Bill Libby, former Army chaplain and longtime religion professor at McMurry University, died Jan. 7, at his home in Abilene. Funeral was scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, at St. Paul United Methodist Church, where Libby was a longtime member, former associate pastor, and founder of the Pathfinders Sunday School class, comprised mostly of Vietnam-era veterans. Libby will be
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By LORETTA FULTON Each December, members of Religion News Association, including Spirit of Abilene creator and editor Loretta Fulton, choose the top religion stories of the year. Those include the top national stories, international stories, and newsmaker of the year.Many of the Top 10 stories, as voted on by members, had local implications, including the No. 1 story, the Supreme
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By LORETTA FULTON St. Paul United Methodist Church is remaining united. The congregation voted Sunday, Oct. 16, by a margin of 80 percent to 20 percent to remain affiliated with the United Methodist Church, rather than disaffiliate and either align with a conservative denomination or go independent. The new pastor of St. Paul, Benji Van Fleet, saw the vote as
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By LORETTA FULTON The United Methodist Church is united no more. A number of local congregations have voted to disaffiliate with the UMC and join the new Global Methodist Church. That trend is expected to continue in Abilene and across the Northwest Texas Annual Conference, a regional jurisdiction. For those who have voted to disaffiliate, the change takes effect Jan.
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By LORETTA FULTON The new pastor of St. Paul United Methodist Church won’t have to spend much time learning his way around Abilene. Benji Van Fleet assumed the role of senior pastor at the historic downtown church on July 1. The Van Fleet family–Benji, his wife Anna and their 7-year-old son Abe–moved to Abilene from First UMC in Stanton, near
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By LORETTA FULTON For the second time in a little over a month, a new senior pastor has been named at St. Paul United Methodist Church. Effective July 1, Benji Van Fleet will become the senior pastor. On Sunday, March 13, Bobby Wilson was announced as the new pastor, also effective July 1. But Wilson, current pastor of St. Paul’s
Read moreBy LORETTA FULTON St. Paul United Methodist Church is losing its director of worship arts, Adam Samuels, who has been named the new executive director of the Abilene Education Foundation. His new position is effective June 1. “I am excited and ready to get started,” he said. On July 1, St. Paul also will be getting a new pastor, Bobby
Read moreBy LORETTA FULTON A new pastor will be serving St. Paul United Methodist Church effective July 1. Bobby Wilson, current pastor of St. Paul’s UMC in El Paso, was announced Sunday morning, March 13, as the new minister, replacing Steve Patterson, who has been at St. Paul since July 2019. Patterson was appointed as pastor of St. John’s UMC in
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By LORETTA FULTON Methodists are used to change, but no one could have predicted the big change that is coming in July. And, it will be welcomed news to all who were touched by the ministry of Felicia Hopkins when she served as senior pastor of St. Paul United Methodist Church from 2013 to 2019. Hopkins will be returning to
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