Death of Mary Jane Motlow -- Honored in 2006 by Having the Conference Journal Dedicated in her name

Mary Jane Motlow

Mary Jane Motlow died early in the week of April 23rd We reprint the Lay Dedication from the 2006 Tennessee Conference Journal as a suitable obituary for an amazing person.

If you look up Methodist in the dictionary, there is sure to be a picture of Mary Jane Motlow.

There is hardly an area of service in the United Methodist Church that has not benefited from her discipleship. Her dedication and devotion to Lynchburg First United Methodist, the Murfreesboro District, the Tennessee Conference and the United Methodist Global Ministries raises the bar for all of us. While some might approach these tasks as burdensome, Mary Jane has accepted each new challenge with the joy of a devoted disciple who feels privileged to serve.

It is a daunting task to enumerate Mary Jane’s many offices and areas of service. She and her
husband moved to Lynchburg in 1956 and transferred their memberships to the First United
Methodist. Since that day, her love and support of our local church has been unfaltering. She served as Lay Member to Annual Conference for over 20 years. She has been Chairperson of the Administrative Council, a member of the Vision 2000 Task Force and is a Member Emeritus of the Endowment Committee. She is a certified Lay Speaker and has been the church organist since 1971. Mary Jane is not a person to be satisfied with the status quo. She is quick to get on board and enthusiastically support positive changes and growth producing activities.

In the Murfreesboro District Council on Ministries, Mary Jane has served as Chairperson of the
Stewardship Committee. She has also been a member of the Committee on Superintendency.

At the Tennessee Conference level, Mary Jane was a Trustee of McKendree Village for 11 years.
She was Vice-Chairperson of the Equitable Salaries Committee for 8 years. She was a member of the Lay Advisory Committee to the late Bishop Earl Hunt from 1976 to 1980. She was also a member of the Conference Council on Ministries.

Mary Jane has been an able representative of the Tennessee Conference and the United
Methodist Church on a global level. She was the Tennessee Conference delegate to the World
Methodist Conference in Honolulu in 1981 and Nairobi in 1986. She served as a Director of the
General Board of Global Ministries for two Quadrennials, 1988-1996. During that time she served in the National Division as Chairperson of the Finance Committee. In the Mission Personnel Resources Program Department, she served as Chairperson of the Mission Resource Center Section. She attended the Global Gathering in Indianapolis in 1992 and in Kansas City in 1996.

Of great significance to Methodist women has been Mary Jane’s leadership at all levels in the
UMW. She has been a longtime member of her local UMW, where she has held all offices. She served as District President for three years, as well as Secretary and Vice-President. She has been a member of the District Nominating Committee and Chairperson of the Conference Nominating Committee.

As Dean of the Conference School of Christian Missions, in 1984 and 1985, she provided a
beautiful experience that is fondly remembered by the participants. Mary Jane has attended UMW Assemblies in Philadelphia, Anaheim and Cincinnati.

Mary Jane has carried her Christian witness into the community, where she is obviously an
outstanding representative of The United Methodist church. She was elected a Director of Farmers Bank in Lynchburg in 1974 to fulfill her deceased husband’s position. She was later elected Chairperson of the Board of Directors. She has been Chairperson of the Moore County Health Council and a member of South Central Regional Health Council.

Mary Jane Thayer was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on August 20, 1921. She was confirmed at age 12 at the Methodist Episcopal Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Wed in Savanna, Illinois, to Jack D. Motlow, Jr., they were married from 1944 until his death in
1973. Their only child, Jack D., is physically and mentally handicapped and resides in a nursing home in Lynchburg. Mary Jane is an avid bridge player and loves to read and travel.

Throughout her almost 85 years, Mary Jane has led an active, interesting life. She has been a
joyful giver of her time, her talents and her resources. When asked what she is most proud of, she responded without hesitation, “That I have been a lifelong Methodist!” It is difficult to imagine that any member of the Methodist laity could be more deserving of the honor of the 2006 Journal Dedication.

Nominated by Gerry Fanning & June Pugh

June 2007 Discernment Events Planned to Assist Laity in Finding God's Will for Their Lives

To "discern" means to recognize or identify. United Methodist laity—women and men—seeking to discern God’s will for their lives will have that opportunity in late June, 2007.

A Deaconess and Home Missioner Discernment Event, open to persons of all ages living in the United States, will take place at Camp Sumatanga in Gallant, Alabama (near Birmingham) on June 8-10, 2007. Preference will be given to those living in the Southeast Jurisdiction. Regional events to be held in the Southcentral, Western and Northcentral Jurisdictions are tentatively scheduled for the fall and winter. Please contact the Office of Deaconess and Home Missioner at blouter@gbgm-umc.org or 212-870-3850.

Space is limited for the event and the deadline for application is May 1st. All costs, including travel within the US, lodging, and meals, will be covered by the event sponsor -- the Office of Deaconess and Home Missioner of the General Board of Global Ministries, the mission agency of The United Methodist Church.

