Behind the Open Door

Dear Readerv

A debt of gratitude is owed to John Wesley, as founder of the concept, over 200 years ago, of the Sunday School Class. Today, most every major denomination utilizes this teaching and learning experience to enrich our Judeo-Christian heritage. The Open Door Men’s Class of Settle Memorial United Methodist Church has taken the opportunity to share with all its beginnings to the present.

We believe it is a proud heritage that is revealed within these pages. Learning, fellowship and works are related. One of the Class’s favorite songs, “Others,” is the underlying spirit and motivation for its members.

Memories fail for all individuals, but collectively, we have tried to recall and record many of the happenings the Class has experienced.

Enjoy!

— Jack Connor

The Class1What Kind of Class Is This?

Well now, as some wise man must surely have once said, “That is a mighty interesting question!” To give you some feeling for the Class, when this question was asked of the Class itself, these answers were thrown out — fun in religion, give and take, open-minded, generous, talented, sharing and “none of these,” at which point, they were all thrown out again. This question falls into the same category as do the questions, “When did you stop beating your wife?” and “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” There is really no good and consistent way to answer the question, since it significantly depends upon the person to whom you are talking — the preacher, your wife, or a prospective new member, as examples. You can imagine the wide variation this might produce. It may help you to know that the origin of this Class resides in a group of “The Big War” veterans, who started it on the premise that we are not taking any more orders — we are not queuing up again — we’ll smoke if we want to — we will always have coffee available — the teacher stops at 10:30 A.M., no excuses — wives go to some other class — an occasional joke is acceptable — and this list could go on and on.

Now to be a little more specific (but not very revealing), this original group has survived the last forty-five or fifty years in reasonably good shape. The age of the “founders” is probably from about sixty-five to seventy-five, not that any of them look it or act it. A few interlopers have joined along the way — several 2younger and even a few older. You can’t really tell them from the originals, however, since they have been indoctrinated so thoroughly. Everyone tells the same jokes and stories over and over. Rather comforting when you think of it, because just like a daytime soap opera, if you miss a few episodes, you can pick up right where you left off.

Surely you will have already noticed that this definition is wandering a bit, much like the whole book is. But then this is the way our lessons (no reflection on the teacher) and conversations in class proceed. We may start with the Good Samaritan and end up with the Bad Democrat/Republican or the Prodigal Son and end with a discussion of the prodigal Social Security system. Are you beginning to get the idea? There have even been times when the prepared lesson was never granted an opening to be delivered. Can you imagine such audacity!

Members come and go, but, unless called to the Great Class in the sky, they eventually return — some regularly, some irregularly. Our age engenders those absences which result from retirement leaves, medical leaves, and then, more and more, just simply the fact that we forgot it was Sunday. The Class is in many ways a social club, a men’s club, a stag event, a break with the normal routine of life — a really bright spot in our religious regimen. Lest you are left with the impression that the Class has no religious feelings, rest assured that they do. The centerpiece for these delightful meetings is always, basically, a serious study of the word of God and the teachings of Jesus — it is just that the Class feels you don’t have to appear to be more than you are to be a good Christian and have a little fun along with it.

— William Turner

In the Beginning3

The Open Door Sunday School Class, as it now exists, began in May of 1946 as the “Joe Callender” Class; taking its name from its first teacher. The Joe Callender Class developed after World War II as the result of a division of the “Young People’s” Class. After the War, the men of the class — for whatever reason — broke away from the Young People’s Class and formed a Sunday School class of their own, and the women of the Young People’s class remained.

At its inception, the Joe Callender Class began meeting in the Educational Building and afterwards was moved across Fourth Street to the Nunnelly House, the Arnold House, and later to the Haynes House. From the Haynes House, the class was moved to the Educational Building, third floor.

The Joe Callender Class was still meeting on the third floor of the Educational Building when, in 1962, the members decided to change the name of the class to one which they considered more appropriate for their membership — “The Open Door Class.”

