6B
RELIGIOlWlie gjiatlaBc ^i«
Thursday, May 11,2006
E-mail delivery snafii brings couple together
Continued from page 5B
cious free time conversing
online with Don.
“I gave him my cell (phone)
number in case he was ever
in Carlisle,” Sherry said. “I
never give that out.”
While they were stiU online,
Don called Sherry on her cell
phone just to make sure it
worked, he said.
Two weeks later, when Don
was returning home from an
appointment near Carlisle,
he called Sherry and asked
her to dinner, and Sherry
finally found out he was sin
gle.
“I don’t do dinner,” Sherry
said. “I said, How about cof
fee?”
The two met at an all-night
restaurant and talked for
hours about spirituality and
the ministry.
Since they were already at
ease with each other, they
went to a local mall and then
to dinner.
Sherry made it clear she
wasn’t looking for a relation
ship.
“I was scoping out the ter
rain to see what would hap
pen,” Don said.
“I didn’t expect anything to
come of it.”
They kept in contact by e-
mail, and Don invited Sherry
to Johnstown in November
2003.
She made the drive against
her better Judgment. '
That weekend, -Don took
Sherry to a coffee shop for
lunch and then to dinner at
an area restaurant.
When a member of his con
gregation saw him holding
hands with Sherry at the cof
fee shop, the cat was out of
the bag.
Just before Christmas, they
were talking about marriage,
but Sherry fretted this wasn’t
part of her plan.
‘Tou date for a year, and
you’re engaged for a year,” she
said.
“It wasn’t the plan in my
head, but my heart and spirit
had other plans.”
Sherry started looking for
jobs in Johnstown and
planned to get work and an
apartment before taking any
matrimonial plunges.
Her Christian counselor
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Charlotte, NC • 704-301-2716
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517 Baldwin Ave. •.Charlotte, NC 28204
(704)376-1201 Office -(704) 376-1210 Fax
Rev. JA. Cuthbertson ■ castor
Sunday School 9:30a.m.
Praise & Worship 10:45am
Worship Service 11:00am
Wednesday Bible Study 7:00pm
Wednesday Prayer Service.. 8:00pm
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3001 Beatties Fd. Rd.. Charlotte. NC 28216-3731
Phone: 704-392-6098 • E-mail: POPAX@bellsouth.net
Website: vvww.LuthcranOutreach.org/Prince of Peace, htm
had other ideas, tilling her if
she was going to pick up and
get married, she should go for
it all.
After one bad marriage,
Sherry wasn’t willing to jump
into anything.
She wanted to heal before
stepping into another rela
tionship.
She prayed about the situa
tion and had the support of
her counselor.
“God, my counselor and my
singles group were all telling
me I needed to go,” Sherry
said.
The final straw came when
a close friend asked, "If God
is telbng you to do something,
why aren’t you following?”
Continuing to resist, Sherry
mentioned her cruise, which
she would later find out was
canceled, and her baseball
tickets.
She could get married after
the championship game in
September, she decided, but
Don started school in August.
If they got married before
July, Sherry was willing to
travel to see her baseball
games, but with June and
July being prime wedding
times, venues weren’t avail
able.
As the couple looked at
April or May, they found the
only time they could reserve
was May 15, 2004.
Now that the date was set,
the next hurdle was figuring
out how to have two cere
monies—one in Carlisle and
one in Johnstown.
The May 15 date would be
their wedding at the Carlisle
Brethren in Christ Church.
The reaffirmation of their
vows would take place May
23 at Centennial.
“It was January, and she
had five months to plan two
weddings,” Don said.
Don wrote the ceremony for
Carlisle, and Sherry planned
their escape from the recep
tion.
“At 4 p.m., the band played
Take Me Out to the Ball
Game, and we left for a Har
risburg Senators game at
6:05,” Sherry said.
For the Johnstown reaffir
mation, Don’s superinten
dent did things a little differ
ently and Sherry found out
about the changes five min
utes before the ceremony.
