Convocation: Pearson urges graduates to stick to journalistic principles

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Legendary Atlanta broadcaster and current Grady graduate Monica Kaufman Pearson gave the keynote address.

Originally published on www.grady.uga.edu on May 9, 2013.

ATHENS — More than 500 Grady students were celebrated today at the college’s annual Spring Convocation Ceremony.

Keynote speaker and legendary Atlanta TV news broadcaster Monica Kaufman Pearson urged students to remain firm to the journalistic principles they’ve been taught as they begin their professional careers.

“While so much has changed in our field, our purpose has not,” she said, citing the importance of using critical thinking as they do their work.

Pearson, who broke barriers when she became the first minority and female broadcast news anchor in Atlanta when she debuted on WSB-TV in 1975, has been pursuing her master’s degree at Grady since retiring in July 2012. In her address, she stressed the importance of education and also serving others.

“If you want the world to be a better place, you’ve got to get involved,” she said.

Graduate Paige Pulaski echoed Pearson’s advice in her speech as senior orator — an honor given to the graduate with the highest grade point average. Pulaski, who has a 3.9 GPA, said the class of 2013 will accomplish big things.

“We’re stepping into a world of possibilities,” she said. “We are the ones who will provide new solutions to old problems.”

Dean Cully Clark, hosting his final convocation before retiring, announced that this current graduating class of 511 is the largest group of Grady graduates in history. Citing a list of multiple accomplishments, Clark noted how Grady students have been featured as University of Georgia “Amazing Students” more this year than any other college.

“It’s not surprising, because quite simply our students are amazing,” he said.

Grady Alumni Board Chair Jody Danneman (ABJ ’88) welcomed the graduates into the Grady Society, and also called special attention to three retirements among Grady faculty: broadcast senior lecturer Steve Smith, Peabody Awards director Horace Newcomb and Clark.

“This college is doing incredibly well, and that is because of the work of the faculty,” Danneman said, adding that under Clark’s tenure, the college has raised significant funds, launched WUGA-TV and reconnected the college with its history.

Clark was greeted with a standing ovation from the thousands in the crowd as he closed out the ceremony. “We have done our job,” he said. “It’s their turn.”

Oconee Street UMC to worship at Tuckston UMC

Originally published on www.rebuildoconeestreetumc.org on May 3, 2013.

After holding worship services at Young Harris United Methodist Church on Prince Avenue, Oconee Street United Methodist Church is moving to Tuckston United Methodist Church on Lexington Road, utilizing the chapel which  years ago was the main sanctuary for Tuckston UMC.

“In moving to this we are gaining a chapel for our worship service that looks a little bit like our own sanctuary, although a bit smaller,” said the Rev. Lisa Caine, pastor of Oconee Street United Methodist Church.

An April 15 fire destroyed the church’s 111-year-old sanctuary at 717 Oconee Street, and the congregation had worshipped for two weeks in the gymnasium of Young Harris UMC. “We are extremely grateful for the hospitality and generosity our friends at Young Harris have provided us in this emergency situation,” Cain

e said, adding that the offer by Young Harris was made immediately after the fire.

Although Young Harris’ offer of space was indefinite, the church council of Oconee Street UMC decided earlier this week to move services after an offer was made to use a 116-year-old chapel on the Tuckston campus, located at 4175 Lexington Road in Athens. Since 1969, Tuckston UMC members have worshipped in a much larger sanctuary on its campus. The chapel is used mainly for weddings and special events, but usually is vacant on Sundays. Caine hopes the chapel’s similarity to her church’s former sanctuary, from the wooden pews to the altar rail, will offer the congregation a familiar and “more worshipful” atmosphere.

The Tuckston UMC chapel was built in the same era of Oconee Street, and has similar features to the former sanctuary.

The Rev. John Turlington, associate pastor of Tuckston UMC, said it makes sense for the congregation of Oconee Street UMC to utilize the chapel, noting that there is a strong connection between the two churches, both in location and congregation. “I heard a few (Tuckston) members say that Oconee Street was the first church they went to when they first came to Athens,” he said. “We are also connected by Lexington Avenue and the east side of Athens. We thought that the Oconee Street Church family would feel more at home going to church in their east side neighborhood.”

Caine said it may be months before her congregation is able to move back into their home. Although the fire destroyed the building that housed the sanctuary and the kitchen used by the Our Daily Bread ministry (currently operating at Athens First Baptist Church), there is hope that the education building adjacent to the sanctuary may be salvaged much sooner. That building — connected to the church by a walkway — suffered severe water and smoke damage, but the hope is the structure remains sound and the building can be utilized once the damage is repaired. Insurance adjusters recently completed their on-site inspection of the buildings and it’s expected to take weeks before a final appraisal is issued.

“It’s time to settle down in a more permanent space for the next few months as we begin planning to rebuild and restore our own church facilities,” Caine said. “I hope our members will find the (Tuckston) chapel as comforting as I have.”

Sunday worship services will be held at 11 a.m., preceded by children and adult Sunday school classes at 9:45 a.m.

Caine encourages church to ‘experience moment’ in first service since fire

Originally published on Athens Patch on April 22, 2013.

Roughly 70 members of Oconee Street United Methodist Church gathered yesterday in the transformed gymnasium of Young Harris UMC for Sunday service.

“Last week we met in our building on Oconee Street, and today we meet here on Prince Avenue,” said Oconee Street UMC Pastor Lisa Caine in the opening to the service. “Not much remains of our building, but our church is strong.”

Caine noted how in the aftermath of the fire, the church’s large gold cross hanging on the front wall of the sanctuary remains virtually untouched amidst a collapsed roof and charred debris. “The cross still stands, and we still stand,” she said.