The Open Door Class continued to meet in its room on the third floor of the Educational Building until the renovation program for this structure began in 1973. At that time, the Open Door Class and the Sam Miller Class were asked to consolidate on a temporary basis in order that the Church would be able to adequately handle all Sunday School classes during the renovation period. Thus, the Open Door Class was again moved; this time to the Club Room in the basement4 of the Church building — this being the regular meeting place for the Sam Miller Bible Class.

Shortly thereafter, in a further attempt to relieve the cramped circumstances resulting from the evacuation of the Educational Building for construction crews, it became necessary that this consolidated class be moved to the second floor of the Citizens State Bank building, immediately north of the Church.

The Open Door and the Sam Miller Classes met in this consolidated fashion for approximately a year and a half before moving back to the Church property. The Sam Miller Bible Class returned to its old quarters in the Club Room, and the Open Door Class moved to the second floor of the Educational Building where it continues to meet at this time.

Membership5

The Open Door Class began with approximately 40 members, and at present has an enrollment of 38. Of the original 40 members, six are still enrolled in our Class. They are Al Kirkland, James Weakley, J. R. Miller, James Smith, Bill McKinney and Jarred Barron.

The Class has been privileged throughout the years to have had a great number of capable and well-qualified teachers and leaders who have given much of their personal time and efforts toward Bible instruction. Beginning with the inception of the Class in 1946, the teachers have been: Joe Callender, Bill Bennett, Richard Oexmann, Sam Johnson, Glenn Lovern, Owen Long, Dr. Harry Moore, Ed Girvin, Elbert Ockerman, Dr. William Wesley, Wells Lovett, and now Jack Connor. Connor has been the teacher of this Class since 1964 and for whom the members have an abundance of respect and deep affection because of his tremendous dedication to the Bible and its contents. Substitute teachers have been, among others, Bill Turner, Sid Dalton, Hal Dobbs, Dr. John Lovett, Robert Butler, C. C. Mitchell, John Hager, Tom Jenkins and Don Weihe.

Our Song Leader for many years has been Bill McKinney. Bill’s service in this vital aspect of Sunday School worship is deeply appreciated by the membership.

For a song leader to function properly, he must have a skilled pianist. Here, too, the Class has been most fortunate. For dedicated musicians such as our first pianist, Molly Irwin, and then J. C. Stimson, Carol 6Burton, Louise Smith, Pat Noble and our current pianist, Donna Hutchinson, we lift our hats for serving in such a remarkable fashion.

— Jim Weakley

Open Door Class Projects7

Throughout the years, the Class, by means of its active membership, has found a number of worthwhile projects in which to exert its energies and resources. Some of these projects are as follows.

Kentucky Wesleyan College

During the year 1951, J. W. Snyder was the force behind bringing KWC from Winchester, Kentucky, to Owensboro. The Class made a commitment to this endeavor and met it.

House on Glenn Court

A member of our Class, Charles T. (Rusty) Kirk, was a partner in the home-building firm of Scottish Homes. They built prefab homes in the Owensboro area. Rusty made the Class a deal whereby we would perform as much of the labor as we could on a home and he would donate that part of the profit to the Class to pay toward our pledge.

The home is located on Glenn Court off Highway 60 East. The Class met in the evenings at the location to perform the jobs that we were able to handle. Approximately $800.00 were realized through 8this effort for KWC.

Minstrel Shows

Another $2,000.00 was raised for KWC through the Class having put on two Minstrel Shows with members of the Class making up the bulk of the performers. “Ye Olde Time Minstrel” scored such a hit in its first two-night appearance that it was later revived.

All four performances were to a nearly full house at the Owensboro Senior High School auditorium. Quoted from the Owensboro Inquirer, “From the 9opening to the grand finale of the minstrel — the crowd took the old-fashioned show to their hearts with applause. The orchestra, with its overture, Oh Susanna, and the two large fluorescent banjos, brought the chorus to their opening of Way Down followed by Down Yonder for the entrance of the end-man and their soft-shoe steps — to Suwanee River with a faster tempo — to De Camptown Races and the old time favorite, Are You from Dixie — brought the melodies of the opening chorus, arranged by Mrs. Charles (Molly) Irwin, to a snappy ending.”

