By Lori Evans
Homer Independent Press
When Homer United Methodist Church celebrates its 75th anniversary Sunday, the congregation will gather for special music, food and fellowship — but no sermon. Instead, participants will hear from people with stories of their own to tell about HUMC’s past.
Remembering is important, says the Rev. Blake Langston, because the church’s next steps depend on honoring where it has been: “We know when you remember God has been with you, you have hope for the future.”
Langston, the church’s 21st pastor, celebrated his first year at HUMC July 6. He follows Rev. Lisa Talbott, the church’s longest serving pastor (2013-2025) who was promoted to assistant to the bishop for the greater Northwest area. She now leads diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and education for United Methodists throughout Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
Talbott and Langston have continued a history of community involvement that extends to the church’s founding.
The church’s first pastor, Cecil Wyant (1951-1953), sought connection with every Homer-area family. Pastor Jim Thompson (1966-1972), known for his friendliness and ability to recall names, enjoyed sitting in the bleachers at high school basketball games and greeting all the other fans. Keith Wise (1972-1983) was involved in a variety of community organizations, including the Homer Volunteer Fire Department and the Kenai Peninsula Borough Board of Education. Among other things, Pastor Ed Stanton (1983-1990) served on the board of the Homer Society of Natural History and the operating board of South Peninsula Hospital and was a trustee of Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage.
Talbott and now Langston participate in the MAPP Coalition for the Southern Kenai Peninsula. Talbott said the coalition’s work was vital to her ministry because it kept her —and the whole congregation — aware of ongoing needs and strengths of the community.
When she looks back on the church’s history, Talbott says she appreciates its role in “midwifing” community projects that took on a life of their own. The Homer Community Food Pantry, for example, started as “Keith’s Closet” sometime in the early 1970s. It was an actual closet under an outside stairwell at the church where people in need knew they could find food.
That ministry grew into its own nonprofit agency with space in the church. The partnership led to a grant to expand the building’s kitchen and fellowship hall, benefiting the pantry and the church, but also becoming a frequent gathering area for all kinds of community events. Today the food pantry serves approximately 160 to 180 families each week — or about 300 people, say pantry officials.
In its anniversary season HUMC also is celebrating its involvement in other community ventures. Before South Peninsula Haven House, HUMC women joined others in the area to shelter those in abusive situations. The church was a founding member of the Opioid Task Force, which became the Kachemak Bay Recovery Connection. HUMC was involved in the first-ever Project Homeless Connect.
In addition to community partnerships, a significant part of the church’s identity is providing a welcoming space for all, including those in recovery and the LGBTQ+ community.
Willy Dunne isn’t a Christian and isn’t a member of any church, but he may spend more time at HUMC than most of the congregation. That’s because the church has become a home for those in recovery and that includes him.
For Dunne, the church is far more than a safe, supportive place: “It’s where people’s lives have been changed. People can recover from addiction problems. It’s a healing space.”
It’s impossible to say how many community members like Dunne have found a sense of belonging at the church without ever attending a worship service, but the church’s building-use calendar provides some insight. Four nights a week recovery groups meet here. On Mondays, the church buzzes with activity from the Homer Community Food Pantry. The Civic Engagement Group learns to put faith into action on Wednesdays. Zumba rocks the fellowship hall on Thursdays. The rhythmic, booming sounds from the Japanese Club’s Taiko Drum rehearsal echo on Fridays. The church’s kitchen bustles with activity seven days a week.
AARP volunteers provide help for seniors during the tax season. A variety of community groups and nonprofits conduct their meetings and host special lectures and workshops at the church. Organizations as varied as Homer Pride, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Kachemak Bay State Park Citizens Advisory Board, the Kachemak Bay Watercolor Society have been welcomed into the church’s space.
“Our heart is helping out the community — whether it’s offering support through the many AA groups, filling people’s bellies through the food pantry, or giving people a shot through the new pop-up clinic,” says Deb Rowzee, the church’s office manager. Her job includes scheduling the building’s use. The clinic, which is open on Mondays, is a partnership with Lisa Zatz, a nurse practitioner.
As the church celebrates its anniversary with a tradition of welcoming all into its space, it also is looking ahead to the next 75 years.
Heads nodded in approval at a recent session to imagine HUMC’s future when this description was shared: “Where Homer gathers … with another chair at the table.”
Sunday’s 75th anniversary celebration begins at 10:45 a.m. with the handbells ringing, and the service starts at 11 a.m. A luncheon (not a potluck) will follow. All are welcome.
Lori Evans is a member of the Homer Independent Press Editorial Advisory Board and chair of HUMC’s administrative board.
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