October 7, 2025

Yesterday, we celebrated the wonderful life of one of God’s saints, daughters, a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, congregant, Christ follower, church leader, softball player, and good neighbor, Dorothy (“Dot”) Irene Jones. Over 80 people gathered to support her family and celebrate how she lived her life in loving service to others. What is your favorite memory of Dot? From her obituary, “She was 86, born April 24, 1939, in Remington, Virginia. Throughout her life Dot was known for her deep faith, generous heart, and her unwavering instinct to help, always putting others first with quiet grace. She grew up grounded in the values of family and faith - guiding lights that shaped her life. A proud member of the Golden Girls Softball League, Dot brought her competitive spirit and joyful energy to the field, proving that age was no match for her enthusiasm and drive. Dot and her husband, Aubrey, shared a remarkable 66-year marriage, a partnership defined by devotion, laughter, and steadfast love. She is survived by her loving spouse, Aubrey; daughter, Vicki; grandchildren, Travis and Kelsey; and great grandson, Jackson. Dot’s legacy is one of service, faith, and love. She will be deeply missed and forever cherished.

 

“Dot was also known for her hospitality at home and at her church leading the fellowship meals team, singing in the choir, serving with the Sandwich Ministry, on the Missions Committee, and participating in Sunday School. Recently, she missed being able to regularly attend church activities, but appreciated your calls, visits, food, notes, and cards. Thank you on behalf of the family and our church to those who attended or participated in the services.

 

“In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Goodwin Hospice, online or sent to 3440 S Jefferson Street, Falls Church, VA 22041 in Dot’s memory. If you need an address or current phone number for Aubrey, please call the office at 703.256.5900.

 

October is always a busy month of activities, meetings, and 2026 decisions, so please read the newsletter carefully and participate if you can! We ask for your additional prayers as budgets, missions, and ministries are considered, evaluated, and imagined! We also raise funds for the Annandale CROP Hunger Walk. Your generosity helps relieve food insecurity and provides disaster recovery funds locally (ACCA) and throughout the world. See page 1 for details of how you can help our team fundraising. The Food Giveaway is going strong, yet with budget cuts, we must purchase more (with coupons), so please consider the New United Gospel Food Mission in prayer and stewardship for a November emphasis. This too is Vital Hospitality!

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September 2, 2025

This September, we share our grief, hope, faith, and prayers with all students, teachers, school staff, bus drivers, and parents for the start of the school year, as our nation grapples with yet another shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, MN on August 27th. We were brokenhearted to learn of 2 students killed, the perpetrator, and now 21 children and adults injured. This touched me deeply as the reports and videos showed the children in the pews praying as part of their morning routine while stained glass windows shattered from gunfire all around them. What hurt and helped me most were the testimonies of friends and teachers shielding each other for protection, risking it all. Of course, the community and first responders rallied around the church and the affected families. We will continue to pray in earnest for these families and all persons who believe violence is the only solution to problems. We are so grateful for their preparation, training, hard work, creativity, courage, diligence, and faith shared to help grow this new generation. May God bless them and those they hold in their care.

 

Thank you for the many birthday wishes, calls, and cards. It was a lovely birthday vacation to artistic Asheville, NC. Many of you heard my sermon, “Blessings from Disaster” on our website. The Scriptures were chosen long before I travelled, but they reminded me how great is our God: Genesis 2:1-7 NKJV & John 1:1-14 NIV. It was a good week of rest, renewal, and inspiring vistas; Asheville, North Carolina is surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. Black Mountain, Asheville, and surrounding towns were built in the mountains with breathtaking natural views. On September 26, 2024, almost one year ago, Cat. 4 Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida and then moved inward and northward as it lessened to a tropical cyclone. Rain traveled down the mountains and over 20 inches swelled the local rivers cresting at over 25-30 feet, roughly the height of a three-story building:

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        Water speed turbocharged the destruction. ‘In the Appalachian Trail town of Hot Springs, the                  French Broad River pulsed at 101,000 cubic feet per second — equal to the amount of water flowing over Niagara Falls in high season (excerpts from Stronger than the Storm, ed. Shelley McKechnie, pg. 9).’

 

Because of the rain and 60+ mph hurricane winds, 100-year-old trees toppled over onto roads, houses and art studios. By the next day, no one had power or egress. In southern Appalachia, there were over 2,000 landslides, mostly in Western NC. Other states and areas were indeed decimated, but resources focused on the area I visited. Although they have cleaned, cleared, and rebuilt, there was still evidence of destruction along the rivers. The death toll was 104. But neighbors helped each other, grilled thawing food, charged phones, cut trees, lent tents, salvaged artwork, and gave first aid. It was faith and Vital Hospitality at work in God’s creation. I was deeply moved and they were so grateful to share. How would you serve?

