Kiwanis Club of Durant had its Pastor Appreciation Day Nov. 20 at the Durant First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall and many pastors and others who work in churches attended the luncheon.
“This day is about you,” said Kiwanis President Shyla Whitlock. “This day is about celebrating the work that you do. We appreciate you so very much.”
Retired Durant Schools Superintendent Duane Merideth was the speaker and he was introduced by Kiwanian Greg Clay.
Merideth served in education for 40 years and he began his teaching career in Sherman, Texas, in 1984 where he taught biology plus coached football, powerlifting and track before becoming the assistant principal at Dillingham Intermediate School.
Two years later, Merideth came to Durant where he served as assistant principal of the middle school before becoming principal and he also served as principal of the intermediate school and the high school. After serving two years as superintendent at Rock Creek, he returned to Durant where he was assistant superintendent before becoming the superintendent, a title he held for 10 years until his retirement last summer.
“On a personal note, the reality is that our speaker and his wife of 40 years, Melanie, are two community icons who helped shape our three daughters through school, but more importantly, through discipling then in the walk with Jesus,” Clay said.
Merideth said it was a blessing and an honor to be chosen as the speaker and he thanked the pastors in the community that included two in the room who helped shape his life.
Merideth told the story of Julia Hughes, affectionately known as “Ma.”
“Ma Hughes was my wife’s grandmother and I’m just going to stop here and tell you about my wife,” Merideth said. “God blessed me tremendously. She is next to Jesus saving me. She’s the best thing in my life and I’m so appreciative of her.”
Merideth said Hughes was an educator and in late spring 1944, county superintendent Jimmy Belvin told her that he needed her to teach school next fall because most of the teachers had left to help the war effort.
“I suspect he came because she taught Sunday school very well over the years,” Merideth said. “She told him that she didn’t have a college degree. He said that the State Department of Education was issuing emergency war teaching certificates.
“She next told that she didn’t have a car or even a driver’s license. He told her that he had a horse named ‘Shorty’ and that she could ride him to school back and forth every day.”
Hughes agreed to teach at White Sands, a school east of Bennington and she rode “Shorty” two miles to school.
“Ma eventually earned her teaching certificate by attending night and summer school at Southeastern State College,” Merideth said.
Merideth said Hughes taught for 34 years total in Bryan County, finishing her career teaching fourth grade at Calera Elementary School.
“Let me tell you something about Ma,” Merideth said. “Every day, she always had a scripture reading and a prayer at the beginning of the day. Now, how does that relate to pastor appreciation?
“My wife was over at her house one day checking on her. She was in her 90s. She told Melanie a story about 25 years ago. Ma was an avid Bible reader, every single day. She was a pianist. You could hear her singing in the house by herself.
“She told Melanie, ‘These TV preachers these days, they just tell you what you want to hear and all they care about is that you feel good about yourself when you leave. When I was growing up, our preachers were fire and brimstone preachers. We left church every Sunday crying and feeling bad about ourselves,’ and she paused real quick and got that finger out and she said, ‘and we liked it.
“I tell you this because I know that one of your jobs as a pastor is to preach the whole word of God. It’s not easy to preach about God’s wrath and we thank you for being obedient to the entire word God. It would be easy to skip the first three chapters of Romans and move on to chapter eight. It would be a lot easier, wouldn’t it?”
Merideth said he has been mentored by five pastors in his life and he is grateful to each of them. He mentioned Gerald Tidwell, Steve Taylor, James Robinson and Garry McNeill.
“What a great influence each of these had on my life and I am so appreciative of these and others,” Merideth said. “It made an impact because it wasn’t just the lead pastor … ministers of music, ministers of education … they’re still pastors … youth directors. There was so many that had an influence in my life and I will always be eternally grateful for that.”
Merideth said everyone was gathered to honor and show appreciation to pastors in the communities.
“God designed a church to need a pastor and we are dependent on pastors,” Merideth said. “I can tell you I am. “This is a special time to honor and celebrate the leaders who minister to us and guide us through life’s ups and downs. Pastors play an impactful role in our lives with their unwavering support, leadership and comfort.”
He said pastors do many things, from giving weekly sermons to celebrating life’s joyous moments and that they consistently pour out their lives in energy for the benefit of others.
“Pastors are called to serve in many roles, including teachers, counselors and spiritual leaders of the church,” Merideth said. “Pastors are great teachers and we thank you for that. The hard work of a pastor goes beyond the pulpit each Sunday to other meaningful opportunities like missions work and mentorship. Our pastors are there during life’s major moments for the joy of new beginnings to the sorrow of loss and prayer.”
Merideth spoke of how to honor pastors and he said the first thing is to love their wives and families.
“Another way to support them is tangible through gifts and the last way that is very, very important that we can do very easily, it doesn’t cost us anything, is to pray for our pastors.” Merideth said.
“So today, as I step down and step aside, know that you matter. Know that well and know we love you. Thank you so much.”