The Class received several requests to take the show “on the road” to surrounding communities. With the sorrowful passing of Molly Irwin, the Class decided that it was Molly’s show and future performances were never realized.

Kirk Memorial Church

Dr. Charles (Rusty) Kirk donated land to build the Kirk Memorial Church. Guy Harris assisted with the clearing and grading of the lot. Our class contributed approximately $3,000.00 over a period of one year to its construction. Later, the class membership accepted its portion of a challenge to assist Kirk Memorial to liquidate its indebtedness by pledging $11,300.00. Through its resourceful members, their individual pledges and various class projects, the Class proudly met the pledge.

The Kirk Memorial plaque states: “Charles T. Kirk, May 10, 1919 — September 7, 1960.” The Church was erected in 1961.

The Milk Fund

John Ruth, Class member and co-owner of the Chatterbox Restaurant on Third Street in Owensboro, noticed an elderly woman searching through the gar-14bage cans — almost every evening. He followed her to a run-down house on Lewis Street.

Through a window, he observed the woman feed five small children with the garbage. Ruth also observed an open fireplace for heating and cooking, no furniture and rags on the floor for sleeping.

He related this to the Class and the MILK FUND was initiated. For many years thereafter, the Class provided daily milk delivery, weekly food, clothing, etc., for the family.

The MILK FUND continues to this day for various community benevolences.

The Red Bird Mission

During the summer of 1991, Settle Memorial sponsored a work detail to the Red Bird Mission in Eastern Kentucky. The purpose of this week-long work detail was to install approximately two thousand feet of two-inch underground water line. This new line was needed to upgrade the Mission’s water system.

15Included in this group were three adults and four high school age boys. The adults were Youth Director, Mark Stevens, and Open Door members, Jim Weakley and Jim Shrewsberry. The youth were Brad Blakeman, Damon Kolok, Greg Troutman, and Matt Shrewsberry.

Because of the terrain at the Red Bird, the job proved to be very difficult. The water line had to cross a creek, go under a paved road, go through an extremely muddy area and down a long hill that was too steep for our ditch digger. The entire ditch line was extremely rocky and hard to dig. Much of it had to be dug by hand.

The job was to have taken the entire week, but everyone worked very hard so we were ready to leave for home Thursday at noon. All were glad to leave. This turned out to be a “not so pleasant experience.”

Mary Kendall Home

In 1986, faced with the reality of a project (remodeling for the Boys’ Home) in need of funding, 16the Mary Kendall Home Board of Directors began seeking ways and means by which to raise essential funds for the purchase of paint and other supplies, and the recruitment of individuals possessed of a special loving and caring philosophy easily converted to Christian outreach. They turned to a group of individuals who, time after time, had established themselves as ones whom other like-minded and caring Christians should follow. They tapped the enormous reservoir of love and talent of Methodist churches within Owensboro and the surrounding area.

The Board of the Mary Kendall Home had become aware of a need to find a place in the community for some special but unfortunate young men who, for whatever reason, but more often than not, had experienced trouble with the “Law.” They needed some place where they could live and experience an atmosphere of love and caring; what better place than a Christian setting within the confines of the Mary Kendall Home — a facility already operating with special goals of creating an environment within which these young men could share their feelings with trained professionals whose desire it was that these individuals turn their lives around and become responsible community citizens.

But the Board needed help! Once again, the Open Door Class came to the rescue. They took their paint brushes, scrapers, ladders, etc., to the Mary Kendall Home to help in converting an old, dingy, gloomy section into a unit offering a refreshing appeal to those young people who would make it their home for a period of time during which they fought to overcome a past fraught with “troubles.”

