growth within its own walls, St. Luke’s members continue tobreathe life into the vision statement through their generous donations oftime, talent and monetary gifts. In , the following outreach ministriesreceived assistance:
Africa University Heifer ProjectBrightwood Community Center Indiana United Methodist Central Ave. UMC Food Pantry Children’s HomeEarthquake and Flood Relief Inter-Faith AllianceFletcher Place Community Center Jamaica and Zimbabwe ScholarshipsFresh Start United Christmas ServiceHabitat for Humanity World Missions Support ofHaitian Academy Hospital Work Trips
Total outreach giving by the people of St. Luke’s totaled over , in. That spirit of giving has been a guiding light, passed from decade todecade, never fading but growing steadily stronger. In , our founders stated it this way: “From the beginning, St. Luke's has been destined to havethe wonderful and rewarding experience of shaping vision into reality.Through prayer, faith and sacrifice, much has already been accomplished.Much is yet to be done. In this spirit each can discover his part, and objec-tives will become realities. We know that the taking of one step has made itpossible to take another. We know that what we have begun we shall finish.We know –– because it is a work of God.”
’
“I used to worry about the size and what St. Luke’s would grow into, but I don’t anymore. When we had real needs
this year at the hospital, at the hospice, in the marketplace . . . well, I now hope that St. Luke’s will get so big that there
will be a St. Luke’s where ever there are people with need.” - Lay Leader Marilyn Burger,
ST LUKE’S STAFF • MARCH
CLERGY STAFF:M. Kent Millard Linda McCoy, Dennis FlaugherCarolyn Scanlan, Jean WilsonMax Case, Don Griffith
PROGRAM STAFF:Lorie Lee Andrews, Director of Children’sMinistries; Mary Boyer, AdministrationManager; Betty Brandt, Director of SpiritualLife Center; Terri Coe, Director of SinglesMinistry & Adult Education; Lori Crantford,Publications Editor; Brian Durand, Director ofYouth & College Ministries; Andy Engle, YouthIntern; Nate Faris, Associate Director of YouthMinistries; Charles Goehring, Director ofMusic; Don Griffith, Director of WorldMissions; Pamela Haase, Taizé Prayer ServiceLeader; Derek Hakes, Assistant Director ofHandbells; Carol Helmus, WeddingCoordinator; Sharon Holyoak, Manager ofOasis Bookstore; Marsha Hutchinson, GriefMinistries; DeAnna Moran, Singles SpecialEvents Coordinator & Adult MinistriesAssistant; Tamara Lorinczi, Child CareCoordinator; Bobbi Main, Director of WeekdayMinistries; Charles Manning, AssistantDirector of Music; Debra Nethercott, Directorof Children’s Choirs; Sarah Nevin, PublicationsDesign; Anne Oskay, Associate Director ofYouth Ministry; Mary Katherine Schnitz,Director of Care and Outreach Ministries; Julia Skiles, Executive Director of Ministries;Wes Street, Young Singles Coordinator; Jayne Moynahan Thorne, Director ofCommunity Ministries; Mary Lynne Voigt,Music Outreach Coordinator; Cheryl West,Director of New Song Choir; Adra Wheeler,Director of Hospitality & Volunteers; Kit Williams, Technical Director; Terry Woods,[email protected]’s Director of Music; Bob Zehr,Director of Business Development.
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT STAFF:Jan Emmons, Sylvia Forbes,Dee Higginbotham, Faina Kleyner,Linda McGlothlin, Janet Miller,Brandon Truax, Alison Strawmyer,Amy Walker, Alice Weest, Tonda Zeek.
CUSTODIAL/MAINTENANCE STAFF:Rich Potterf, Building & Grounds Ministry;Brad Cherry, Tujuianna Lockhart,Rickie Murphy, William Taylor,Wanda Wilburn, Rich Wisman.
THE GARDEN:
Dr. Linda McCoy, Pastor; Suzanne Stark,Director of Music; Stan Abell and Marion Miller, Pastoral Assistants; Judy Tolley, Administrative Assistant; Parry Schreir, Music Assistant.
FORMER ST. LUKE’S PASTORS:
SENIOR:William Imler, Richard Hamilton,E. Carver McGriff
ASSOCIATE:
Lucinda Bates, Fletcher Graham,Louis Cain, Charles Cruse, Robert Epps,Barry Fitzgerald, Gene Merrick, Steve Miller,Richard Moman, Jay Morrison,Albert Nunery, Craig Overmeyer,David Owen, Holly Rudolf, Allen Rumble,Lynn Thayer, Wayne Trevathan
50TH ANNIVERSARY BOOKLET:
Copy: Lori Crantford Design: Sarah Nevin
. St., Indianapolis, • ..Fax: -- • www.stlukesumc.com
Who we are:“An open community of Christians gathering to seek,celebrate, live and share the love of God for all creation.~mission statement
Where we are going:To transform our world into a compassionate,inclusive, and Christ-like community.~vision statement
How we get there:By encouraging and supporting each person’s God-given passion for ministry and service.~method statement
IMAGE: September 11, 2001 Service