Bay View and Epworth Heights, two Michigan summer communities with United Methodist roots, have a full lineup of guest preachers this summer, and all are invited to worship.
JOHN E. HARNISH
Michigan Conference Communications
The United States of the late 1860s was a bewildering time of complex problems — the ravages of the Civil War followed by Reconstruction, severe economic depression, political corruption, and fear for the permanence of American democratic institutions. Historian Kenneth Fennimore says for Michigan Methodists, it seemed like a good time to “seek some water and a grove where they might get away from the stress of the day” (The Heritage of Bay View, p. 9).
In 1875, they planted the first campsites on the shores of Little Traverse Bay outside Petoskey, and the Flint and Pere Marquette Railroad obliged with a rail line from Ludington so Methodists could make the journey up the coast to escape the heat of the summer and find a place to renew their souls.
They called it Bay View.
Bay View was just one of many similar sites across the nation that flourished during that period, including camp meetings, lyceums, and Chautauqua programs. At about the same time, Epworth Heights was developed in Ludington as a training center for missionaries and summer refreshment for Methodist families.
Of course, these summer communities were not just a way to get away from the heat. They were deeply rooted in Methodist spiritual life from their origins, and Sunday preaching was the high point of the week. All the great pulpiteers of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries found their way to Bay View and Epworth Heights. That tradition continues today.
This summer, Rev. Dr. Hilary Barrett, Bay View Director of Worship and Religious Life, has lined up an outstanding and inclusive array of preachers from across the nation. View the full schedule on Bay View’s website. One of the best-known guests will be Shane Claiborne, a nationally known speaker, writer, and leader of Red Letter Christians.
The lineup includes seminary professors like Lori Brandt Hale from Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Jonathan Pennington from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, and Greg Carey from Lancaster Theological Seminary. This season is marked by a broad range of backgrounds, including Winn Collier, an Episcopal priest from Charlottesville, Va., and Dr. Kirk Bryon Jones, pastor of Zion Baptist Church in Lynn, Mass.
United Methodists on the program include Rev. Dr. Uiyeon Kim from Myers Park UMC in Charlotte, N.C.; Rev. Dr. Tim Bruster from Fort Worth, Texas; and Rev. Dr. James A. Harnish from Orlando, Fla.
Rev. Barrett says, “The community focuses on Sunday morning, but the weekday ‘Religion and Life’ seminars with our guest preachers provide an opportunity for continuing education for laity or clergy, even if they can’t be present on Sunday morning.”
Rev. Brad Kalajainen serves as the Director of Spiritual Life at Epworth Heights in Ludington. He has invited Michigan preachers, including Rev. Jon Brown from Holland and Rev. Amy Triebwasser, Senior Pastor at Saline UMC. Rev. Alf Halverson will be coming from Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas, and Rev. Smoke Kanipe from Shandon UMC in Columbia, S.C. Rev. Kalajainen will fill the pulpit four times during the summer.
Rev. Barrett says, “Looking back on the founding of Bay View, many of the issues we face today sound similar. The need for a community where families can not only relax but also be inspired is just as necessary today as it was then. We hope Michigan United Methodists will once again make their way ‘up north’ to Bay View to be renewed and refreshed by the beauty of the area and the spiritual life we offer.”
Bay View’s Sunday worship and weekday lectures with visiting preachers are open to the public, and worship is live-streamed each Sunday. For the schedule of preachers and special programs or to connect with online worship, visit their website at www.bayviewassociation.org/worship/. Overnight accommodations can also be found on campus or in the area.
For more information on Epworth Heights, go to www.epworthheights.net. Though the community is gated, worship is open to the public on Sunday mornings at 10:30 am in the auditorium.
Last Updated on June 17, 2024