Johnson City UM honored for disaster-response work
By Rachel L. Toalson
Staff Writer
More than 200 Kerrville District United Methodists recognized two men and two women Jan. 26 in Boerne for exceptional Christian service.
Twenty-three other individuals—13 women and 10 men—received distinguished discipleship honors at First UMC, Boerne, during the annual laity awards celebration.
George Barnette, First UMC, John-son City, was presented the 2008 Bishop’s Exemplar Award for disaster-response work during 2007 following tornadoes in Eagle Pass and flooding in Granite Shoals and Mar-ble Falls.
Bill Meyers, New Fountain UMC, Hondo; Sherry Snyder, First UMC, Sabinal; and Carol Ann Young, Ber-tram UMC, received the first District Superintendent’s Award for Excellence.
Bishop Joel N. Martinez gives the Exemplar Award annually to lay-people selected by each district board of laity “for witness, commitment and service after the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Every year that I present these exemplar awards for different districts, I know the folks who make the selection sometimes have difficult choices to make,” Martinez said. “There’s always more than one or two people worthy of recognition any given year.
“No matter (whom) they choose, it’s going to be a person who stood tall, worked hard, trusted God and offered the best he or she had, and, over time, that person’s witness and modeling of Christian faith has had an impact on many.”
Barnette was chosen, Martinez said, for his work as a volunteer district disaster-response coordinator. Besides service in Eagle Pass, Granite Shoals and Marble Falls, he worked with the Southwest Texas Conference on disaster response, set up district disaster training events and organized volunteers.
Barnette has been a Sunday school teacher, a worship leader in the Johnson City congregation and worked with youths and older adults.
“I just want to say thank you to all who earned this for me,” Barnette said after accepting the award. “It’s yours, too.”
Meyers was recognized for giving more than 65 years of service to United Methodist Men and various congregations. He served as a youth director in New Hampshire and a lay member of annual conference and a trustee in Virginia, said the Rev. Bob Allen, Kerrville District superintendent.
At New Fountain UMC, Meyers serves on the administrative council, has been a seven-year laity representative at the annual conference session and helps run heavy equipment. He supervised all subcontractor work on the church’s new building and helped build a 7,500-square-foot multipurpose building in 2007.
Snyder was chosen for her work leading the youth fellowship at her church, teaching youth Sunday school, directing a weeklong mission trip every summer and making the “absolute best jalapeño pimento cheese sandwich in the district,” Allen said.
Young was honored for teaching women’s Bible studies, volunteering to teach children’s Sunday school and filling in as an adult teacher. In June, Allen said, lightning damaged the Bertram church building. Young followed up on every issue that resulted.
Individuals receiving discipleship awards, listed by congregation, were:
> Highland Lakes UMC, Buchan-an Dam—Jim and Anne Carlile.
> First UMC, Carrizo Springs—Diana Furlow and Nancy Hubbs.
> Center Point UMC—Marsha Burney.
> Gaddis Memorial UMC, Comfort—Linda Ridout.
> First UMC, Cotulla—Mary Jane Treff.
> First UMC, Devine—Louise Lewis.
> Fredericksburg UMC—Connie Whiting.
> First UMC, Hondo—Richard McGuire.
> New Fountain UMC, Hondo—Charles Dickens and Bob Mayne.
> First UMC, Kerrville—Bob Molder.
> Lakehills UMC—Floyd Hicks and Gabriel Salazar.
> First UMC, Lampasas—Milton Boone.
> First UMC, Marble Falls—Rick Carr and Marsha Neel.
> Medina UMC—Marcia Bower.
> First UMC, Pearsall—Lolly Porter.
> First UMC, San Saba—Kim Kirk and Monica Shahan.
> Utopia UMC—Diane Causey.
At the close of the event, Martinez received a retirement gift that included a table runner similar to the district banner.