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| Photo taken day of last service here |
At left is the church building that has been used for many years. and below is the new church building
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| Photo taken while moving to the new church |
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| Architect's drawing |
Since we have moved into the new Methodist church in Clarinda, I have been researching old photos and also found a history of the church made in 2003 by John and Anna Woolson at the time of the 150th Anniversary of this church. I am copying below a portion of that history, from 1949 to present, though there is not comment on current minster Andy Rubenking since it was written in 2003 (I added Andy's name). John and Anna did a lot of research and interviewing, it appears. (I will copy earlier history, and photos, in later postings).
1949-58 Rev. John Lester Greenwood |
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In February of 1951, Wauneita McConnell was
appointed as Associate Pastor. While at Clarinda, she also served
the Shambaugh Church .
Her work in Clarinda centered on youth
involvement. Her enthusiasm was of great importance as the youth in the church became more and
more involved. She calls here years in the ministry a “great,
wonderful, awesome time”.
Some of those young people with whom she
worked particularly remember that she had the first car that they had seen with an
automatic dimmer. Hayrides at the Louden farm and other farms were fun activities.
Hugh and Maxine Louden remember that she
often said, “God only has our hands and feet to do his work.”
After leaving Clarinda Rev. McConnell served
churches in Moravia and Maryville, Missouri, and Russell, Iowa . She
retired in 1984 and in 2003 resides in Indianola, Iowa.
After being a
collegiate associate in Ames, Rev. Ash served churches in Minburn
and Nevada . Rev. Ash began his pastorate in Clarinda
in 1958. After the popularity of
the Greenwood pastorate, it was a difficult role to fill.
Rev. Ash was fascinated by farm life and
several parishioners report how he loved to visit their farms and the farms of congregation
members.
Rev. Ash was challenged with kicking off the
fund raising campaign for the educational unit. The story is
told of how surprised he was at the kick-off dinner to learn that one
faithful parishioner (Bill Markle)
had left the dinner and was already making his calls. He
was also surprised one Sunday when the ushers did not bring the offering
plates forward.
In 1959, the Ash family
Christmas card included infant daughter Susan Louise. Her birth
is the only record of a child born
to a pastor’s family while they were serving the Clarinda church.
Mrs. Ash directed the choirs. His
mother-in-law was church secretary. Jennie Schenck was W.S.C.S.
President when a group of women worked all day to prepare the parsonage for
the Ash family. Jennie remembers that the day after they moved
in a full page of additional work to be done was given to the women.
The following excerpts are from Rob Ash, son
of Rev. Ash. Rob is the head football coach at Drake University :
“I'm sorry to tell you that my dad passed
away in August of 1998 with complications from Alzheimer's. He
had been in pretty tough shape for 3-4 years, and had been living in Wesley
Acres in increasingly more dependent condition each year. My mom
died in 1989 of cancer and dad had remarried the widow of a former
Methodist pastor in 1991, but unfortunately they didn't have much quality
time together before dad started having serious medical problems.
I can remember a lot about the days in Clarinda. Of
course we had the terrible fire that destroyed our detached garage,
including our car and our Nimrod camper, along with dad's workshop and
several bicycles, on a Saturday morning just one day before we were
scheduled to take off on our annual August camping trip for four
weeks. The trailer was loaded with sleeping bags and camping
equipment, and we had already packed in boxes of canned food for the
trip. As I recall, dad went ahead and preached on Sunday, then
we put out the "all-call" for help. My uncle
from DeWitt , Iowa loaned us his station wagon, and
various members of the congregation pitched in with a tent, sleeping bags,
and all kinds of gear, and we left as scheduled on our camping trip with
the garage still almost
smoldering! What an incredible
outpouring of sharing that was!
