a column dedicated to the folks in the pews
Written by Dale Buchanan
Our pew person this week is Gayle Thornton, since we are a family I will refer to her simply as Gayle from this point on. I attend The Big Red Church because of Gayle. Thus, I admit that I am biased in this reporting.
Gayle was born in Deadwood, South Dakota the infamous hideout, of many famous American outlaws. What drew her folks to the Bad Lands remains a mystery. At a very young age, they left South Dakota, for Colorado, where she grew up, married and gave birth to her girls Hillary and Susanna. Her young family migrated to Stockton where she lived for forty years she has been in Fresno for ten years and for eight years a member of the big red church.
If you see Gayle on Sunday mornings you will see this sweet Christian lady. Prim and pious. Proper and serious—and that would be right. She serves as liturgist when called on, is the coordinator of caring ministries, which means she keeps the family’s prayer warriors current on prayer concerns and is active in the visitation of those in need. She is active in the pantry ministry, and has delivered more than 100 hand knitted prayer shawls to church family, and dearly loves her big red church family.
Let me be very clear, Gayle is one of us. I have deliberately painted, in this thumbnail sketch, a portrait, of a very human woman. When, she prays for you it comes from her heart. When she advises you, she speaks from experience and hard realized lessons.
Get to know Gayle, experience the pure joy of her laughter and the twinkle in her eyes as she shares some antidote. Get to know Gayle and you will for sure get a big smile, and in all probability a loving hug.
Dale Buchanan is a member of FCCF with a passion for stories and writing. In between penning his own memoirs, he is helping us get to know our members, one pew at a time.