Sherry spent her honey
moon in Carlisle, packing her
belongings, but the couple did
go camping for a week in
June.
In addition to serving as
pastor of Centennial, Don
works full-time as a salesman
at Miller Auto Parts near
South Fork.
Sherry works as a part-
time school bus driver for
Griffith Transportation Inc.,
Boswell.
She also is the director of
Angel Food Ministries for
Centennial, which now works
out of the Davidsville Com
munity Church and School.
The Rudges also have a
music ministry in which Don
plays guitar and Sherry plays
piano and organ, but they
haven’t had much time for it
lately.
“As a United Methodist
pastor, I can only make plans
for a year at a time,” Don
said. ‘When I get a call, we
have to move.”
PHOTO/WADE NASH
Voices of Emmanuel’s choir celebrated 33 years of singing
last Sunday at New Emmanuel Congregational United
Church of Christ, located at 3546 Beatties Ford Road.
“Excellence in Ministry”
Little Rock A.M.E. Zion Church
• God is Glorified • Jesus is Magnified
• People are Edified • Faith is Fortified
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Sunday School 9 a.m. • Worship ^Oam
Bible Study for “ALL” Ages...We(d. No
ble Stud y for “ALL” Ages...Wed. Noon & 7 pm
401 N. McDowell St., Charlotte, NC 28204
www.Uttlerockamezion.org
Dr. Dwayne A. Walker, Pastor
Che Charlotte ^ost
CHURCH DIRECTORY
AME • AME ZION
Greater Bethel AME Chijcfi QaaErGersertBreAMearCfudi
201 Grandri Road S31 Cam(sjs Street
Dr. Wfelter V. Howaid, Jr. Rei'. Cato L Miller
(704) 375-1345 (704) 3750900
Greenville Memorial
AME Zkm Church
6116 Montieth Dr.
Dr. Sheldon R. Shipman
(704)596-4742
Weepir^ WUbw AME Zkn Church
2220 Milton Road
Pastor Warden Henderson
(704)532-9125
BAPTIST
Ffst Baptisi Church - West
1801 Oaklawn Avenue
Dr. RicKyA Woods
(704)372-1075
Galilee Baptist Church
233 Shady Lane
Rev. F. A Griffin
(704)333«10
Maitredonia Baptist Church
300 Hatteras Avenue
Or. John H. Walker
(704) 392-8496
Friendship Baplisl Church
221 W. Bradley Avenue
Pastor John A. McCulbugh
Ml. Camiel Baptist Church
7237Tuckaseeg^Rd.
Rev. Dr. Casey R. Kimbrougt
[704)3B4-3525
Fax (704)926-0647
Reeder Memorial BapCst Chlfch
3725 BeatSes Ford Road
Dr. DenSteger
(704)398-2914
Maytield Memorial Baplisl Church ' Pleasant HHIBaptisI Church
700 Sugar Creek Road 5l7B^dtvinAvenue
(704) 596-7935 Rev. JA Culhbetlsoo
(704)376-1201
St. LiAe Mis^onary Baptist Church
16CO Norris Avenue SI Paul Baptist Church
Rev. Oiftord Matthews, Jr. 1401 NorthAlen Street
(704)3759650 Pastor Gregory K. Moss, Sr.
(704)334-5309
Greater Providence Baptist Church
2000 Mitton Road Rrsl Ml 2on Baptist Church
Dr.FredGibson 1515 Remount Road
(704) 532-^8 Dr. C. V. Owens
University Park Baptist Church
6029 Beatties Ford Road
Rev. Dr. Claude R. Alexander
Trinity Park Baptist Church
9115TriniW Rd.
Rev. Enc 1^. Miller
(704)39343130
CME
SEVENTH DAY
Paikwood instilutnnal CUE Church
802 Tom Hunter Road
Herv, Roderi* D, Lewis, Sr.
(704)921-4915
Ni3ttieasl SDA Church
827 Tom Hijiter Road
Pastor, Frank L Hane!, Sr.