(You know, we had an incinerator out back of
the parsonage where we burned a lot of our trash -- I had almost forgotten
that we all used to do that -- and the day the garage burned down it was
very windy and we always figured that some burning trash blew out of the
trash can and over into or on top of the garage to start it on
fire. We were sitting at the breakfast table on Saturday
morning, eating breakfast when we heard the fire sirens and we said to each
other -- wonder where the fire is? When the trucks turned down
the alley by our house, we knew it must be close, and of course when we got
up to check we were amazed to see the garage in flames. The
garage was totally destroyed.)
As kids, we used to love playing on the big
front porch of the parsonage. We would sit in the porch swing
and watch for cars (there were quite a few on Washington street) and when a
car would reach the street at the bottom of the hill, we would try to run
off the porch, around a tree in the front yard, and then back up on the
porch swing again before the car got to the corner at the top of the hill
(the boulevard street). It didn't take much to amuse us,
but at least we weren't watching TV or playing video games! (We also made
the back yard an ultimate playing field -- we had a baseball diamond and a
football field laid out between the church on one side, the back of the
house, the hedge and the alley on the side opposite the church, and the
short white picket fence along the back. In fact, the
incinerator can was both second base and the goal post.)
I also remember many, many projects, such as
scraping and painting the Sunday school building that was on the opposite
side of the parsonage from the church. As you recall, it was a
rambling old structure and it wasn't in the best of shape, but we worked
and worked to fix it up and make it look as good as possible. I
remember scraping off the old white paint on the outside walls of the
building and some of the wood would come off with the paint because it was
in such disrepair. But I also remember some great Sunday school
classes in those old sitting rooms!
There also was a terrific snowstorm that
just buried the town and I remember dad was concerned about all of the snow
on the roof of the church offices. We actually got up on the
roof of the church (not the highest roof, but the roof over the office
area) and shoveled the snow off of the roof onto the ground below. Of course,
the next game was to jump off the roof into these fabulous
snowdrifts! One tragic occurrence that day happened when dad was
finished shoveling and he tossed
his shovel off the roof before he was going to climb down. At
the moment he let go of the shovel, a young man who was staying with us
walked out of the door below and the flying shovel hit him right in the forehead, causing a
huge, scary cut but no life-threatening injury.
Only four short years, but they were great
years. I got my name "Rob" in Clarinda because my best
friend was Bob Sinn and we didn't want to have the same name, so I
shortened my Robert to Rob and he took the Bob.” --Rob Ash
Rob also forwarded some notes from his
sister Sheryl who lives in Connecticut, is married to an educator, works
for an executive search firm, and has 13 and 16 year old sons:
“I
remember Dad organizing kickball games for the youth groups in the backyard
right next to the
church. I don't think it was a very big back yard, but somehow
we made it work and tried not to hit
a church window.
I remember you and I helped Dad on Saturdays at the church --
It was our job to fill the pews with
newly sharpened pencils and pads of paper, or fold bulletins for Sunday
service, or count the coins from
the collection plates and put the coins in coin rolls.
I remember LONG mornings of endless church services on Easter,
starting with a 6 a.m. ecumenical sunrise service at the drive-in movie
theater. The pastors from all the local churches were on the
stage in front of the movie screen, and everyone sat in their cars and
listened through the drive-in
movie speakers. Then we went back to the church and had some
sort of Easter breakfast there and put on new clothes and went to 2 more
church services, usually to sing
in the choirs, which Mom directed. Looking back, I wonder how
she got 4 children (including a
baby) up and dressed for 3 church services, then directed the combined
adult and children's choirs in performances of elaborate Easter day music,
then came home and one hour later had a full roast beef or ham dinner ready for the
family. She was the ultimate pastor's wife, doing it all.
I remember the wonderful candlelight Christmas Eve pageants
that told the story of Christmas through a moving tableau of costumed
angels, shepherds and wise men. As a little girl I looked up
to those teenagers who were angels and longed to be one someday, because
they were so beautiful in the candlelight with their white dresses and
glittering halos. You were probably a little shepherd boy around that
time. Those pageants were one
thing Dad instituted at every church he served.