The Class worked off and on for approximately a week in cleaning, scraping and painting those old rooms, readying them to receive those special young-17sters. The Open Door Class of Settle Memorial takes comfort in the knowledge that they had another opportunity to help “Others” along the way to a better life.

With the Open Door Class, the special caring didn’t stop there. The Class has sponsored one “hole” in a golfing event for the benefit of the Mary Kendall Home and the sponsor of “Friends of the Children.”

As in all such instances, there are a special few who take charge and lead and thus is the case with this special Class of Christian Servants. All, however, have contributed in their own special way and it is therefore not essential to attempt to identify only a few — for all reflect that special care for “Others.”

Habitat for Humanity

Settle Memorial has been extremely active in the 18Habitat program, providing substantial amounts of financial support and countless hours donated by volunteer workers. Our first endeavor into the program was in the summer of 1991 when Settle provided all the money and many volunteers to erect the house at 520 Walnut Street. A construction video was made by Roy Smith.

One Open Door member, Jim Weakley, was the driving force in getting Settle involved in Habitat. After learning that a Habitat chapter was already established in Owensboro, he contacted Dr. Thurmond and this led to our involvement.

After the Walnut Street house was completed, plans got underway to start another at 516 Maple Street. Jim Weakley was the project manager on this house and he, along with other Open Door and Settle Members, provided all the volunteer labor to complete this house.

Open Door Members have also provided countless hours of voluntary help on other houses built by Habitat. These include a house on Orchard Street, one on Nassau Avenue, one on West 9th Street and others. Clarence Reynolds was project manager on two of these.

Involvement in Habitat for Humanity continues. Open Door Members Jim Weakley, Jim Shrewsberry and Ed Barrass are currently serving on the local Habitat Chapter’s Board of Directors.

Settle Air Conditioners

19The Class bought and gave to Settle ten individual room air conditioning units which were installed in the Sunday School Class rooms. The units were purchased and installed for approximately $2,750.00.

The Belize Missions

A Methodist Mission in Belize (formerly British Honduras) sent out a call for help through the Volunteers in Mission (VIM). The VIM program was strongly supported by Settle’s members, Carlos and Nelda Jagoe. The Class contributed toward the construction of a combination Church-School building and one member, Jim Weakley, devoted his time on the construction itself. At a later date (February, 1977), follow-up construction was performed by another team including three Class members, Jim Weakley, Forrest Lewis and Bernard Miller and another Settle’s member, Bill 20Myles. This group built a house consisting of three bedrooms and a bath (a rarity in Belize) for the Preacher and teachers of the church school conference.

The Haiti Mission

21In 1977, VIM again contacted the Open Door Class for Mission assistance — this time in Haiti. The project was to construct a Church-School building on Ile de La Gonave (a Haitian island 35 miles off the mainland). Funding was solicited from members of Settle. A delegation from the Class approached Marian Lewis and she submitted Forrest as the “volunteer.” La Gonave is a desolate island whose inhabitants practice Christianity and Voodooism. Until the construction of this Church-School building, structures were of mud and straw. The new building was of cement blocks with a corrugated metal roof. The community was revisited one year later — teachers were teaching and church attendance was approximately 125. Mission accomplished!

Camp Loucon

22The membership of the Open Door Class participated in the initial development of Camp Loucon through its monthly contributions to the “Project 65” program, which was headed up by Class member C. C. Mitchell. In addition, Class members devoted unlimited time and effort to preparation of the camp grounds. Later, the Class donated money towards the construction of the caretakers residence.

Camp Loucon projects, partially funded by Settle Memorial and performed by Settle volunteers, is an on-going endeavor. The following is a partial list of these accomplishments:

• Build and winterize a cabin in the boys area.
• Renovate and winterize two old cabins in the boys’ area.
• Re-roof two additional cabins.
• Move one cabin from the boys’ area to the girls’ area, renovate and winterize.
• Raised the money and built a complete cabin with the aid of Herschel Trunnell and all Class members.
• Build a bathhouse in the boys’ area.
• Build a stone entrance gateway in Camp Loucon.
• Build the children’s playground.
• 23Build the camp office.
• Build a first-aid facility — an addition to an existing building.
• Winterize the large Harbin Hall building.
• Furnish and install the entrance gate to the activity area.
• Build additions to the permanent maintenance employee house.
• Build two summer cabins in the lower lake area and two cabins with a bathhouse in the smaller lake area.

