I have been doing some research, including lots of personal interviews, with people associate with St. Luke's UMC, where I sing in the choir. The church celebrated 40 years on March 13, 2023 and I was the Emcee, for unknown reasons. I found myself dissatisfied with what was shared about the earliest days of the church starting, right along with Highlands Ranch. They both began in the early 80s, basically from dirt.
There was something about "two visionary pastors who had the idea of starting a church in this new community south of Denver." And that was about it. That just didn't seem enough and eventually I got it into my head that I would appoint myself unofficial historian and try to find out what actually happened. Who were these visionaries? Was the whole process smooth and without challenges?
We didn't move to Highlands Ranch until August of 2002 and we soon joined St. Luke's. That was 19 years into the church's history and the building had gone through three incarnations, each time adding space as the membership grew. So, I knew quite about of our recent history.
But there had been two senior ministers who had established a lot of what the church was, and long before we arrived. We enjoyed the third senior minister, but he left in summer of 2003. Bottom line: there's a lot of church history that I did not live through.
I began reaching out to former ministers (all of whom but one, who died in 1993, lived nearby), and all were glad to talk about St. Luke's. I began meeting them and talking for an hour or two once in a while, asking for memories and insights and key dates and people. At the same time, I was doing research reading primary source documents like old church newsletters, old scrapbooks, official documents, and online news stories.
I am still working on this little project nearly a year later and I only have a hazy idea of where things are going in terms of publishing or posting. I have expanded my research by interviewing various church members who have been involved before I ever arrived... a few go back to the early to mid-80s. There is an urgency to some of the interviewing since some of those early-year sources are getting what even a 74-year-old might call elderly.
Every single interview has been delightful and informative.
But here's the fact that has become clearest to me: Interviewing is hard! I know. Big surprise. I have taught interviewing for decades to students but I was never a working journalist.
I have interviewed two former ministers at least three times, usually for 90 minutes or more, and each time I learn a bit more. Mostly I find that there is so much more to the story... so many people it would be helpful to hear from... so many related facts and local history that interacts with this little church south of Denver.
It's too late, of course, but I would apologize for being a bit short with lots of student reporters over many years. It's easy to talk when two people share interests and one of them (me) is genuinely interested in stories they can share.
But my notetaking is spotty. I get back home and try to type up my notes and discover endless holes, questions about chronology, mystifying stray words and phrases that I must have thought important enough to jot down... and then all that confusing stuff becomes the excuse for the next interview.
So far they have been patient with me, but it's about time for a first draft on those first 20 years of St. Luke's.
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