Gretna Christian Church Ministers March 24, 2011

Gretna Christian Church 100th Anniversary

Minister:  Dwight Mays

111 Leftwich Street
Gretna, Virginia
Mailing Address: Post Office Box 644 Gretna, Virginia 24557

I just learned that Dr. Herbert Myron Kauffman passed away on March 21, 2011.  He was an interim Minister at Gretna Christian Church.  Dr. Kauffman was born in Altoona, Pa, on October 24, 1910.  He graduated from Bethany College, Bethany, West Virginia and Lexington Theological Seminary, Lexington, Kentucky.  He also did post graduate studies at Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Indiana.  

He began his ministry in 1930 in Flushing, Ohio.  He served churches in Covington, Pennsylvania, Bethel, Kentucky, Harlin, Kentucky, Columbus Ohio, Hanover Avenue Christian Church, Richmond, Virginia and Tabernacle Christian Church in Franklin, Indiana.  He was a member of the Bethany Christian Church in Richmond, Virginia.

During the years 1953 through 1986 he served with the Virginia Christian Missionary Society as State Secretary, as Trustee of both Lynchburg College, Lynchburg, Virginia and Lexington Theological Seminary, Lexington, Kentucky, Board member and Chairman of the Board of Regional Ministers of Virginia, as a member and Secretary of the Board of Unified Promotion, Indianapolis, Indiana, as a member and Board Chairman of the Church Extension, Indianapolis, Indiana, as a member and president of the Virginia Council of Churches, Richmond, Virginia, and as a founding member and treasurer of the Johnson County Indiana Senior Center. He also served as a Member of the Board of Christian churches in Indiana, The Board of the Interdenominational Work Foundation, Richmond, Virginia, the Indiana Council of  Churches, Indianapolis, Indiana, the Johnson County Indiana United Fund Organization, The Richmond Virginia Ministerial Association, the Johnson County Indiana Migrant Ministry, the Richmond Travelers Association, the Johnson County Indiana Chamber of Commerce and the Franklin Indiana Senior Service Corporation.  In 1970 when he retired as a minister in Franklin, Indiana, he served as interim minister of 22 different congregations throughout Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Virginia.  In 2009, the Richmond, Virginia area Disciples Ministers and the Board of Trustees, faculty and administration of Lexington Theological Seminary recognized the 75th anniversary of his ordination at Bethany Christian Church.

For more about Dr. Kauffman see the Richmond Time Dispatch Obituary Section.   As you can see by this week's posts, these ministers were not ordinary men, but leaders and missionaries who gave their life to the church.

Thank you to:

Mark E. Poole  photos

Disciples of Christ Historical Society 

Gretna Christian Church

Atha Bailey

Christie Rapp, Lynchburg College

The Richmond Times Dispatch