Nell MohneyThe year was 1952, and my husband and I and our two preschool age sons were living in Knoxville. My husband was serving his second pastoral appointment and the church was Washington Pike United Methodist.
What a wonderful appointment it was. The church was ready to go and so were we.
In addition, the trend in the United States at that time was for people to return to church in large numbers. We were certainly the beneficiaries of that trend.
It was at Washington Pike Church that I learned many things about ministry. For example, I learned the awesome power of prayer. About a month after we moved to Knoxville, a committee from the church invited me to teach an adult Sunday School class. I thanked them for the invitation but explained that with two small children, a large parsonage to take care of and no household help, I would have to decline. They left saying, "Let's pray about it." I honestly thought that it was their way of saying, "We understand your situation."
But these were people who truly believed in the awesome power of prayer. In less than a week, they were back at our front door saying, "We've found you some household help, and she is easily affordable. Would you like to meet her?" I was stunned, but replied, "My husband and I will talk with her."
Her credentials were excellent, and we liked what we saw. She was a middle-aged widow, was Christian and owned her own home and car. She could live in our home Mondays through Fridays. On weekends she needed to visit her daughter, who had been a University of Tennessee graduate but, after a serious illness, became a patient at Moccasin Bend Hospital.
She was with our family until her daughter's death and our sons were in high school. When I think of her, I remember that small group of praying Christians at Washington Pike Church. I can truly affirm the words of Alfred Lord Tennyson, "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams."
Contact Nell Mohney at nellwmohney@comcast.net.