Click here to listen to Bishop Trimble’s sermon.
Click here to listen to Evelyn Birkby’s presentation
Click here to see a photo gallery from the gathering
Retired clergy and spouses of the Iowa Annual Conference came to New Hope United Methodist Church, Des Moines, for their 2013 fall gathering. A time of renewed friendship and informational presentations, the group worshipped together and heard an interesting reflection from Evelyn Birkby, long-time columnist on rural Iowa.
Rev. Neil Cross, Pastor of New Hope UMC, welcomed the group of clergy and spouses.
Rev. Bill Poland, Assistant to the Bishop for Administration, let morning worship, which included singing some traditional favorite hymns and hearing from Bishop Julius Calvin Trimble, whose message was entitled, “Life Together.”
The speaker for the day, Evelyn Birkby, is a newspaper columnist, author, and radio personality who, “for 63 years has enchanted her audience with her honest chatty ways, warm stories, and wonderful recipes.” Daughter of a United Methodist Minister, Birkby has lived most of her life in small towns in Iowa. She worked as Director of religious Education at Grace UMC, Waterloo. She was also the Youth Director for Chicago’s First United Methodist Church (Chicago Temple).
Beginning in 1949 she has written a weekly column entitled, “Up A Country Lane.” Birkby has also been a “radio homemaker, broadcasting her warm words of wisdom on world life over a five state area on radio station KMA in Shenandoah Iowa.” For more than a quarter century Birkby was a regular monthly columnist for Kitchen-Klatter Magazine and broadcast the syndicated “Kitchen-Klatter” radio program, something she still does on a monthly basis for KMA. She is also the author of eleven books.
In the afternoon, Rev. Bob Burkhart invited those present to support the “Imagine No Malaria” effort, which, in the Iowa Conference, has raised over $1.1 million, towards a goal of $2 million by June 2014.
Director of Human Resources/Benefits Officer Joni Mardesen spoke about changes to the pension plan and changed in medical coverage in the coming year. Rev. Mel Ammon answered questions about Iowa SHIIP (Senior Health Insurance Information Program).
Click here to listen to Bishop Trimble’s sermon.
Click here to listen to Evelyn Birkby’s presentation
Click here to see a photo gallery from the gathering