6 minute read
Celebrating the Rev. Dr
The Rev. Dr. Charles Sayre:
Celebrating a centenarian's life of service and an enduring Pennington legacy
The Reverend Dr. Charles Sayre turned 100 this past April. We spoke with Dr. Sayre upon the occasion to learn more about a man who has dedicated his life to service and played a significant role in shaping the School that we know as Pennington today.
At 100 years of age, the Rev. Dr. Charles A. Sayre is in good spirits and reflects with clarity on service, community, family, and faith—tenets to which he has dedicated his life. He takes this major milestone in stride and attributes his long life in part to eliminating stress where possible and having a purpose in his calling to serve others. When asked what he hopes to accomplish in his 101st year, he chuckles with authentic humility, “I am simply a minister. That’s all I aspire to at any time: being a good minister.” And that he is.
Dr. Sayre, who lives in Haddonfield, NJ, served as the beloved senior minister at the United Methodist Church in the town for over twenty-five years and still regularly attends service. Dr. Sayre’s roots of doing good and serving through ministry run deep. In 1905, when The Pennington School was dedicated to educating Methodist ministers, the Reverend Woodburn J. Sayre, Charles’s father, graduated from the School and served as minister in Trenton, NJ. His father’s deep commitment to the faith started Dr. Sayre on a life’s journey to serve others with care, kindness, and respect, and he found his calling to ministry as a young man.
Charles Sayre’s journey has significantly shaped The Pennington School as we know it today. Although he did not attend as a student, Dr. Sayre served as a member of Pennington’s Board of Trustees for twenty-six years in the critical decades of the 1980s and 1990s that catalyzed significant growth for the School. He fondly remembers his time on the Board and the friendships he made. Ever humble and grateful, Dr. Sayre says, “I feel very lucky to be part of a Board that had such a high caliber of knowledge, skill, and experience around the table.” But what stands out clearly for Dr. Sayre as his most significant and meaningful work with Pennington came years before he joined the Board. While serving on the Methodist Conference Board of Education in the 1950s, Dr. Sayre was in a prime position to view the state of the School and saw that Pennington needed a course correction. He swiftly brought the matter to the attention of Bishop Fred Pierce Corson (formerly president of Dickinson College), who proceeded to play a pivotal role in advocating for the School. Dr. Sayre recounts how Corson swiftly reacted, calling a special Conference session in 1953 focused on Pennington’s needs, where he championed investment in the School’s future.
These actions brought a host of changes to Pennington, including the appointment of Dr. Charles Smyth as headmaster in 1958, changes in the role of the Board of Trustees, focus on growing the School’s endowment, and other changes to ensure academic rigor and sound institutional management. Although he deflects all credit, without Dr. Sayre’s work to move the School forward as a priority for the Conference, Pennington would not be here as the School we know today.
However, it is the present-day chapter of Dr. Sayre’s influence at Pennington that is most aligned with his deep passions for equality and civil rights. To honor his life of service and commitment to the School, the Charles A. Sayre Endowed Scholarship was created in 2005 to help deserving students of color have access to a Pennington education.
Dr. Sayre has firsthand experience in fighting for racial equality. He served on the board of a
To commemorate his 100th birthday and celebrate his life of service and Pennington legacy, the Pennington Board of Trustees passed a resolution to honor the Rev. Dr. Charles Sayre. Here Head of School Bill Hawkey presents Dr. Sayre with the signed resolution in his honor.
historically black college in Tennessee, and worked closely on issues of civil rights in the 1960s with Dr. Joseph Lowery, a founder with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and its president from 1977 to 1997. For Dr. Sayre, issues of race in America today are still our greatest challenge, and he urges the students of today to actively work to fight prejudice in the nation.
Generous donors have collectively brought the Sayre Scholarship Fund to over $500,000, allowing multiple students each year the opportunity to attend Pennington and leaving Dr. Sayre “overwhelmed with gratitude.” Dr. Sayre is moved by the generosity of the donors who have contributed to the fund and is equally touched by the letters, visits, and calls he receives from those Pennington students benefiting from the scholarship each year. “It is the most satisfying moment to meet these families and see and hear what good this did.”
Of course, Dr. Sayre’s sphere of influence is much broader than The Pennington School. He has founded and chaired a number of nonprofits, including Respond. Inc., and Fellowship House in Camden, NJ, and has served on the board at Princeton Theological Seminary and countless other organizations where he continues to fight against poverty, addiction, racism, and injustice.
As a living embodiment of our Pennington values of honor, virtue, and humility, Dr. Sayre has a legacy and influence that has an impact upon Pennington students every day, and will continue to do so for another 100 years and beyond.
“Let the heart of Jesus be seen in me.” Dr. Sayre’s favorite daily prayer, which speaks to his dedication to living a life of Honor, Virtue, and Humility.
Happy 100th birthday, Dr. Sayre!
Resolution of the Board of Trustees
Whereas, throughout his distinguished career as a member of the clergy, the Reverend Dr. Charles Sayre has devoted himself to the care and nurturing of others; and
Whereas Dr. Sayre served for 47 years as an active member of the clergy in the Greater New Jersey Conference of the United Methodist Church until his retirement from active appointments in 1990; and
Whereas Dr. Sayre was a member of the World Methodist Council from 1976 to 1995; and
Whereas his kindness, generosity, and infectious energy have enriched the lives of those fortunate enough to know and work with him; and
Whereas Dr. Charles Sayre is the son of the Reverend Woodburn J. Sayre, a Pennington School alumnus of the Class of 1905; and
Whereas Dr. Sayre served with distinction as an engaged and thoughtful member of the Board of Trustees at The Pennington School for 26 years, from 1983 to 2009; and
Whereas Dr. Sayre has offered sage advice and valued counsel to Pennington School leaders and volunteers; and
Whereas Dr. Sayre celebrates his 100th birthday on April 19, 2020; now, therefore be it
1. express deep gratitude for and honor the years of service and steadfast care that the Reverend Dr. Charles Sayre has bestowed upon The Pennington School; and
2. felicitate his centenarian milestone and declare respect and admiration for a life of purpose and commitment to the values of Honor, Virtue, and Humility.
Dated January 24, 2020
