Published: September 21, 2009 01:51 pm      

Larue Barnes: Resurrection

A Cleburne church rises from the dead

In June 2008 officials in the United Methodist Church sent Victor and Karen Pena Cleburne for a challenging purpose. Under their direction a neglected church building has been resurrected.

During the reconstruction of the previous St. Paul United Methodist Church on East Henderson Street, the couple saw things happen that reassured them God was directing their work.

Resurrection United Methodist Church has been planted.

Pena is a second-career pastor. He grew up in Aspermont, a member of a large Hispanic family that attended church regularly.

His father, John, was an oil field roustabout. His mother, Elidia, blended two families into one.

“I worked in the oil fields during the summers,” Victor said. “I liked school and learned how to weld in vocational agriculture class at Aspermont High. I began attending a church of my choice instead of my family’s church, and I accepted the Lord when I was 15. From that very moment I knew God wanted me for the ministry.”

He said that when he made a decision for Christ he felt out of place in his own family.

“When we had family get-togethers, the guys were on one side of the house, and the women on the other. Since my life had changed I was sort of over in the middle.”

He resisted becoming a minister and had a successful start as a welder instead. Soon he had his own welding company.

He met Karen Montfort in Abilene after she graduated from high school. They were introduced by mutual friends and married in 1979.

Pena was teaching a Bible class in First UMC in Aspermont when he attended a life-changing retreat.

“We had moved back to Aspermont after living and working for many years in Odessa,” Karen said. “Our daughter, Stacey was 7 years old by then. Victor was making a six-figure income in welding. I signed him up for a Walk to Emmaus because our pastor had said that every Sunday School teacher needed to take it.”

“I didn’t know what it was and Karen didn’t know either,” Victor said. I told her to get our money back because I wasn’t going.”

“I couldn’t get our money back so he said he would eat enough there to get our money’s worth,” Karen said with a smile.

At Christ the King Retreat Center in San Angelo, he said he had a real “come to Jesus meeting.”

“I met the Savior face to face. I felt that de was telling me that I needed to either get with it or get out of the way.”

When Victor came home he was so changed that Karen was alarmed.

“He was different. I didn’t want to talk to him,” she said. “He was so sentimental, so emotional, so compassionate every time he talked about Jesus. I felt like he was a fanatic until I realized that he had experienced what I wanted. I went on a walk myself.”

She said his call from God was to not put off what he should be doing for him, while hers was to support her husband in the ministry.

Victor continued with his job, but he became active in church and preached at Methodist lay revivals.

The call to the ministry became stronger and stronger, he said.

“For me, a country boy with a high school education — I made a good living. My welding company worked for major oil companies that paid well. But there was no real fulfillment, no real joy in that for me. So almost 13 years ago I entered full-time ministry.”

They agreed that his duties were similar to the old-time circuit preacher except he had a car.

“He was pastor of Laurel Street United Methodist Church in Dublin and Gorman United Methodist Church at the same time,” Karen said. “He preached at Dublin at an early service and at Gorman at 11 a.m. The towns were 22 miles apart.”

Then he was pastor at St. Paul UMC in Temple and Holland UMC, 15 miles away.

Pena serves in Cleburne and at Rancho Brazos Mission in Acton.

Karen agreed to take no outside employment so they can serve together.

They reside in a parsonage near the church in Cleburne.

Their daughter, Stacey, is married and lives in Stephenville with her husband, Claren. They are expecting their first child this year.

During the remodeling, the previously damaged church steeple had to come down. Some in the neighborhood suspected there would be no more church.

“But there will be church,” Pena said. “We feel there is a need to rethink church. It is the same true gospel, but with different packaging. How will this be achieved? God knows. Other Methodist church members in town have worked alongside us, hosting and greeting visitors for a recent event we had. That meant so much. We are members of the Cleburne Chamber of Commerce, and they are so supportive. City workers and those who put in our air conditioning, carpet and tile have shown such an interest in helping us.”

“We had a hamburger supper planned for last week,” Karen said. “We had placed invitations on the neighborhood houses. We had walked the streets. It was pouring rain, and yet about 35 visitors came. Victor got to meet and talk with each of them. Other members of Methodist churches in town helped us. It was wonderful.”

“A church can develop a Dead Sea syndrome — nothing goes out,” Victor said. “There must be service and ministry among the church members, but they need to invite others. Those people invite others, then the church grows.”

A mural in the dining area is of a Mexican village. Karen smiled and said Jesus painted it — Jesus Toscano.

“A homeless man came to the church while we were working. He said he was a painter and needed work. He was living in his car with his mother, and both were diabetics. He showed us samples of his work, which were lovely, but they were Texas landscapes. I told him we needed a scene from Mexico. He painted from memory. The wall had been such a problem. It had an old broken stereo system in it that took up an entire wall. We sheet-rocked over it, Jesus painted it, and now, just look at it.”

The congregation is expected to be made up of those who do not attend church.

“We expect blended families. Hispanic, black, white,” Victor said. “Those of different ethnic groups who are intermarried. I have a heart for Hispanics who have never really accepted Christ as their savior. I am willing to preach a bilingual message, a paragraph in Spanish followed by the same thing in English, for example.”

They express some concern that many press them for a date when the church will open. They say a church planting must have time to grow.

They will plan one or two church events each month until interest by core families is shown and they find out what the people want and how they would be most comfortable worshipping.

Luelda Robichaux of Cleburne attended St. Paul UMC all through her childhood.

“Then when I moved back to Cleburne it became my church until 2000, when I moved my membership,” she said. “It was sad to see the attendance down to 30 or so, and the financial needs were not being met. When the church finally closed a year or so ago, it seemed abandoned. The roof had leaks. My sister, Carol Jones Johnson was St. Paul’s last lone member to vote.

“And now? Although I am an active member of First United Methodist Church, it is rewarding to see the people in the neighborhood come into Resurrection to get acquainted. I saw the love and care both ways between Victor and Karen and the people. Donations of money, time and talent have helped the ministry.

“Resurrection is a perfect name; a church has been raised from the dead in Cleburne.”



This story was suggested by Elizabeth Boyd.



Larue Barnes may be reached at laruebarnes@

yahoo.com.



On the Web:

www.resurrectioncleburne.net