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August 5, 2025

Happy August & end of Summer! As I said from the pulpit, it is hard to believe Summer is nearly over. As I write this article, I am preparing for a week of vacation in Lynchburg for a day to visit my friend, Rev. Amy Hall, and then on to Asheville, NC, to spend some “cool” time [on several levels-temps, arts, music, food, gardens, mountains] unplugging to recharge my social and physical batteries. Although I may not be as available as usual, Debbie Caffrey has agreed to be the church emergency contact in my absence; you may also call the office for David (Sunday-Monday) or Roudaina (T-Fri) to respond. All know how to reach me if necessary. Thank you for the policies that provide respite and Sabbath time for reflection and fun! Please pray for me as I travel and renew. Thanks!

 

As I preached this past Sunday about having “Enough Bread for Others,” (written sermon is available on our website, www.theunitedbaptchurch.org/services), I said that if we trust God’s provision and direction, we have more than enough food to share with others, thanks also to the Sandwich Team, ACCA food pantry, and our own New United Gospel Food Mission, donors, and volunteers. However, I might not always have enough time to share myself with others or with God as much as I’d like to, especially when emergencies arise like the A/C situation.

 

We are all given a finite number of hours in a day, and we have different responsibilities to self, family, friends, pets, work, church, school, or hobbies. What I’ve been wrestling with is the word “priorities” because everything seems like one. How do you determine your priorities each day? There are multiple methods with varying success, depending on which authors you read. For the retired, sometimes you are busier now than when you worked 9-5! Mary Kay Ash chose “Six Most Important Things” each evening before bed to do the next day. Another coach suggested only Three Big Things for each day, 2 for work, 1 for self care, and written down. Of course, the reality is more like 20 on my list! Now, I’m not grumbling like the Israelites did when they wanted meat with their daily manna! I love my life and my work! I’m just reminding myself and you that each day is a gift. Ruby who just turned 103 years young reminded me that she never expected to reach that number but lives each day in joy and expectation. Her faith sustains her with purpose, friends, and devotion to Jesus as her priorities, sharing her wisdom with others.

 

I hope that physical, mental, and spiritual health are high priorities for you. We are part of God’s creation, and as such are stewards of our bodies, minds, and souls. Strength, functionality, and human ambition are not the only metrics for living. As believers, we seek to fulfill the great commandments to love God and neighbor, and teach others about Jesus, salvation, and our faith. That is over simplified, of course (see Matthew 28:16-20). As this week of rest approaches, it is my hope that my priorities are put through a sieve or filter much like bread flour is sifted before mixing or baking, and gold panning separates gold nuggets from gravel or sediment in a river. Only the best and most important ingredients are left and can be used to make something nutritious or beautiful. Both have tremendous value! I hope August is a good time for your own sifting, decluttering, re-aligning, or renewal. In gratitude . . .Pam

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July 1, 2025

Early Happy Independence Day! This Friday the country will celebrate our freedom and the 249th anniversary of our national independence from Great Britain in 1776. On Sunday, we will recognize these freedoms as a country, individuals, and as Christ followers. We hope you will have a meaningful holiday, honoring the courage of our nation’s founding fathers, the victory of the Revolutionary War, and the writing of the Declaration of Independence. It is a fact that citizens cannot all agree on how to run the country, yet I am grateful to live here with freedom to worship and to vote with an informed choice. This Sunday, July 6th, we will sing patriotic hymns and following Communion, end singing The Lord’s Prayer. Even so, I am grateful that we practice separation of church and state, observe all religious liberties, and as Baptists maintain church autonomy and equality.

 

I cannot say the same thing about the June 10-11 Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas. More than 10,500 “messengers” attended. The Law Amendment adding new language to Article 3 of the SBC Constitution, defining cooperating churches as those that affirm, appoint or employ “only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture” was presented again and required a 2/3 majority vote at two consecutive annual meetings. Both times, the language was defeated: in 2024, they had 61.45% of the vote and in 2025 had 60.74% in favor. Another issue of financial transparency was defeated, while $3 million was committed for lawsuits and defense (several sexual abuse cases are ongoing). The United Baptist Church for many years has not been a part of the SBC. Thanks to centuries of independent religious thinkers, scholars, philosophers, students, congregants, and committed, qualified preachers and teachers, our religious liberty has held its ground. Walter Shurden’s book, The Baptist Identity: The Four Fragile Freedoms, describes four distinctives of what it means to be Baptist: Soul Freedom, Bible Freedom, Church Freedom, and Religious Freedom.

 

Last Sunday, we learned about the miraculous freedom that came after God broke the chains of the Apostle Paul and Silas who were thrown into prison for exorcising a demon out of a young slave-girl in Acts 16:20-31. They cost the owner a huge amount of business, so were arrested. Their faith, however, sustained them in prayer and singing before God used his miracles to transform the jailer and his household into believers. This Sunday, we will study Spiritual Freedom through salvation, faith, and ministry. Hope you can join us! “1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery . . . 13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become enslaved to one another. 14 For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 15 If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.” Share Christ!​​​​​​​​​​