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Florida Annual Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church met for
the last time in March of 1968 in St. Petersburg. The uniting conference
of our church and the Methodist met September 5, 1968, at the First Methodist
Church in Lakeland. There were now no longer any Methodist or Evangelical
United Brethren Churches in Florida. We had served ten and one-half years
at Bradenton and Troy felt that he wanted a smaller church during the last
few years before retirement. We were happy when he was assigned to the Winter
Park Church at the conference in March. Due to the changing of the time of
the conferences he served the ten and one-half years in Bradenton and the
last three and one-half years in Winter Park.
Don White, who had been our evangelistic speaker in 1967, was assigned to
Bradenton. At the time we were so happy that he was coming to take our place.
He seemed to have all the qualities which should have spelled success for
him and for the church. It did not turn out that way. He tried to take the
church out of the denomination so he could run it as he pleased. Consequently
the church was split and it took several years for it to recover.
I was sixty-two years old and did not want to start in a new school system
so I took my retirement at the end of the school year. Don did not want to
live in the parsonage. He wanted to buy his own home so he was given a housing
allowance in lieu of the parsonage. Troy moved to Winter Park with most of
our furniture and belongings on March the 8th. Since Don would not be living
in the parsonage the trustees said I could remain there until the end of
school. I kept enough things to lead a sort of camping existence until I
could also move to our new work. I drove from Bradenton to Winter Park almost
every Friday after school and returned on Sunday afternoon.
At the farewell party given for us at the church, I thought I would make
it easier for the pastor's wife who followed me. I made a little speech about
what the minister's wife owed the church. I pointed out that she should always
conduct herself as a Christian; that she would be interested and concerned
that her husband be successful in building God's kingdom in that location;
that she should be faithful in attendance at the services and active in the
ladies circle to which she belonged; that she would probably be glad to teach
a Sunday School class; that both she and her husband should be good stewards
of their time and resources.
I cannot now remember what else I said. I know I ended by reminding them
that the church did not employ the pastor's wife when it contracted for the
services of a pastor and that she had as much right to work outside the home
and the church as did any woman in the congregation. The man who followed
us was coming from the evangelistic field and was present at our farewell.
After the party was over he whispered to me, "I just felt like running up
and kissing you after that speech." His wife was a dental technician.