I remember that in a small town, everyone seemed to know my
Dad. One Memorial Day, when relatives visited with a big family
of children, we left our cousin Sarah at the cemetery where we were
watching the parade, not noticing that one was missing. . .A policeman came
to the door with her a while later
(she still hadn't been missed) and said, ‘She says her name is Ash, but I
know she's not one of yours, Rev. Ash.’ He knew us all.
I remember I liked our house, but I can only remember the
downstairs right now. I can't remember what my bedroom was
like. The parsonage had big, high-ceilinged rooms downstairs (at
least it seemed so to me), perfect for laying out card baseball games or
having birthday parties, or
setting up a playpen or a big table for Sunday dinner.
I remember going to lots of potluck dinners. In my
kitchen, I have my Mom's recipe box full of casseroles and Jello salads
collected in five different pastorates, with notes in Mom's handwriting
like "Chicken Recipe – Ruth Seabrook" or "Noodle Hot Dish -
Alice Lubke." Chicken was the clear winner: there is
"Chicken Casserole - Lois Miller" and "Chicken Supreme for 8
- Mrs. Fossem" and "Chicken and Broccoli - Helen Larson
(Hardy)." I see three recipes from Hyldred Reese ("Bazaar
Stew," "Dried Beef and Noodle Dish," "Tuna
Casserole.") and that brings back memories of a wonderful Clarinda
woman. We children spent many hours and even some overnights at
Hyldred's house when Mom and Dad were busy with church business or out of
town at a conference. She was a warm and affectionate babysitter
and friend - always greeting us with
big hugs and fresh baked cookies. When my best friend lost her
father from a surprise heart attack, Hyldred kept us both at her house that
first awful night after.
That's all I remember right now but perhaps a few of these
memories will be interesting to Clarinda.
By the way, I do think the fire was the most notable thing
that happened while we were in Clarinda.
What I remember is hearing the fire sirens. I
watched them come up the street and then my heart started to pound when I
realized they were turning into that alleyway or little street by our
house. And I remember the smell of burned things lingered in the
house for a long time after. I remember that we rescued all the
canned goods that had been packed for the trip, but the labels were burned
off, so for weeks after, Mom would reach for a blackened can from the
pantry and not know if she was
opening pineapple chunks or soup.” -Sheryl Ash
Rich Ash is an actuary with Jackson
Insurance in Lansing, Michigan. Sue Ash is the only
child we have record of who was born while a family lived in the
parsonage. She is an artist in Minneapolis.
During the years of Rev. Ash’s pastorate,
Nelson Crow built a youth choir that was the envy of other
churches. A large group of young people, sometimes numbering up
to 30, performed faithfully every Sunday morning at the early
service. During Christmas break it was a tradition to ask college students to rejoin the group
for a special Sunday performance.
Some parishioners still recall the
controversy over the virgin birth which was debated at length with Rev. Ash.
As Rob mentioned, it was during Rev. Ash’s
ministry that elaborate Christmas pageants were developed. Ruth
Tarrant fondly remembers the fun time in Fellowship Hall making angel
wings. Pieces of those costumes can still be found in the third
floor “archives” of the church. After the Clarinda assignment,
Rev. Ash served churches in Ottumwa and Decorah. He
retired in 1988.
