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INTRODUCING: Pastor celebrating 25 years in pulpit
at First Presbyterian Church MUNCIE -- If it
hadn't been for a college chaplain who strongly influenced his life, Ron
Naylor might be practicing law today. As it is? "I love being
a pastor," said the Plymouth native, who is celebrating 25 years in the
pulpit at First Presbyterian Church. But that pulpit
hasn't kept him contained in some lofty perch, practicing elevated elocution
above the congregation of what -- having been founded in 1838 -- is the
city's second oldest church. "You can
preach a good sermon," declared the 64-year-old minister. "But if
you aren't a good pastor, nobody is going to listen to them very long." Instead, it's
things like counseling, visiting the sick and, especially, expansion of his
church's mission work that Naylor cites as the focus of his tenure. Besides the very
impressive, very mouthy, 18-and-a-half pound stuffed Northern pike that
decorates his office, there are mementos from six mission trips to Haiti,
plus more to Honduras and the Mexican state of Yucatan. Others have taken him
to Central Europe, and even the Vatican. The church also
provides a home to a contingent of 115 local Korean worshippers, even
employing a Korean associate pastor. "That's been
one of the real examples of mission that has happened locally," Naylor
continued, noting First Presbyterian has a 10,000-member sister-church in
Seoul. Meanwhile, the
church's local outreach touches entities like the Muncie Mission, Christian
Ministries of Delaware County and Habitat for Humanity. Last year, the pastor
added, church members contributed $189,000 to mission work. "I really
celebrate that," he said. "That, as Christians, is what we're
called to do." This is Naylor's
fourth pastorate. A graduate of Westminster College who pondered law school
before earning a master of theology degree from Princeton Theological
Seminary, he earlier served churches in Rushville; Greenville, Ohio, and Port
Huron, Mich. Muncie is home,
though. "I never
anticipated I'd be here that long," he said. "This has been a
wonderful place to live, and a wonderful church to serve." In his pastorate,
he has cemented friendships with now-legendary local leaders, including
industrialists John Fisher, Hamer Shafer and Ed and Virginia Ball. In a
broader context, given First Presbyterian's historical importance, he is also
acutely aware of his relationship to his predecessors. "I do have a
real sense of being part of the continuity of pastoral leadership over the
years," he said. But back to folks
of flesh-and-blood. The church's members include people whose personal
concerns and beliefs vary widely, which some might consider a formula for
conflict. Not here, Naylor
said. "We are not a
single-issue congregation," he asserted, of its 650 members. "One
of the unique things about this church is we have people at both ends of the
theological spectrum. We grow from one another." Big outside, warm
inside For anyone who
feels intimidated by the present imposing sanctuary, which was built in 1955,
the folks inside it are caring and friendly, guaranteed the pastor, a
personable man who leads by example. "I'm a people
person," said Naylor, who counts fishing and reading among his joys.
"I love interacting with people on any level." Even more, though,
he craves interaction with the God he serves. "Prayer is the
foundation for everything I do," he said. "Morning prayer and
meditation is always the best part of my day." For the record,
he's apparently not on his knees and sweating proverbial bullets over the
much ballyhooed troubles of mainline Christian churches. He agrees there are
challenges. "We're moving
into a very important time in the life of the church," he said,
discussing it in the collective sense. "Many churches reflect the
culture. ... A lot of churches just tell people what they want to hear. ...
We need to truly be transformed in the image of Christ. "I think the
day will come when the denominational churches will again have a real place
in the life of our communities and our country," he continued.
"We've got too many churches that are founded on the personality of the
pastor." First
Presbyterian's prognosis? "A hundred
years from now," Naylor predicted, "I have a feeling this church
will still be here." · Contact John Carlson at 213-5824. Additional Facts Meet Rev. Ron Naylor Who: Senior pastor,
First Presbyterian Church *PRAYER OF CONFESSION / ASSURANCE OF PARDON Carrie Jo Miller, CLP |
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