June 24 - 30, 2016
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– and we felt health,” Michael said. “It was about a vibrancy. We had a delightful time in that conversation and that hospitality, which has always been a hallmark of this congregation.”
With graciousness and gratitude, Michael and Karen Kurtz prepare to leave Oak Ridge United Methodist Church and the community they have grown to deeply love
Over dinner, they discussed the church’s longtime plan of expanding its outreach within and beyond the Oak Ridge community.
by PATTI STOKES OAK RIDGE – Surrounded by stacks of books, folders and photographs soon headed to a new home, Michael and Karen Kurtz sat calmly in the senior pastor’s office recently while reflecting on the last 10 years. They recall how excited they were in the spring of 2006 after learning they had been appointed to Oak Ridge United Methodist Church, Michael as senior pastor and Karen as associate pastor of congregational care. “I remember when we were told where we were going. We made a field trip here,” said Michael. “As we walked around, I thought, ‘Wow, how beautiful this setting is!’” “We knew several people who had served this church before,” said Karen. “They had told me years ago, ‘If you ever have the opportunity to come to ORUMC, run there, don’t walk!’” The Kurtzes met with members of the church’s leadership team soon after it was announced they had been appointed to ORUMC. “From the very beginning, we were met with warmth and kindness,” Karen said. “You can feel sickness and you can feel health
“We realized that these were people with a vision,” Karen said. “Years and years before ground was broken (on the family life center) they had seen that as an outreach to the community. They wanted to be an ‘intentional’ church. We were blessed enough to come alongside the church when that was ready to happen.” On June 27, 2006, Michael and Karen moved into the parsonage along with their son Josh, then a rising college freshman, and their daughter Anna, a rising high school freshman. “People were there to welcome us and serve however they could,” said Michael. Sadly, on that same day Edna Linville, a former school teacher at Oak Ridge Elementary, much beloved, longtime member of ORUMC and “matriarch” of the Oak Ridge community, was at Cone Hospital on her death bed. Instead of settling into his new home, Michael went to be by her side. Edna died later that night, but not before Michael had the opportunity to pray with her. “I didn’t know Edna other than that moment, but it felt like such a privilege and an honor to be there with her,” he said. Edna was an eloquent writer, and in her 80s she wrote about a congregation whose best days are yet to come, with new folks on the horizon. That resonated deeply with
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Deputy dismissed In this issue we continue our coverage of the Stokesdale Town Council’s meeting on June 9, in which the budget for FY 2016-2017 was approved and for the first time since 1993, it does not include funding for a sheriff’s deputy. by PATTI STOKES STOKESDALE – In a survey mailed out to 1,511 homes in 2004, Stokesdale residents were asked whether they supported the Town continuing to fund its own deputy. Of the 548 respondents, 412 were in favor of doing so. Alice Hoffman, who spoke at Stokesdale Town Council’s June 9 meeting, said she believes if another survey were conducted, the percentage of respondents in support of the Town
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IN THIS ISSUE News in Brief ............................3 Your Questions ........................4 Summerfield Town Council ....8 A career of kindness ............10 Crime/Incident Report .........14 Community Calendar ..........15 Letters/Opinions ...................16 NWO on the Go ....................16 Grins & Gripes .......................16 Classifieds .............................19 Index of Advertisers .............23