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Before the Clarinda assignment, Rev. Beebout served churches in Milo, Malvern and Bloomfield . Rev. Beebout credited the Lacour revivals for getting him him into the ministry— he said he had heard all of the words, but the Lacour’s rearranged them. It has been said by one of the parishioners that recalls his pastorate that he “fit the church like a glove”. In 1965 the new educational unit was dedicated. A big church decision was whether to remodel the parsonage or to build a new one. Fund raising had been so successful that a new parsonage was constructed during this time and the old one demolished.Rev. Beebout was popular with the young families in the church. Methodist Park was again the site of picnics and campouts for families as well as for youth. Family night complete with a pot-luck meal and a program were regular events. Sunday school classes and other small groups were encouraged to meet for meals on an informal basis. Rev. Beebout is remembered as having a stellar sense of humor. At Father-Son Banquets, Mother-Daughter Banquets or family night pot-lucks he was often called upon for jesting remarks. Most notable was his portrayal of Little Lord Fauntleroy complete with costume. Needless to say, his pastorate was one of Christian fellowship and fun.Youth activities provided many opportunities: scouts, church league basketball, camp fire girls, M.Y.F.Mrs. Beebout is remembered for her loving support of church work. She babysat for a junior choir director and opened the parsonage to countless committee and group planning sessions. Ruth Garrett recalls Mrs. Beebout’s concern over the transparency of the rippled glass in the door of the women’s rest room downstairs. She asked the janitor to cover it with curtains. He did; but, he hung the curtains on the hallway side of the door.On October 10, 1968, at a special service in the sanctuary of the church, one hundred thirty women signed the charter for the reorganized Women’s Society of Christian Service. The Wesleyan Service Guild held their charter meeting in the evening at the home of Mrs. John Beebout.Ruth Richardson recalls that the Beebouts spent their first night in Clarinda in the Richardson home.After leaving Clarinda, the Beebouts served churches in Ogden, and Wapello. He retired in 1982, and in 2003 Rev. and Mrs. Beebout are living in Knoxville .
1971-74 Cecil C. Latta
Rev. Latta joined the Methodist Conference in
1941. He served churches in Earlham, Lorimore, Macksburg,
Manilla, Hamburg , Gatchel in Des Moines , Coon
Rapids , Ottumwa , and Centreville.The celebration of the transformation from
Women’s Society of Christian Service to United Methodist Women of the Iowa
Conference was held September 15th in Ames . Previous
to that meeting, on September 13, 1973, the Women’s Society of Christian
Service and the Wesleyan Service Guild held a celebration on becoming one new
inclusive unit with a new name. UNITED METHODIST
WOMEN. The guild will now be known as the Susanna Circle .During Rev. Latta’s
pastorate a fee schedule was adopted to charge for the use of church and
educational unit facilities. Ruth
Richardson recalls that Rev. Latta loved strawberries rolled in powdered
sugar. Following
the Clarinda ministry, Rev. Latta served the Denison church. He
retired in 1976 and is no longer living.1974-80 Jerold L. Irvin Prior to the Clarinda assignment, Rev. Irvin was
pastor at churches in Logan, Gatchel, in Des Moines,
and Denison . Rev. Irvin loved early morning golf—any
morning that was over 50 degrees—but he was always in the office by
nine. He was a great motivator for young people and many recall the
influence of his confirmation class in their life (or was it the trampoline in
the parsonage yard?). Community outreach was also a strong focus in
Rev. Irvin’s pastorate. Sew and Share was organized
to provide food, bedding and clothing items to those in need. That
organization still exists and serves as a community food pantry in
2003. Mary Cahill recalls how the project began. “The
first year Jerry was here, he could see the need for women to group together in
fellowship, and be creative. This would be apart from our regular
United Methodist Women’s Meeting, which was once a month. The group
started meeting each Wednesday from 1-4 p.m. upstairs in room 207 of the
educational building.For activity the group quilted, made lap robes,
and bibs. They were given to any one in need. School bags
were made and taken to the Ingathering. The group would work until 3
then quit to fellowship with coffee and refreshments. At one time Jerry stated we needed to have a
name. We all agreed it would be Sew and Share, because that was what
we did. It wasn’t too long that we could see there was a need to
share non-perishable foods to those less fortunate. To my knowledge,
this has been the longest running project that I can think of. It is
still going strong. We are only closed on holidays. We
have been active for 19 years.”Confirmation classes took on a new
importance. One group of girls in the 1976 class encountered some
bats while “exploring” the old upstairs classrooms. As they ran down
the stairs to escape, a broom magically appeared on the steps and they were
able to scare the bats away. Those girls (now in their 40’s) still
think they had encountered a “miracle broom” sent to protect them.It was also at this time that the church
approved housing a nursery school. Rev. Irvin was one of the charter
members of the board. The Clarinda Nursery
School continues to provide pre-school education in the educational unit
facility. Following the Clarinda ministry, Rev. Irvin
served churches in Glenwood, Epworth in Council Bluffs,
and Lake View-Wall Lake. He retired in 1991 and is no
longer living. Rev. Irvin’s daughter, Nancy Swanson, is a current
resident of Clarinda and member of the church and recalls that during his short
stay of six years much good came to the church community.