The discernment event will include Bible study, worship, conversation, reflection, and information on the deaconess and home missioner relationship to the Church. It will be held at Camp Sumatanga, a facility of the North Alabama Conference.

Applicants will be notified if they are accepted by May 10th. The application form can be found at http://new.gbgm-umc.org/media/mpdocs/2007JuneDiscernmentApp.doc.

Deaconesses, who are laywomen, and Home Missioners, who are laymen, are called by God to a full-time vocation in service with those who are marginalized and in need in the world today. This community of laity has responded to the call of God in their lives and has been commissioned by The United Methodist Church to full-time ministries of love, justice, and service.

The Office of Deaconess was established in 1888 by the Methodist Episcopal Church and provides laywomen the opportunity to serve in a life-time lay relationship in servant ministry.

The Office of Home Missioner was established at the 2004 United Methodist General Conference providing laymen with an opportunity to serve in a life-time relationship to the Church. This is the first opportunity for laymen to be in an official life-time relationship in ministry since the termination of Diaconal Minister by the 1996 General Conference.

For more information on the June event or the regional events, or to express interest in becoming a deaconess or home missioner, contact Becky Louter at blouter@gbgm-umc.org or 212-870-3850.

Quadrennial Spiritual Gathering and Training, Southeastern Jurisdiction of United Methodist Men, August 10-12, 2007, Lake Junaluska

Going into the World! Recharge Your Batteries and Become Fishers of Men!

The Southeastern Jurisdiction United Methodist Men are excited to invite and welcome men and their families from the Tennessee Conference to the quadrennial gathering of United Methodist Men of the Southeastern Jurisdiction, the weekend of August 10 – 12, 2007. The site for this gathering of church men from 14 annual conferences across our nine states is the beautiful Lake Junaluska Conference & Retreat Center at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina.

Please join men from across the southeast as we recharge our batteries, deepen our dedication to discipleship, and get into the Word so we can go into the world as fishers of men.

Leaders for the 2007 SEJ Event:

Bishop J. Lawrence McCleskey--"Getting into the Word"

Bishop McCleskey became the resident bishop of the Western North Carolina Conference in 2004. Elected to the episcopacy in 1996, Bishop McCleskey served from then until 2004 as the Episcopal leader for the South Carolina Conference. His assignment to the Charlotte area returns him to the conference of which he was a clergy member and District Superintendent. Bishop McCleskey presently represents the Council of Bishops on the denomination’s General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, and he is a member of the board of trustees of Duke University. He has led biblical study tours in Israel, Jordan, Greece, Turkey and Italy.

Rev. David Adams--"Action Begins with You"

The newly elected General Secretary of the General Commission on United Methodist Men, Rev. Adams is a recipient of the G Ross Freeman Award for innovative ministry with men. He was one of the pioneers in the reorganization of “MENistry” as a layman serving as a District Vice President and the Tennessee Conference President. He also served as national treasurer for UMMen and a Director of the Division on UMMen within the General Board of Discipleship.

Rev. Dr. Richard Winn--"One Truth, Many Voices"

The Senior Pastor of Ben Hill United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Dr. Winn leads one of the major African-American resource centers in the United States. Dr. Winn, who has served for more than 30 years as a pastor, is a leader within the Atlanta Area Boy Scouts of America, inspiring men, both young and mature, with a vision and understanding of the richness of perspective and grand diversity.

Bishop Marion Edwards--"Going Into the World"

From 1996 to 2004, Bishop Edwards served as the Episcopal leader of the North Carolina Conference, after serving as a District Superintendent and pastor in the South Georgia Conference. Upon retirement, Bishop Edwards accepted the position as Bishop-in-Residence at LaGrange College. Bishop Edwards provided leadership in the Russian Church Initiative and was instrumental in the creation of the Russian Seminary in Moscow. His hands-on hurricane disaster relief work and his passion for continuous mission truly resonate with men who strive for greater discipline as disciples of Jesus and leaders of the church.

AND . . .

Paul Saik--Conference Music

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Paul Saik began playing piano at age 3 and spent much of his youth performing in church. An accomplished vocalist, Paul is armed with a passion for sacred music and a desire to reach others with the powerful message of Christ’s love. Although he enjoyed tremendous success in opera, Paul released his first CD of sacred music, I Choose Jesus, in 2004. His 2005 release, Songs Of Inspiration, features some of the finest sacred music ever written.

Registration:
Before June 10 – Only $40.00 per family
June 10 – August 5 -- $55.00 per family
August 6 – On-Site -- $75.00 per family

Further Information and resouces:

To download a descriptive folder in PDF format to hand out to the men of your congretation

http://sejumm.registerme.cc/SEJUMM-Flyer.pdf

To download a registration form in PDF format

http://sejumm.registerme.cc/SEJUMM-Registration.pdf

For housing options and rates

http://sejumm.registerme.cc/lodging.htm

For updated information and details of the family program go the Gathering's homepage at:

http://sejumm.registerme.cc/

or contact:

Mack B. Parker, Conference Chairman
Telephone Number: 919-255-3353
Fax Number: 919-231-8285
Email: mparker130@nc.rr.com