Jun. 28—It sounds coincidental Jim and Mary Morris ended their 60 years of ministry work in rural Union County knowing it was an area where they had experiences earlier in their lives or career.
But it may be better explained by them is that where God wanted them to be.
"I've always had an interest in smaller, rural churches," Jim said days before his last service, which was Sunday. "It's the fellowship of members rather than theology."
"Me, too," Mary interrupted.
The two provided pastoral needs to four United Methodist churches; Jerusalem, Afton, Arispe and Lorimor.
The two 79 year olds both have their origins in eastern Iowa where they met at Iowa Wesleyan University in Mount Pleasant. Jim grew up near Oskaloosa. Mary's father was a Methodist minister who moved the family across the state. She attended first through third grades at Afton and graduated high school from Keosaqua.
Jim dropped out of high school to provide for the family since his father was ill.
"It became too much. I contacted 10 schools, including Iowa Wesleyan, to see if they would take me on in probation. I told the colleges I don't have money or the education, but I want a college education." Wesleyan agreed to his proposal of working at the college to pay for his education. He graduated in 1962 in less than four years.
The two married in 1960. After Wesleyan, Jim had a three-point charge (three churches) based in Blakesburg. Jim was later interested in attending a seminary and was at Garrett in Chicago for one year before transferring to Drake.
"At the time, Mary had been teaching high school and applied and a got a grant for her to get a master's degree," he said.
Jim considered taking time away from the church while Mary earned the degree at the University of Minnesota, but was contacted by Minnesota United Methodist church officials who asked him if he would be interested in a church in Minneapolis-St. Paul.
"The bishop explained they had a church that had failed a year ago because it had the wrong person. 'We will put you there for two years and see what happens.' I didn't know what to say," Jim said. The church surrounded in a growing residential suburb of Shoreview grew to 172 members after two years of his service.
"It had all the opportunities to pound the pavement and invite people to church," he said.
But city life wasn't Jim's preference.
"I wanted to get back to rural ministry and to Iowa. I saw that as my strength," he said.
The couple relocated to Union County and served in Afton, Dodge Center and Jerusalem United Methodist churches. Dodge Center, now closed, was located east of Jerusalem.
After 11 years, the Morris' again moved to Staves Church in Des Moines. But Jim knew a city wasn't the right place for him.
"This farm boy was like a fish out of water," he said.
Jim found his rural setting in 1987 as superintendent at Red Bird Mission which has provided ministries in southeast Kentucky in the Appalachian Mountains since 1921. The area has chronic poverty, high unemployment and poor housing. Under the United Methodist Church, Red Bird Mission and Clinic offers education, health and wellness, community outreach, economic opportunity and housing improvement.
"The area had been lumbered over and the coal mined to death. The coal was gone. The lumber was long gone," Jim explained.
Despite the surroundings, Jim was comfortable with the people.
"They are wonderful people," he said about the area residents. "They are suspicious of government and hard headed when they need to be. I was there to see those people got the bet shake they could get."
After 13 years at Red Bird, the church suggested a position in Russia.
"I didn't know a lick of Russian," Jim said about the language. "Just send me back to Iowa."
In 2000, the Morris moved to Emmetsburg in northern Iowa and was expecting to stay until retirement, which happened. But like city life, retirement was not a good fit for Jim.
"I went nuts. I needed something to do," he said.
The Morris were told of a vacancy at the Jerusalem church and Jim was asked to serve there until someone permanent could be found. Jim took the offer in 2007.
In 2019, the pastor for Lorimor, Afton and Arispe left creating an opportunity for Mary to be those churches' lay speaker which provide services to a church but don't have the duties of a traditional pastor. Over the years Mary had also been involved in United Methodist Women and the state and national levels. The entity within the United Methodist Church develops relationship and promotes church activities. May had also been a substitute teacher until she stopped in 2019.
Jim said he counted having served at 3,000 funerals, 1,012 weddings and more than 2,700 baptisms during his career, he hopes the United Methodist Church, and its rural locations, will both have a future.
"It's what you can give, not what you can get," Jim said about the rewards of his church work. "That is where the satisfaction is."
The United Methodist Church has a shortage of pastors.
"Iowa could use 70 or more," Jim said. "That is scary," he added how more is being asked of each pastor.