1962-71 John L. Beebout
Before the Clarinda assignment, Rev. Beebout
served churches in Milo, Malvern and Bloomfield . Rev.
Beebout credited the Lacour revivals for getting him him into the ministry—he
said he had heard all of the words, but the Lacour’s rearranged
them. It has been said by one of the parishioners that recalls his
pastorate that he “fit the church like a glove”. In 1965 the new educational unit was
dedicated. A big church decision was whether to remodel the
parsonage or to build a new one. Fund raising had been so successful
that a new parsonage was constructed during this time and the old one
demolished.Rev. Beebout was popular with the young families
in the church. Methodist Park was again the site of
picnics and campouts for families as well as for youth. Family night
complete with a pot-luck meal and a program were regular events. Sunday
school classes and other small groups were encouraged to meet for meals on an
informal basis. Rev. Beebout is remembered as having a stellar
sense of humor. At Father-Son Banquets, Mother-Daughter Banquests or
family night pot-lucks he was often called upon for jesting
remarks. Most notable was his portrayal of Little Lord Fauntleroy
complete with costume. Needless to say, his pastorate was one of
Christian fellowship and fun.Youth activities provided many opportunities:
scouts, church league basketball, camp fire girls, M.Y.F.Mrs. Beebout is remembered for her loving
support of church work. She babysat for a junior choir director and
opened the parsonage to countless committee and group planning
sessions. Ruth Garrett recalls Mrs. Beebout’s concern over the
transparency of the rippled glass in the door of the women’s rest room
downstairs. She asked the janitor to cover it with
curtains. He did; but, he hung the curtains on the hallway side of
the door.On October 10, 1968, at a special service in the
sanctuary of the church, one hundred thirty women signed the charter for the
reorganized Women’s Society of Christian Service. The Wesleyan
Service Guild held their charter meeting in the evening at the home of Mrs.
John Beebout.Ruth Richardson recalls that the Beebouts spent
their first night in Clarinda in the Richardson home.After leaving Clarinda, the Beebouts served
churches in Ogden, and Wapello. He retired in 1982, and in 2003 Rev.
and Mrs. Beebout are living in Knoxville. 1971-74 Cecil
C. Latta Rev. Latta joined the Methodist Conference in
1941. He served churches in Earlham, Lorimore, Macksburg,
Manilla, Hamburg , Gatchel in Des Moines , Coon
Rapids , Ottumwa , and Centreville.The celebration of the transformation from
Women’s Society of Christian Service to United Methodist Women of the Iowa
Conference was held September 15th in Ames. Previous
to that meeting, on September 13, 1973, the Women’s Society of Christian
Service and the Wesleyan Service Guild held a celebration on becoming one new
inclusive unit with a new name -- UNITED METHODIST WOMEN. The
guild will now be known as the Susanna Circle. During Rev. Latta’s
pastorate a fee schedule was adopted to charge for the use of church and
educational unit facilities.
