When I was in high school at Lamar from 1958-1961, I ended up becoming friends with a wonderful girl named Pam Fleming.  She was very popular and I was delighted that she was my friend because I was somewhat of a dork.  Some of the other cool kids at that time at Lamar were Susan Silvus, Nancy Hale (Cobb), Ken Jacobson, Alan Nash and Bill Denham!!  Pam shared that her dad (Dr. Durwood Fleming) had started St. Luke’s and that they had a great Sunday evening gig for kids like us called MYF.   Two of the sponsors for our group were Jack and Laura Lee Blanton. I went and loved it, so became a regular on Sunday nights.  My family was attending Bellaire Methodist at that time, but I was persistent, and they decided to move the membership to St. Luke’s.  My parents, Sherwood and Larry Crane jumped in with both feet and became very active in lots of areas at church.  I am the oldest of five and my younger siblings all grew up at St. Luke’s.

I got married (the first time) on December 30, 1967, in the sanctuary.  It looked a little different then than it does now.  My two children, Gretchen and Josh grew up in St. Luke’s.  There was this neat young man who became the youth pastor.  He did crazy stuff with the kids and they loved him.  He would put a pair of pantyhose on his head with tennis balls in the feet and he would run up and down the halls trying to hit the kids with the tennis balls.  His name was Tom Pace!!  My daughter, Gretchen, when she was in high school, helped start the program where little kids were watched during church so parents could go to Sunday school as well as church.  She was married to Steve Ferreira in the sanctuary 25 years ago.  Her first daughter, Sophie, was baptized at St. Luke’s 18 years ago.  My son, Josh, is a Lt. Col in the Army and serves as an ER doctor during the week but he and his wife are also Co-Pastors at their church.  Josh preaches frequently and will likely do it more often when he retires from the military in three years.  St. Luke’s had a huge impact on both of them.

At the service for the 35th Anniversary of St. Luke’s, I was asked to be the lay speaker from the pulpit.  I proceeded to compare unpeeling the services offered by St. Luke’s to a child finding out all that Foley’s (a store no longer in existence) had to offer.  At first you think Foley’s was just a toy store when you were a little kid.  Then you learned about the clothing for school that they carried.  Then the prom dresses!!  The wonderful wedding section with all the household stuff you would need for your new home was the next revelation.  Imagine finding the cribs and strollers you needed next and finally the toys, again!  At first, St. Luke’s was a nursery, but you soon learned about Sunday School and then MYF and youth choir.  Then you realized they also do weddings and then baptize your babies.  The adult Sunday School feeds your understanding and faith in addition to the wonderful services.  Finally, you become aware of the funerals that they handle so lovingly and compassionately.  I am aware of how much more I am aware of the funeral part now than I was 35 years ago!

On July 21, 1990, I married the love of my life, Carel Stith.  I remember our first date.  It was a Saturday night and he asked me, “What are you doing tomorrow?”  I answered, “Going to church.”  He responded, “Can I go with you?”  That was the start of the best 30 years of my life.  He loves this church as much as I do and it has been a “we” going to church ever since.  We were married in the chapel with my children being my attendants.  We watch the movie of our wedding every year on our anniversary and praise God that we have each other and that we have this church and the friends we love so deeply.