Someone (Creative) to Tell the Story

“For we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” - Acts 4:20

Here on the “150th Anniversary” page I’d like to highlight a couple of key elements that make this part of the website stay alive.

First, there is always something new to help this community celebrate.

• The last weekend in April, “Arts in the Garden” brought together creativity, talent, craftsmanship, passion, ministry, mission and support from the community.

• The first weekend in May featured the rededication of our 1909 sanctuary and the dedication of the 2024 Carillon, a state-of-the-art collection of chimes dedicated to the glory of God and HMPC’s commitment to sharing the Good News.

Then, the folk who are committed to telling the Howard Memorial story are faithful, inspirational, very well organized and relentless!

So here’s a shout out to Faye Price and Cindy Brittain, who are coordinating all things 150, and then — the particular focus of this column — Ann Margaret Taylor, who is putting her creative passion to work by directing, filming and editing the video series that shares this page.

To date, seven interviews have been published and several more are in the pipeline.

These are the witnesses. And, just like Peter and John in the dramatic scene played out in Acts Chapter Four, they “cannot keep from talking about what we have seen and heard.”

Thanks, Ann Margaret, for helping to tell the story, and for showing how alive and vital God’s love is, both in and through the witnesses you are showcasing.

“And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone telling the story?” - Romans 10:14

Lights in the Darkness — and Bells in the Steeple!

For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! (Ephesians 5:8)

Several years ago I spoke at men’s a retreat in a remote mountain camp. I checked in then walked the half mile from my cabin to the assembly hall. “Let’s take this short cut behind the lake,” my host said. We were chatting and I hardly paid attention to the route.

We ate dinner, I delivered my keynote, we had breakout groups, then I closed with a devotion. That’s when they broke out the snacks and settled in for games and conversation.

It was almost 10:00 and I was exhausted from the day’s travel. “I have to go over my notes for the morning,” I said. “So I’m heading to my cabin.”

There was a murmur of goodnights and I slipped out. I remembered to stay on the trail side of the lake, left the parking area and aimed for the track leading to the cabins.

Three minutes into what should have been a 15-minute stroll some sort of timer triggered, and all the outside lights went off. That included those marking the trail. When I say it was dark it was “can’t see my shoes” dark, “can’t see my hand in front of my face” dark. Cloudy, no moon. It was dark dark. My phone was in my room.

I wasn’t sure I was even on the correct path.

So I shuffled, moving my hands in front of my face in case I left the trail, which I did, frequently. I’d already turned a corner so going back was no better. The 15-minute walk took me more than an hour.

Just a point of light, a reference, was all I would have needed.

This church, Howard Memorial Presbyterian, has been a point of light in Tarboro for 150 years. Sunday, May 5 we will dedicate a new carillon to the glory of God. It will also be another reference point for Tarboro, another point of light for people who need to find their way home.

Don’t miss it. May 5 is going to be a great day! - Derek

"I Believe in the Communion of the Saints"

There is a phrase I often think about during the The Lord’s Supper. It goes like this: “I believe in the communion of the saints;” it assumes a continuity of belief and purpose and fellowship over the years that includes absolutely everyone who Loves God and follows Jesus.

The phrase appears in the Apostles Creed, that essential statement of faith from the Second Century. And it is particularly apropos during this epic 150th celebration. Why? Because The Communion of the Saints is a concept that knits together the entire history of Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church, from 1874 through to the excitement and the sense of promise that is animating our church this year, 2024.

From my perspective — as a believer in Jesus who knows and loves so many people so very deeply, from each of the four congregations Rebekah served and beyond — The Communion of the Saints came into sharp focus this past Sunday, April 7, when I travelled to Wake Forest Presbyterian Church to plant a rose bush in memory of my mother.

It was a Communion Sunday. And as I stood in line to take the bread and the wine I understood that I was also taking communion with the people I love in Tarboro, and with my mother, and with my dad and my brother too.

