This is my second minister to appreciate and to thank during October, “Pastor Appreciation Month”: The wife of the newly appointed thirty-three year old minister walked down the center aisle with their two small children and sat towards the front in one of the pews awaiting the morning’s worship service … her family’s very first in their new church. An older woman came up behind her down the aisle, tapped her on the shoulder, and not knowing who she was asked her to move, for the young spouse of the new minister was “sitting in my seat.” The year was 1978, and the church was averaging 165 in Sunday morning worship attendance … a small United Methodist church in that age, but a large United Methodist church in our day. The newly appointed minister had previously served at the Christopher United Methodist Church. There was only one church which he dreamed and prayed about someday being appointed to as their minister. Serving at that church was his heart’s desire, if God allowed and destined such an appointment. The church was Aldersgate United Methodist Church, and the young minister was the Reverend Jim Slone. Upon hearing that such a young minister was being appointed to the church which my family attended, my mother asked me if I knew anything about our new minister. I did. I had dunked him totally under water at the Harrisburg Swimming Pool. For in 1973 Jim Slone was the evangelist at the Beulah Youth Institute, which I attended as a teen. His loud, fervent, fiery preacher had stricken me. (It was the second year that I had attended Beulah, and the second great preacher, for the first one I heard at Beulah in 1972 was the Reverend Bob Souders, of Belleville Saint Matthews United Methodist Church.) And during one of our afternoon free times, Jim Slone went swimming with us teens at the Harrisburg Pool. I had always wanted to “baptize” a preacher …. Now he was being appointed to our church in Marion. Reverend Slone served at Marion Aldersgate United Methodist for twenty-four years, until 2002. The church of 165 in attendance when he began, grew to a church of over 650 in average Sunday worship attendance in 2002. Reverend Slone and his wife Cheryl were the perfect ministry team, for Cheryl grew tremendously the children’s ministry. My mother served as one of Cheryl’s Sunday School teachers for children. Jim Slone is the best Sunday to Sunday preacher in the entire Illinois Great Rivers Conference of the United Methodist Church, in my opinion. Just like Reverend James Eastman, Reverend Slone was and is an amazing extemporaneous expository preacher. Jim Slone’s sermons are like Biblical commentaries, teaching his congregants the stories and messages of the Bible. He studies the Bible continuously, and the depth of his great knowledge shines through his sermons. His preaching alone was the greatest factor in growing Aldersgate. Yet, Reverend Slone is one of the humblest human beings whom I know. Other than being a fan of “that team across the river”, he has few faults. In his favor, however, is the fact that he is an even greater fan of the old Brooklyn Dodgers! In preaching his illustrations come for the most part directly from the stories and characters throughout the Bible. His voice is conversational in preaching, as he utilizes no notes during his preaching … a style of preaching which I would really call more “teaching” rather than “preaching.” He always spoke the truth in love, whether we desired to hear it or not. For like Reverend Eastman, he had the end game for us in view! Jim Slone is still preaching, now at Belleville Saint Matthews United Methodist Church. He is doing an excellent job. His knowledge of scripture, his preaching skills, his down-to-earth Andy Griffith-like persona, his sense of humor, and his love are exceeded by few minister’s whom I know. When I am in search of an answer, Jim Slone is one of the first humans to whom I turn. Thus, the Reverend Jim Slone is the second minister whom I appreciate and thank for the tremendous impact he has had, and still has on my life. During this “Pastor’s Appreciation Month” I just want to tell him what he means to me as a Christian. I feel extremely lucky to have had James Eastman for fifteen years as my minister, and Jim Slone for twenty-eight years as my minister. Forty-three years of the best preaching there is!
Posted on: Tue, 21 Oct 2014 19:26:24 +0000
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