PASTOR'S PAGE

Cindy and Mike Morris

Michael Morris, pastor of Ellendale United Methodist Church since June 2001, is a native of Paducah, KY. Mike graduated from Lone Oak High School, received his Bachelor's degree from Murray State University in 1974, a Master of Divinity degree from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio in 1977, and a Master of Science degree in Counseling from the University of Memphis in 1991. Mike has been an ordained elder in the Memphis Annual Conference since June of 1978. He has served the Arlington/Berkley Churches in Western Kentucky from 1977-79, before becoming the associate pastor at Germantown UMC from 1979-83. From 1984-86, Mike was the pastor at Greenland-Davant UMC in Whitehaven, TN and then became the campus minister at the Wesley Foundation at the University of Memphis from 1986-1991.Moving back to Kentucky in 1991, Mike pastored Arcardia UMC in Paducah from 1991-97. Returning to Memphis in 1997, Mike pastored St. Stephen UMC for four years before coming to Ellendale in 2001. Mike is presently the assistant community spiritual director for the Memphis Area Emmaus Walk.

Mike met his wife Cindy while they were students in Ohio in 1975 and they married in 1977. Cindy is a native of Olean, NY and holds a bachelor or arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and a master of arts degree from Arkansas State University. She has been not only a pastor's wife, but the editor of three newspapers, the owner of a small business, an educator for the Girl Scouts, and is presently the administrative assistant at Munford UMC. Cindy has been involved with many volunteer groups and is most active now in the Kairos Outside ministry.

Mike and Cindy have two grown daughters Kayce, and Kristen (Ryan) Hayes and two grandchildren.

Mike enjoys hiking, playing the guitar, watching most sports, and is passionate about following St. Louis Cardinals baseball.

Mike finds special spiritual strength in the reading and studying of Scripture. A favorite passage of his comes from Romans 8:37-38: For I am convinced that neither death, or life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (RSV)

FROM THE PASTOR

Do you remember Gracie Allen who played the scatterbrained wife in a comedy routine with George Burns?

In one of their routines, Gracie calls a repairman to fix her electric clock. The repairman fiddled around with it for a while and then finally told her, "Lady, there's nothing wrong with your clock; you just didn't have it plugged in." Gracie replied, "Well, I don't want to' waste electricity, so I only plug it in when I want to know what time it is."

That's an apt description of the way many people treat their. relationship with Christ and His Church. We save our commitment and faith for the time we think we might need it .. Then we go about our daily lives without being plugged into the source of life itself. No wonder so many times we feel powerless and empty. How sad.

Our relationship with Christ and His Church is not something we are supposed to plug into only when it is convenient or necessary. Our spiritual life needs to be continually plugged in to the source that gives it energy.

Being plugged in spiritually comes through the regular activity of prayer, Bible study, worship, and service. By maintaining and nurturing a constant relationship with God; we can be sure that when the difficult times come in our lives, we will not be "unplugged" from the source of power that gives us hope and strength.

As we get back from our summer vacations; maybe its time to make sure we are "spiritually plugged in."

Brother Mike