Then, and in addition to all the beautiful people at our two Florida churches, I shared the Lord’s Supper with “The Three Annas” who helped to start HMPC in 1874, and with the men in the Bible-study groups I have led, and with the families who built our beautiful sanctuary in 1909, and with Rev. Iverson, and Bob Burns, and Christopher Edmonston, and more.

The Communion of the Saints is the living history of Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church. Nothing we do here, nothing we say here, nothing we believe here, and nothing we love here stands in isolation. It cannot, because we are all part of that Great Cloud of Witnesses.

We live today as the fullest expression of the faith that has sustained this church for One Hundred Fifty years… and that will undergird our future with hope and with promise too.

I believe in the Communion of the Saints - DEREK

Nice Work on the 5K Mission Run and Thanks for Letting Me Sit in

One of the (very many) cool things about being here at Howard Memorial as the spouse of the “Interim” pastor is this sense of being a spectator, but also invited to be 100% a part of everything that happens.

It’s like showing up for a well-known play on Broadway, then being welcomed on stage and given a few lines. Or sitting on a comfortable seat in the middle of a talented symphony orchestra — awash in the bright and beautiful sounds — and being handed a tambourine to shake at just the right time.

All the history here is so rich and compelling, and all the hard work for the future is ongoing, and here I am — front and center — soaking it all in.

It was like that at Saturday morning’s 17th annual “Movin’ for Community Outreach 5K.” A popular Tarboro event supporting local initiatives that fight hunger and homelessness.

Tarboro Community Outreach is a vital ministry that exists and thrives exactly because of the vision and dedication of Howard Memorial. Not just an idea, but an ongoing commitment rooted in this congregation’s longtime practice of following Jesus. Reaching out with the love of God to so many people experiencing homelessness, and people experiencing food insecurity.

The March 23 5K was, no surprise, a big success - despite all the rain and the threat of more rain. Money was raised and the generosity exceeded expectations. But, more importantly, is this deep sense of community spirit and awareness, with Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church stating, loud and clear, that we are right here in Tarboro and we are doing everything we can to be the presence of Christ in this community.

And when I say “we” I mean the members of this hardworking, well-rehearsed, accomplished and faithful orchestra. Plus the occasional “ding” of my tambourine. Thanks for letting me sit in - DEREK

A Community with a Presbyterian Heart

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”
(John 13:35).

Today’s blog post is more personal. The focus of this space may be to celebrate Howard Memorial’s 150 years of faithful witness in Tarboro, but my view is very much that of a newcomer and the unique role of pastor’s spouse.

When Rebekah and I started this adventure (her first call was in 1982) there was no such thing as a “Preacher’s Husband.” There were many expectations in place for preachers’ wives - both reasonable and not so much - but nobody knew what to do with me!

Rebekah’s mother, who had a lifetime of experience, gave me great advice: “Take care of the following and you will be fine,” she said. “Love the Lord. Love the preacher. Love the church.”

Love is, first and foremost, a choice. One gift Rebekah and I have always given the place where we live is to love it. We don’t wait to see if we love it, we show up choosing to love. Pensacola; Brandon; Wake Forest; Tarboro.

This is also the best advice we give younger ministers. “If you love a church from the first day, they will love you back. If you love a community from the moment you show up, that community - those good people - will love you back.”

Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church must be on the same page! This congregation did not hold back to see if we were going to be lovable! You have opened your hearts and loved us, generously, from the get-go.

It is obvious that this church loves the community too. There is a deep affection that runs both ways, and Tarboro is not just a town with a Presbyterian Church, it is a community with a Presbyterian Heart!

So here we are, 2024: not just 150 years of church but 150 years of intentional love. “This is how Tarboro is going to know that you are my disciples!” Jesus says. “When they see how much you love one another.”