1974-80
Jerold L. Irvin Prior to the Clarinda assignment, Rev. Irvin was
pastor at churches in Logan, Gatchel in Des Moines, and Denison.Rev. Irvin loved early morning golf—any morning that was over 50 degrees—but he was always in the office by nine. He was a great motivator for young people and many recall the influence of his confirmation class in their life (or was it the trampoline in the parsonage yard?). Community outreach was also a strong focus in Rev. Irvin’s pastorate. Sew and Share was organized to provide food, bedding and clothing items to those in need. That organization still exists and serves as a community food pantry in 2003. Mary Cahill recalls how the project began. “The first year Jerry was here, he could see the need for women to group together in fellowship, and be creative. This would be apart from our regular United Methodist Women’s Meeting, which was once a month. The group started meeting each Wednesday from 1-4 p.m. upstairs in room 207 of the educational building.For activity the group quilted, made lap robes, and bibs. They were given to any one in need. School bags were made and taken to the Ingathering. The group would work until 3 then quit to fellowship with coffee and refreshments. At one time Jerry stated we needed to have a name. We all agreed it would be Sew and Share, because that was what we did. It wasn’t too long that we could see there was a need to share non-perishable foods to those less fortunate. To my knowledge, this has been the longest running project that I can think of. It is still going strong. We are only closed on holidays. We have been active for 19 years.”Confirmation classes took on a new importance. One group of girls in the 1976 class encountered some bats while “exploring” the old upstairs classrooms. As they ran down the stairs to escape, a broom magically appeared on the steps and they were able to scare the bats away. Those girls (now in their 40’s) still think they had encountered a “miracle broom” sent to protect them.It was also at this time that the church approved housing a nursery school. Rev. Irvin was one of the charter members of the board. The Clarinda Nursery School continues to provide pre-school education in the educational unit facility. Following the Clarinda ministry, Rev. Irvin served churches in Glenwood, Epworth in Council Bluffs, and Lake View-Wall Lake. He retired in 1991 and is no longer living. Rev. Irvin’s daughter, Nancy Swanson, is a current resident of Clarinda and member of the church and recalls that during his short stay of six years much good came to the church community.
1980-83 Harland T. Gant Rev. Gant came to the Iowa Conference from New Jersey where he served churches in New Brunswick and Oakhurst. In Iowa his pastorates included churches in
Luther, Marengo, Des Moines,
Wapello, West Liberty, Greenfield and Tama. Rev. Gant was recognized for his
strong administrative skills.
His memory
of names was impressive. Once
he had been introduced to a person he could always recall the name. He was organized and precise. Mary
Cahill recalls that one Sunday she asked him to make a special
announcement. Rev. Gant
proceeded to tell her that if she wanted him to relay a message on Sunday
morning it needed to be on his desk in writing the day before.Mrs. Gant
is remembered as a sweet lady who helped with many church activities.During
Rev. Gant’s ministry there was lengthy study and discussion about whether to
build a new church or to redecorate the existing sanctuary. It was decided to redecorate and
recarpet.Ruth
Richardson remembers that the flower beds alongside the education building were
planted during his ministry with the iris bulbs that were given by Margaret
Leland.He was
methodical, preformed, disposed to acting in a systematic, orderly manor. Mary notes that the words following
methodical in the dictionary are Methodism and Methodist. She feels that each minister has and
can give us something we lack. And
the good news is, it makes us more acceptable and a better Christian person.Rev. Gant
retired in 1983 and he passed away on July 4, 2001.1983-87 R. Martin MillerRev.
Miller joined the North Iowa Conference in 1962. Prior to his pastorate in Clarinda he
served churches in Guttenberg, Cedar
Rapids, Davenport, Elberon, and Clinton.Rev.
Miller loved working on old cars. Sometimes
he rode his scooter to visit parishioner’s farms. Amusing incidents are recalled. One parishioner remembers that he once
welded his wedding ring to a car part he was working on.Confirmation
classes continued to be monumental events in the lives of young church members.In 2003 Mr.
and Mrs. Miller are retired in Waterloo. The
redecorating and re-carpeting of the sanctuary was completed during Rev.
