Dear Friends,
In thinking back to my time with you at St. Luke’s, I hardly know where to begin. My friends and colleagues in the Houston early childhood community were still reeling from the sudden death of our beloved Ella Hawes, the Director of St. Luke’s Day School in the early spring of 1998. That summer I received a call from Benny Vaughan to ask if I would come to St. Luke’s for an interview for Ella’s position. After conferring with my pastor at Westbury UMC, I did interview with the personnel committee. Shortly after that, I talked again with the folks at St. Luke’s and was asked to join the staff as Director of Children and Family Ministries, as Ellen Shepard had recently resigned to move with her family to Atlanta, Ga.
So, beginning in late July 1998, I became a member of the church and the staff. It was a privilege and an honor that I will always treasure as one of the most life-changing, exciting, and personally moving experiences of my life. St. Luke’s was and is known as one of the great churches in Methodism, with a ministry that truly reaches our community and our world. Our then-pastor, Dr. Jim Moore, said many times that “somewhere, sometime, there ought to be a church that ‘gets it right,’” in responding to the great love and mercy of God. Indeed, St. Luke’s church has consistently reached out to a hurting world in tried and true, also in new and fresh ways. What joy!
Getting to know the beautiful families and members of the church, when I was a part of the staff, was uplifting and challenging, as I began to teach a weekly Bible study, work with Children ’s Sunday School and young families, and participate in worship by offering a children’s sermon each week for eight years. Later, with our new pastor, Dr. Tom Pace, I moved to a new area of ministry as Director of Caring Ministries for two years, then Director of Adult Ministries for almost two years. It was a time of growth and fulfillment, as I got to know more families and assist the church in responding to their needs and their hopes and dreams as a community of faith.
My gratitude to God and the lovely people at St. Luke’s will be a sweet memory for the rest of my life. I pray that all of you have a happy birthday celebration for the church. May God bless and keep all of you.
Much love,
Jane Williams
Thank you, Jane!
Thank you, Jane, for your lovely remembrance. You were such a blessing to St. Luke’s in your three areas of ministry. I am so grateful for having the privilege of working with you and having you for a role model. Obviously not every lesson stuck but you helped me in so many ways along my journey. Tom often uses the words, “Love like Jesus loved,” and you certainly were a living example of that. I am happy that our paths crossed and continue to do so. You and John leave a legacy that touches so many people through the lives of your two “preacher boys” serving congregations in our Texas conference. Wishing blessings for you and yours.