Primary leaders for the above projects are:

Bernard Miller
Jim Weakley
Jim Shrewsberry
Clarence Reynolds
Cecil Triplett

Class Picnics29

In the early 1950’s our Class held a supper for members and prospective members in the Flame Room of the Western Kentucky Gas Company building. The meal was prepared and catered by John Ruth of the Chatterbox Restaurant. Other dinners followed and in the early 1960’s we held a picnic at B. J. Foster’s farm.

For the first time, the ladies were invited. The attendance was approximately ninety, including our wives. Al Kirkland was the instigator of having the wives attend this and all future Class picnics and dinners.

Thereafter, about five dinners were held in the Club Room. Grilling of steaks was done in the alley behind the Boy Scout room. Wyndall Smith then invited us to hold our picnics at his farm in the Thruston area which we did for several years until his death.

One picnic was held at the Field House in Thruston. And one was held at Ralph Thomas’ cabin on Rough River.

In later years we held our picnics at the home of Piny Smith. For two years (1991 and 1992) the picnic was held at the home of Forrest and Marian Lewis. Currently the picnic is held at the Green River Electric Corporation picnic grounds. Attendance has always been great.

Dedication31

The articles herein were written as a Memorial to those deceased members of the Open Door Class:

• Leslie Barnhart
• Bill Bennett
• Buster Bennett
• Ralph Bigger
• Rev. Joe Callender
• Bruce Cundiff, Sr.
• Hazen Dean
• Jim Gant
• Charles Gardner
• Ed Girvin
• Sloan Griffin
• Guy Harris
• Moss Hill
• Charles Hughes
• Jack Johnson
• Joe Joyce
• Nirrus Junnek
• 32Dr. Charles Kirk
• Wes Mattingly
• Rev. Carl McGhee
• Bernard Miller
• C. C. Mitchell
• C. G. Morehead
• Pascal Morris
• Bill Pendleton
• Tom Posey
• John Ruth
• Jim Schuck
• Wyndall Smith
• Oz Snyder
• Ira Taylor, Jr.
• Ward White
• Marshall Whitmer

Epilogue33

Although class members have come and gone, the Open Door is still a very active Class. It currently has a 38 member enrollment, most of whom are faithful members.

Their names are:

• Barrass, Ed
• Barron, Jarred *
• Baskett, Herman (Dink)
• Belcher, Homer
• Cary, Glover, Jr.
• Connor, Jack
• Cox, Frank, Jr.
• Crowder, George
• Dalton, Sidney
• Dobbs, Hal
• Garmon, Bob
• Harreld, Grady
• Harris, Eddy
• Johnson, Sherrill
• Kendall, Thomas
• Kirkland, Al *
• Lewis, Forrest
• Lovett, John
• Martin, Harold
• Mattingly, Mike
• McAlister, Russell
• McKinney, William *
• Meythaler, Virgil
• Miller, J. R. *
• Nonweller, Charles
• Norris, Ronald
• Peterson, Gale
• Robinson, Bob
• Sayre, Bruce
• Shrewsberry, Jim
• Smith, David
• Smith, James *
• Smith, Roy
• Thomas, Ralph
• 34Turner, William
• Weakley, James *
• Willis, George
• Young, Harry

* Original member

A class needs to be like a living organism. We have been just that — 38 members now — 40 in 1946 — and 33 of us gone. We want this class to go on with younger members — ones who will have the same spirit and desire to commit themselves to the Christian Ethic as we feel that we have. Recruiting younger men is one of our goals. The reward to them will be the association with a fine group of Christian men — and that wonderful feeling of being (comparatively) young again!