Fifty Years of Faith: The McElvaney Years
Northaven remembers the years of
1967-1973
As Northaven continues to remember its "five
decades of faith," we will celebrate and remember the ministry of Rev. Bill
McElvaney --and his era of Northaven's history-- on Sunday, February 19th. Bill
served as Northaven's pastor from 1967 to 1973; a tumultuous time in the life of
the world, and an active time in the life of our church. (See the timeline of
events elsewhere on this page) Bill entered Perkins School of Theology at age
26, after a brief career in finance and oil and gas. After graduation from
Perkins --and post-graduate study in Preaching at Union Theological Seminary in
New York-- Bill served three churches in the North Texas area. From his first
pastorate in the rural town of Justin, Bill was sent to St. Stephen's in
Mesquite, as the founding pastor of that church. During his time there, the
congregation transitioned from meeting in a school building, to meeting in the
architecturally unique "free form" building that serves as their home to this
day.
From St. Stephen's McElvaney moved on to Northaven, where his ministry is remembered for his sensitive pastoral presence and deep commitment to social activism. Many "givens" of our life as congregation today actually began during these years. Most notably, this era included the funding, commissioning, and installation of the Roy Redmon organ; the creation of the Human Development Fund; and the founding of the Northaven CoOp School. Many sermons and small groups studies of the time focused on issues of social and economic justice. Bill points to the ongoing relevance and strength of the Human Development Fund as one of the great blessings and joys of his ministry, and marvels at the fact that the fund as likely given away in excess of $750,000 since it inception in 1968.
McElvaney left Northaven in 1973 to become the President of St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas, City. He served in that capacity for 12 years, before returning to Dallas and Perkins School of Theology as the Levan Professor of Worship. During his eight years at Perkins, Bill and Fran McElvaney reconnected with their deep Northaven roots, and re-entered our community, where they have been active to this day. Fran is, herself, an incredibly important person in the life of our church. Fran was instrumental in the creation of "Explore" (see the last edition of Northaven Now) for the history of this important women's group. Along the way, Fran has chaired or served on almost every Northaven committee and commission, and is looked to as a mentor, role model, and extended family member by many in our Northaven family.
Bill and Fran's significance in the life of Northaven, then, continues down to this day. They continue to serve as a part of the deep spiritual fabric and social conscience of Northaven Church. We look forward to celebrating and remembering both the late 60s and early 70s, and their continuing presence with us today, on February 19th.
From St. Stephen's McElvaney moved on to Northaven, where his ministry is remembered for his sensitive pastoral presence and deep commitment to social activism. Many "givens" of our life as congregation today actually began during these years. Most notably, this era included the funding, commissioning, and installation of the Roy Redmon organ; the creation of the Human Development Fund; and the founding of the Northaven CoOp School. Many sermons and small groups studies of the time focused on issues of social and economic justice. Bill points to the ongoing relevance and strength of the Human Development Fund as one of the great blessings and joys of his ministry, and marvels at the fact that the fund as likely given away in excess of $750,000 since it inception in 1968.
McElvaney left Northaven in 1973 to become the President of St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas, City. He served in that capacity for 12 years, before returning to Dallas and Perkins School of Theology as the Levan Professor of Worship. During his eight years at Perkins, Bill and Fran McElvaney reconnected with their deep Northaven roots, and re-entered our community, where they have been active to this day. Fran is, herself, an incredibly important person in the life of our church. Fran was instrumental in the creation of "Explore" (see the last edition of Northaven Now) for the history of this important women's group. Along the way, Fran has chaired or served on almost every Northaven committee and commission, and is looked to as a mentor, role model, and extended family member by many in our Northaven family.
Bill and Fran's significance in the life of Northaven, then, continues down to this day. They continue to serve as a part of the deep spiritual fabric and social conscience of Northaven Church. We look forward to celebrating and remembering both the late 60s and early 70s, and their continuing presence with us today, on February 19th.
Posted: Wednesday - February 01, 2006 at 02:43 PM |
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Published On: May 05, 2008 04:52 PM
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