Hello dear church and friends,

We lost Curtis Anderson on Monday morning. He passed peacefully in his sleep. Linda we are praying for you and your family. Linda and Curtis have been members of the United Methodist Church for a long, long time. They even have some original artwork from a Methodist circuit preacher from BEFORE the UMC was united at all. I wonder how all of those circuit riding preachers would feel about the UMC if they could see us now? And the lay ministers who served in between visits from the circuit riders, what would they think of the church today? It was a very conservative time then and a little bit now; but, the UMC is slowly making progress in the areas of affirmation and inclusion. I am proud to say that our congregation moves faster than the majority. I say all that to tell you that I found out that Curtis and Linda Anderson are also trained and certified lay speakers for the UMC. They preached many years ago at Eastside UMC. I know how they feel about the church today. They love Saint Matthew and have become an important part of our history and community. Funeral arrangements are pending. You will receive a special email with the details.

I am back from my vacation to the beach. It was a peaceful and restful time for me. I hope to share some photos with you soon. Mostly, I hope to see you in church on Sunday. Love to all, Mary