By Betty A. Little, Killington Arts Guild
posted
Dec 13, 2012
Beverly Anderson is one of the charter members of the Killington
Arts Guild. For 12 years she has been pastor of the Sherburne
United Church of Christ, which has been her home church for 45
years. She attended Bangor Theological Seminary, took a Small
Church Leadership Program and became pastor here. The church is in
a healthy state right now with active and enthusiastic members.
Their church suppers are a model for Vermont Tourism. Friends help;
Jo and Henry Biathrow always cook the turkey. I used to serve the
bread pudding when I was there.
About 20-25 years ago, after the church fire, Ken Kim kept
looking for an organ; then a pile of CD's with hymns on them and a
player appeared and they serve as the organ.
The congregation is a real part of the community. One Fourth of
July recently, Jane and Charlie Hanley and others came waving and
singing down River Road on a float in the parade that looked like
Sherburne Church. At Town meetings church members greet people and
vend hot coffee and baked goods. During Irene the church stood fast
when Route 4 split open in front of it and the building and
property across washed away. Killington was closed to the world for
19 days. Last month the church was there when it was time to honor
Ann Wallen, former KAG president, and to console her family,
friends and KAG associates.
Bev Anderson is very proud of the collaboration with the Christ
the King Church. Both share the building and its expenses and
support each other's activities. It is an unusual arrangement. She
is proud too of Murdale Leysath, who started her ministry at the
Sherburne Church, and rose to the highest level the UCC as the
first woman Conference Minister in the denomination. She often says
Murdale inspired her but Bev herself is a model for small church
ministry as she shapes her church and her community, trying to
bring both, "into the moment."
She and other church members visit the Gallery shows. Once Bev
took a KAG workshop with Yvonne Daley. She is a good storyteller
perhaps one day she will put some of those magic words into
print.
During the Holiday Season as travelers and Vermonters move east
along Route 4 they will see the lights of the church rising to
celebrate the season and lift our spirits as the road descends from
Killington.
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Killington Arts Guild
