1971 – 1975 Tinder, Hutchings, White, Reid, Gray and Cameron
Rev. Elmore Ryle accepted a call to pastor the West Street Christian Church in Tipton Indiana, in 1971, marking the beginning of a period of shifting leadership at Woodland. Dr. Frank Tinder was named interim minister of Woodland. The Transylvania, Yale, and College of the Bible grad had many years of service in Richmond Kentucky but would serve Woodland for only three months. In that time, the Board voted to create the Woodland Church Trust Fund in order to provide scholarships for students going into full-time ministry.
In September 1971, Rev. Keith Hutchings began as Pastor of Woodland. Hutchings, also a Transylvania and College of the Bible grad, was a native of Carlisle, Kentucky who had previously served in West Bluff Christian Church in Peoria, Illinois. Lexington Theological Seminary student Gertrude Raye Feltner would serve as Minister of Education until July of 1972.
That year the Board approved a $60,000 Capital Campaign to air condition the sanctuary, and pave the new parking lots on Kentucky Ave. The property known as Christ’s Open House, at the corner of Kentucky & Oldham Avenues, was closed and prepared for rental.
Hutching’s service at Woodland would end after one year. A Lynchburg College graduate, Randolph A. White, would serve as interim pastor.
In January of 1973, the senior citizens announced that they would take the name “Forever Young.” This rather hopeful title would change to “Just Older Youth” in the 1980’s and is still known today as the JOY group.
Gladys Scheer received recognition from the Church and Synagogue Library Association for her 1973 book, The Church Library, Tips and Tools.
In May 1973, was White was replaced by Rev Mark K. Reid a Lexington Theological Seminary graduate who had been serving the First Christian Church in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Reid was joined by Ron Jones as Director of Christian Education.
The Daughters of Woodland gifted the church with two new kitchen stoves in October.
In 1974, the church held a recognition dinner for Frances Edger, a “cradle roll” member of the congregation, following her 31-years as Woodland Church Secretary where she not only fulfilled the typical secretarial duties, but was also the church bookkeeper, assistant editor of the Echoes, record keeper, and accomplished dozens of other tasks that were not a part of her job description.
In June, the congregation learned of the death of Artie Lynne Farish while she was aboard the Sun Viking on a Caribbean cruise. Eight years later the church received a bequest of nearly $5,000 from her estate.
Mark Reid would serve as pastor until 1975. Following the interim ministry of Paul Gray, church leadership at Woodland would settle down once again when Rev. Ray D. Cameron became pastor in October 1975.
- Trader, 142-150
Rev. Mark K. Reid