It’s A Wrap – Celebrating Our Centennial Year

It’s A Wrap - Celebrating Our Centennial Year

by Eve Respess, PRUMC Centennial Celebration Chair

What does the Wild Mouse roller coaster ride, Dorothy’s house landing in Oz, riding the Hogwart’s Express, completing the AVON 3-Day, being asked to chair Peachtree Road United Methodist Church’s Centennial have in common?

Apprehension, excitement, exhilaration, challenges, and rewards.

When Bill Britt called me in 2015 to ask if I would chair Peachtree Road’s Centennial in 2025, I felt this same exhilaration, excitement and apprehension. At the time, I was working full time with extensive travel. But I knew this would be an exciting adventure that I couldn’t refuse. I would never have this opportunity again. OAB –Opportunities Are Blessings.

Ten years later, we have come to the end of PRUMC’s Centennial Celebration year. I can honestly say this has been a glorious adventure. Anything worth doing is worth doing right and this was worth doing.

Starting with committee member selection, deciding what we wanted to do for our Centennial, planning, researching, budgeting, executing. All of this intertwined with millions of emails, meetings, discussions, and phone calls. There was never a day that I regretted saying yes to Bill Britt. I learned a lot about many things. I never knew an origami art display had so many decisions to be decided for its creation. Blowing glass is not an easy artform. Book publishing has multiple steps. Anthem premiers require many, many rehearsals. We have an unbelievable amount of talent within our walls. Quilters, writers, embroiderers, authors, bloggers, designers, musicians, wood turners, interviewers, artists, curators, applicaers, salespeople. There is a common thread among all of us – we love our church. We live up to our pledge -– Uphold the UMC with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness.

When Grandmama and Granddaddy Respess, along with 17 others, founded Peachtree Road Methodist Church in 1925, they knew God was by their side. There would be struggles, but also celebrations. One hundred years later, as we honor our ancestors and celebrate our church, those struggles and celebrations still remain. But we all know God is by our side.

Years before the very first Centennial magnet was given out, to the very last Dove of Peachtree Road given to the sponsor, I have been honored to work with 18 hard working committee members, each an active member at Peachtree Road.

The Doves of Peachtree Road will no longer fly after November 2, the Centennial Celebration Committee will no longer meet. But…. ASCEND will stand tall, our Centennial banner will be displayed, Peachtree Road Storybook will continue to be enjoyed by readers, the Centennial Gallery will continue to share our history, our Centennial quilt will remain on display, SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND A Centennial Story children’s book will live on, our Centennial commemorative anthems will be sung around the world. Our memories and our friendships from the Centennial year will continue to be our blessings.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to these wonderful people, PRUMC’s Centennial Celebration Committee members, who agreed to join me on this Centennial journey.

Anne Steward

Beth Culp

Betty Lee Kennedy

Carolyn Broce

Celene Joiner

Coker Appleton

Dan Kennedy

Dick Cietz

Fran Rosenthal

Fred Broce

Julia Forbes

Lindley Small

Marcia Gaddis

Phil Mastin

Sharon Minor

Tricia Walker

You are my friends whom I know and love. Each of you is a blessing to me.

Remember the children’ s poem – Here’s the church, here’s the steeple, open the doors and here are the people. It’s the people who make Peachtree Road alive and caring. I thank God that in His wisdom he guided Bill Britt to call me that day in 2015. And I thank God that in His wisdom I didn’t hesitate to say YES. Peachtree Road is my home church. I love my church.