In love, and because of love - Derek Maul

Taking the Light from the Stained Glass Out into the World

Through the Word was life,
and the life was the light for all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light.
(John 1:4-5)

First-time visitors to Howard Memorial are struck immediately by the beauty of the light in the sanctuary, the way the morning sun filters through the 1909 stained-glass to illuminate the space with a golden, muted iridescence.

It is a glow that tells the story of how light entered the world through the birth and life of Jesus Christ, and also how light continues to be refracted and multiplied through the lives of those called to be Followers of the Living Way. The power of this story is told not just in the meditative receiving of light in the sanctuary, but also in the intentional living that comes in response to worship, and to preaching, and to listening, and to prayer.

It is our call to shine, and this congregation’s enthusiastic faithful response, that marks Tarboro’s Presbyterians. HMPC is as much defined by action as meditation. But the signal beauty of this sanctuary is a strong invitation to reflection and prayer. Walk into the sanctuary one weekday morning, when it is not crowded with people, then spend some quiet time alone with God.

It is not too much to say that — in the right context — great architecture helps facilitate faithful discipleship. Regardless, Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church is blessed. A blessing translated both into meditation and outreach. Amen.

The Day the Saints Came Marching In

“For the Lord loves justice, and does not forsake his saints; they are preserved forever…” (Psalm 37:28)

Sunday February 11, much to the delight of worshippers, a small detachment from “The Great Cloud of Witnesses” made their way to Tarboro, where they attended services at Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church.

The illustrious band of saints comprised five men and five women, including the legendary “Three Annas” and the inimitable Sally Drew. All ten were instrumental in establishing 1874’s original iteration of Tarboro’s Presbyterians.

One by one, and with the help of an admirable narrator (Kate Brittain) the visitors told inspirational stories telling how the love of Jesus had shaped their lives and the beginnings of this church.

The ten shared a compelling message about the passion that gave birth to the vision that is now HMPC, and the faithfulness that has sustained it. Our 19th Century forebears may be numbered among the saints, but their story is less about the spectacular and more about the real. For they are the Presbyterian Church, women and men who are being transformed daily by genuine faith, regular people building a community where love and grace and acceptance and generosity and service continue to define life together.

The vision our time-traveling visitors shared remains as vital, as alive, as true, as compelling, as charged with life and as flat out necessary today as it was in 1874. Fortunately, we are still equipped with the mighty power of God, the deep deep love of Jesus, and the animating breath of the Holy Spirit.

Check back soon for more reporting from this yearlong celebration of not only our history but our future too.

– Derek

Immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21)

Greetings, friends! We have much to celebrate here at Howard Memorial Presbyterian Church. This is the first in a series of blog posts I have been asked to write as we navigate this amazing year.

I pray that, here in this digital space, we can emulate the spirit of Anna Stamps Howard, one of “The Three Annas” who worked tirelessly to organize the congregation that became HMPC. “Amazed by the lack of any Presbyterian influence in Tarboro,” one account states, “she became a driving force for the establishment of a Presbyterian Church.”

The PC(USA) congregation, officially chartered in 1874, has enjoyed a strong history marked by an extraordinary legacy of leadership both within the community and beyond. It was here in 1926, in his office just off the entry to the sanctuary, that then pastor Daniel Iverson penned the original text to “Spirit of the Living God.”

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.

The hymn, destined to become a classic, captured deep truths about the nature of God and quickly took on a life of its own — much like the witness of Howard Memorial — immeasurably more than anyone could have asked or imagined.

As the 150th birthday observances begin to build momentum in this year-long celebration, it is humbling to look back on the work of God’s Living Spirit in this place. It is more thrilling still to look forward, with hope and anticipation for the future.

According to some authorities, Iverson’s original wording included the more challenging invitation for God to, “Break me, melt me, mold me, fill me.” Regardless, the implication is clear; our future, as our past, is only possible to the extent that we give ourselves over completely to God’s initiatives of restoration, grace, mercy, love, redemption, justice, and healing.

In Christ’s constant love — Derek Maul