Ginny Tolbert reflects:
My memory is old, but my enthusiasm for the future of Resurrection is totally there. I came to Resurrection in 1970 after my undergraduate studies at ETSU. It was wonderful to find a loving, welcoming church family to provide a new home for the next stage of my life adventure. The church at the time was a farmhouse on what is now the grassy location for “Mass in the Grass.”
Wayne and I met at the University of Tennessee, while sharing our interests in the environment and how nature works. We were the first couple married in the “official” Church of the Resurrection. Our wedding was in the Farmhouse “sanctuary” with about 15 family and close friends in attendance; that was as much (or more) than would fill the available space! That was the beginning of our 53 commitment to each other and to the church.
Wayne and I both ended up with careers in the environmental sciences. These were opportunities to “give back,” trying to make a difference in the world through having input to assessing the environmental impacts of energy development projects, cleanup of environmental messes from energy production, and potential for using non-fossil energy, e.g., solar, wind, geothermal, and nuclear.
Wayne and I have both served multiple times on the Vestry, and on search and stewardship, committees. Wayne has served many years on the Finance Committee. Because I love to fix things and to grow plants, I have gladly served as Jr Warden a number of times. We both volunteer in efforts in the community and nationally to give back from our “gifts” – personal and educational. We both have worked on numerous houses for Habitat for Humanity; I even served on the Board for a while. Wayne volunteered with Good Samaritan for a number of years as a food pickup and delivery person. He also served for a number of years on the Solid Waste Management Committee for Loudon Co. I like to think that the focus is not on me but what I can do to help others, and Resurrection has given me so many opportunities to put this to work in the church and the community.
We were blessed to be able to rear our daughter Rebecca in such a loving, giving church. The multi-generational nature our church is awesome. Rebecca and one of the older ladies in the church, Helen Watson were best friends! The saying it takes a village to rear a child is so true. Rebecca sat in the choir with me for years and even sang when she was older. We have had a number of wonderful priests who have been so supportive and ministered to the three of us in time of particular needs. We feel blessed to have had a wonderful, giving, supportive church family for so many years and look forward to moving forward together for many more.