(704)394-5615
EPISCOPAL
No Walls Ministry
3700 Freedom Dr.
Bishop Steve L. Carlton
(704)392-5100
LUTHERAN
AOundant Lite TaOemacle
725 Vaileydala Road
Bishop T.L Glenn
(704)^8274
Prince ot Peace Lutheran Church
3001 Beatties Ford Road
Rev. Quentin G. Poulscn
NON-DENOMINATIONAL
Greater Salem Church
5318 Salem Church Road
Dr. Anthony L JinwrighI
(704)399-5448
New Bilh Chiisliar Fellcwship
Cochrane Middle School
6400SiarH
Greater Salem at the Lake
Cornelius Elementary Sctxxil
21126 CatawOa Avenue
Pastry Harriet
UNITED METHODIST
Simpson-GIleapie United Methodist Church
3545 Seatliss Ford Road
Rev. Waiter Pegues
(704)388-2717
Sherry who is in her early
40s, understands that it’s part
of the call.
Don, who is in his early 50s,
believes that tying the knot
life makes the marriage
stronger.
“It prepares you better for
it,” he said. “You accept the
fact of life as it really is.”'
Sherry doesn’t believe in
coincidence, but in what she
calls "(jodincidence.”
“God hasn’t just called us to
marriage, he called us to min
istry together,” Sherry said.
“We made a commitment to
God in marriage and min
istry.”
Sherry believes the secret to
a happy marriage is no
returns.
“Your, intentions are forev
er,” she said.
“Every day we say we love
each other and were happy.
We intend to continue to love
each other and be happy even
if we hit some bumps.”
“May 15, 2004, was the first
day of the rest of our lives,”
Don said.
Be a good
neighbor:
Tell a friend you read it in
Clianrlotte
^OiSt
(704) 376-0496
Come Share the Vision and
Share the Journey
Sunday Worship Services
8:00 am and 10:45 am
Sunday School 9:30 am
Reeder Memorial Baptist Church
3725 Beatties Ford Road
Charlotte, North Carolina 28216
www.reederchurch.org
First Baptist Church - West
1801 Oaklawn Ave, • Charlotte. NC 28216
(704) 372-1075 Office • (704) 372-2309 Fax
Dr. Ricky A. Woods, Senior Minister
Early Morning Worship 8:00a.m.
Sunday School 9:45a.m.
Worship Service ILOOa.m.
Wednesday Bible Study 7:00p.m.
m
Worship
Missions
Discipleship
Evangelism
'-rr KingdomCitizens through B\
Discip'."'hip. 'Utorshtp. Fellowship, and Service
Pastor Claude R. .Alexander, Jr.
University Park Baptist Churdi
6029 Beatties Ford Rd. ♦ Charlotte, NC 28216 • 704-392-1681
The Park South
13733 Lancaster Hwy (Hwy 521) ♦ Pineville, NC 28134 • 704-941-0019
• Sunday'idorsbip, 8:30am & Sunday School, I0:00am
Worship Times At
L'oiversity Park Baptist Church
Sunday Worstiip 7:00, 9:30 & 11:30am & Youth Church. 11:30am
Women's Bible Slutfy, Monday 6:30pm
Men's Bible Study, Monday 7:00pm
Bible Study, Pmrsday 6:30pm
www.theparkministries.org
Mount Carmel On The Move!
Power • Wisdom • Strensth • Stability
IfVou ore interested in an authentic biblical community of faith,
come experience the gift of God colled Mount Carmel. Join us for
worship ot 8:00 o.m. or TO 00 a.m. services. Shore in a new
beginning for us ond moke o new beginning for you. Come
experience WORSHIP THAT IS ALIVE!
7237 Tuckaseejee Road, Charlotte, NC 28214
Reverend Dr. Casey Kimbrough, Pastor
704.394.3525 TEL 704.926.0647 Fax
www.nicbc-nc.com
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