Review

Three years ago I had finished my first class toward a Masters of Divinity degree. I now have three classes remaining; only one of those classes will be in a classroom. The purpose of going to Seminary was to prepare for work in the area of starting churches. On the eve of starting an internship in Colorado, I thought I would write a brief summary of events of the last few years.

The general geographic direction of future work in planting churches has always been toward the west. After my first year, Lori and I took a trip to Boise and Flagstaff. The trip was our first long trip on the motorcycle and we visited with Southern Baptist associational leaders in both cities. The purpose was to explore potential relocation to one of these areas. The results of the trip was a definite no to Flagstaff and significant tension in Lori about Boise being so far away from potential grandchildren (and our kids of course!).

Last summer we changed the geographic focus to Colorado. During a week in August we visited with a church planter, two associational leaders and a state leader about potential work in church planting. After the trip Lori and I decided to apply for an internship in the Longs Peak Association, which is north of Denver along the Front Range.

The major event in my life the last six months was the news that Dad had three months to live in December. Dad had a new cancer in his left lung. He had a significant portion of his right lung removed six years ago. Dad when to numerous doctors and decided on radiation and chemotherapy, which started on March 3rd. This treatment continued for three weeks, then Dad’s condition deteriorated. This led to three weeks in the hospital in April. Dad was brought home on May 3rd and he died on May 7th.

There are many things to write about Dad’s death, but these will have to wait until another time.

This was followed by preparations to be in the Loveland, Colorado area for ten weeks of church planting internship. Right now, Lori and I are in western Kansas, planning on arriving in Loveland tomorrow. What will the summer bring? Only God knows. There will definitely be more written on this topic in the coming days.

George Wesley Lancaster

George Wesley Lancaster, age 84, died at his home on May 7, 2008, losing a battle against lung cancer.

He was born on December 4, 1923, on the family farm north of Seney, Iowa to the late M. J. and Rosabelle Lancaster. He served in the Navy in World War II, leaving the service in June of 1946 at a rank of Yeoman Second Class. Mr. Lancaster earned a BS in Animal Science from Iowa State in 1950. At Iowa State he was a member of Farmhouse Fraternity and he participated in livestock judging teams. On April 9, 1950, he was married to Lucille May Pageler near Merrill, Iowa.

Mr. Lancaster worked as a farm hand at Edg-Clif Farms, as a tenant farmer near Blockton, Iowa, and he worked the Lancaster family farm near Seney until 1959. He started a career with Consumer Cooperative Association, later named Farmland Industries. He retired in 1988 as a management consultant working in the Kansas City, Missouri headquarters. A member of Gashland Presbyterian Church, faithfully teaching a Sunday school class for 10 years. Mr. Lancaster served in the Service Core of Retired Professional Executives (SCORE). His favorite activities included fishing, gardening, attending Elderhostels around the country and spending time with his grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife, Lucille, daughter Betsy Reese of Independence, Missouri; sons David and wife Mary Lou of Hillsboro, Kansas; Mark and wife Mary; Tom; and Chris and wife Lori, all of Kansas City; nine grandchildren, brothers William and wife Leona of Aurora, Missouri; Robert and wife Lois of LeMars, Iowa; sister Bonnie and husband Dean Shaw of Clarkfield, Minnesota; brother-in-law Ralph Anderson of Aurora, Illinois. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by brothers Edwin and Edgar; sister Evelyn Anderson and son-in-law Michael Reese.