The service – the first for Oconee Street since the April 15 blaze – followed an often-emotional children’s Sunday school class. After gathering as a large group and getting a tour of their temporary church home, roughly 20 children listened to a reading the book, “When our Church Building Burned Down.” With child psychologists on hand, the children broke into their separate classes and had the opportunity to ask questions and express their feelings about the fire. Classes ended with the children working on a project that helped them remember their former church building.

“We thought it was important for our children to have this opportunity to get their questions answered and their feelings heard,” said Carla Dennis, children’s education leader.

Continuing to share memories was a challenge Caine gave to the congregation during her sermon. “Those precious memories – instead of holding us back, will serve as the glue to hold us together, and keep us strong,” she said, citing Jeremiah 29 and encouraging members to also “experience the moment” God has given them in the present, while looking positively to the future.

Caine said that although “the moment” has offered many significant challenges, it has also offered several rewards, citing the numerous offers for help, including Young Harris UMC offering its gymnasium and meeting rooms for Oconee Street.

“People we don’t know, from places we have never been are praying for us right now,” she said, adding that the countless offers for service and the numerous donations “are flooding us with hope and solidarity.”

“In each one of these efforts … this is God coming to us,” Caine said. “God will take of us, and will love as much today, as tomorrow and as yesterday.”

Caine encouraged the congregation to continue to seek God as they move forward. “Today we gather here at Oconee Street United Methodist Church — on Prince — alive and moving forward with hope in God for the future that God has planned for us,” she said.

The Rev. Dr. Gary Whetstone, superintendent of the Athens-Elberton district for the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, helped lead the service with Caine.

“You are absolutely indispensible in detecting the movement of God’s spirit so that you might chart a new course and know which route to take,” he said. “Our prayers are with you as you travel that path.”

Hear Pastor Caine’s sermon by pressing “play” below:

 

 

Oconee Street UMC looks to rebuild

Originally published on Athens Patch on April 16, 2013

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A cross — seemingly untouched — overlooks the collapsed ceiling, broken glass and other debris in the former sanctuary of Oconee Street UMC.

More than 20 members of Oconee Street United Methodist Church stood yards away from the doorstep of their church, located on the hill between Oconee and Oak Street, as firefighters fought a blaze that engulfed the historic sanctuary.

“I feel like a part of me has died,” said Maxine Easom, the church’s music supervisor. “I have been a part of this church since I was a born.”

The blaze — the cause of which is yet unknown but no foul play is suspected — completely destroyed the 111-year-old main sanctuary. This morning, Easom, along with several other church members including Pastor Lisa Caine, surveyed the damage. The ceiling is gone from the main sanctuary, as a large gold cross still hangs firmly on the wall behind the altar amidst downed beams, broken glass and torched pews.

“With that sanctuary and that altar railing – you can feel the cloud of witnesses and hear the saints who have gone before us and made the church the place that it is today,” said Caine, who has served as pastor of the church since 2001.

Oconee Street UMC has a long history in Athens. Founded in 1871 with just 16 members, the church moved to its current location in 1903. Over the past half century, the church has been known for its strong support of social justice and service within the community. In 1980, the Rev. Carolyn Morris became pastor of the church, making Oconee Street the first Methodist church in the area to have a woman serve as pastor. A decade later under the leadership of the Rev. Ted Staton, the church partnered with Athens Urban Ministry and opened the city’s first lunchtime soup kitchen, Our Daily Bread. Most recently, the church has raised thousands of dollars and offered hundreds of service hours for local charities, including the Athens Nurses Clinic, the Interfaith Hospitality Network and the Northeast Georgia Food Bank.

After checking out the damage, the members discussed an action plan for the immediate future. Church records, insurance company contacts, Sunday services and even choir practice became the topic of conversation. Held at the church’s former parsonage — now used as a workspace for Action Ministries – church members filtered in one-by-one, all wanting to help in some way.

“This church has served the community for more than 140 years,” said Sharon Pendley, lay leader of the church. “The community looks to it and relies on it for the help that it can’t get anywhere else.”

As organizers for Action Ministries developed immediate plans for to continue offering meals through Our Daily Bread, church members started plans to recover and rebuild, but they were far from alone. From construction services to temporary church locations, Caine was inundated with calls offering space, support and service.

“I have been so overwhelmed with the calls of love, affection, encouragement and support that we have received from the Athens community,” Caine said.

One such call came from Young Harris United Methodist Church, a congregation similar in size and scope to Oconee Street. The church offered space on its Prince Avenue campus for Oconee Street to temporarily hold Sunday services and Sunday school classes.

Allison Floyd, children and youth programs coordinator for Young Harris, said the decision to help Oconee Street was easy. “Many of us have been in Oconee Street UMC’s kitchen volunteering with Our Daily Bread, so we know what a special place it is and what good work goes on there,” she said. “Anything we could do to comfort the Oconee Street congregation and allow them to regroup, our congregation wanted to do.”

With a temporary new home secured, Oconee Street UMC leaders are now looking to the long-term. A special website — www.rebuildoconeestreetumc.org — has been set up to accept donations and provide progress updates. Donations may also be made in person at any Athens First Bank and Trust location, made payable to “Oconee Street UMC Building Fund.”

Although the fire destroyed the sanctuary and the education wing of the church is heavily damaged with water and smoke, Caine has no doubt the church will persevere.

“Oconee Street is all right,” she said. “Our sanctuary is gone, but we as a congregation are strong and have the trust and faith to go on, because Athens can’t be without a church on the hill.”

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