Miller’s ministry. During
that time services were held in Fellowship Hall. One of the first services in the
redecorated sanctuary was communion on Christmas Eve. Ruth Richardson recalls his cautioning
the congregation not to drop candle wax on the new carpet. Rev.
Miller was very independent. One
parish member recalls that he drove himself to and from Omaha for gallbladder surgery. Rev. Miller is most remembered for his
caring visitations to persons who were ill or bereaved. In 2003, two of his daughters are
still living in Clarinda, Rose Almquist, and Cathy Miller.After
leaving Clarinda the Millers served a pastorate in Cedar Rapids. Rev. Miller retired in 1998.
1987-91 Richard C.
Quinlan Rev. Quinlan joined the Methodist Church in South
Carolina. Prior to coming
to Clarinda he served churches in Olanta, Isle of Palms, and Pinopolis S.C.,
and Iowa churches in Minburn, Waukee, Maple Groove-Boonville, Iowa City, Sac
City and Ottumwa. Mrs.
(Yvonne) Quinlan accepted the presidency of UMW in order to keep the
organization going when no one else was available to lead the group. From
Clarinda the Quinlans moved to a church in Ottumwa and retired in 1994. As a part of the 150thanniversary
celebration, Rev. Quinlan was the guest minister at the church service on May
18, 2003. He and Mrs.
Quinlan provided special music.
1991-1998 Emmanuel R.
Dass Rev. Dass had served as an associate chaplain and associate
professor at Murry College in Sialkot,
Pakistan . In 1978 he was an associate minister
for the Batangas Church of Christ in the Phillipines. He served the Asian American Church in Dallas, Texas and in 1987 transferred to the Iowa Conference. Prior to coming to Clarinda, he was
pastor in Everly-Spencer.
1998-2007 Walden
James Paige
Under the leadership of Rev. Paige the church has again turned its goals toward outreach. A second service of contemporary praise has been initiated. A program Feed My Sheep provides food in a fellowship setting once a month to those who are in need. Sew and Share continues to provide food and clothing to those who need assistance. The Nodaway Valley Free Clinic provides free medical services one night a week to those who have no health insurance. Rev. Paige is an active member of the Clarinda Area Ministerial Association working in many ways to meet the needs of the community.
Bible studies and prayer groups have expanded
to reach new people and continue the spiritual growth of the
“faithful”. Bible studies, communion and worship services are
offered on a regular basis to persons living in the nursing and assisted
living homes. A sizeable group from this church has now been on
the Walk to Emmaus weekends. Unit UMW meetings are now being
held in a downtown restaurant in an attempt to be more accessible to working
women. Some remodeling, especially in the kitchen and balcony
sound booth, and repairs have been
done to the church building and educational unit to adapt to the changing
needs of the congregation and to enable the Gospel to be presented in a
relevant way to a busy and fast-paced world.
Although Pastor Paige capably does the
administration that needs to be done, he feels called to be with the people,
to empower them to do ministry, to walk with them through the crises of life,
and to share the love of God with them. This may explain why his
office always seems to have that not fully “settled-in” look! He
seeks to encourage and allow the kind of diversity that helps the
congregation keep growing in our relationship with the Lord.
Rev. Paige graduated
from Willow High School, Quimby, and received his B.A.
from Morningside College, Sioux City. He attended Drew
Theological Seminary in Madison, New Jersey and received his
Masters of Divinity from St. Paul ’s Theological Seminary
in Kansas City . The parishes he has served prior to
coming to Clarinda are: Charter Oak-Ute-Deloit, Hinton-Merrill-Melbourne,
First Marshalltown, Garwin-Pleasant Hill,
and Columbus Junction-Columbus City. He is married
to the former Bonita Harrington and the father of one son, Joshua.
Rev. Paige has enthusiastically led the
congregation through the celebration of the church’s 150thanniversary.
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2007- Present (2017) Andrew Rubenking
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