Mary Blencowe

Director of Lay Ministries and Discipleship

Time with Mary is never dull. I compare her to a good book that you just don’t want to put down. Each page you turn has some other interesting adventure or tidbit that makes you thirst for delving deeper into the many things she has experienced. She is well-studied, uncomplicated, down to earth, kind-hearted, compassionate, loving, caring, creative, generous, fun, and passionate about missions and her children.

Just naming the places where Mary has lived amaze me. Check these places out - Westerville, Ohio; Tampa, Florida; Houston, Texas; London, England; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; Kingston-Upon-Thames, England; Amherst, Massachusetts; Mission Viejo, California; Exeter, England; Birchip, Australia; Cairns, Australia; Townsville, Australia; Abington, Pennsylvania; and lastly Mt. Vernon, Ohio. And some places she moved back to a couple...if not more times. It’s a good thing she relishes traveling. In fact, geography is one of her favorite subjects. It was cultivated at her favorite school – Carrol School in London, England. And I might add, if you asked her to draw you a map she would be in the height of her glory.

Not surprising then, of all the places she has lived, her favorite was jolly old London! Besides the great school, she loved the church, family and travel experience there. Mary said, "It was a great place to grow up – diverse peoples, an inspiring school, (where she experienced two and one-half years of loving acceptance and learning about grace) with lots of opportunities to visit museums, ride trains, read maps (*ed. note: remember the map thing above), experience Cathedrals and small churches that had served people for hundreds of years and explore gardens."

Anyone who has spent a few moments of time with Mary can attest to her love of missions. John Wesley, Rita Grant and her Dad - Jim Earnest, influenced her deep passion about missions.

During the work week you can find her a little bit of everywhere ~ from throwing in a load of bedsheets from the Winter Sanctuary into the downstairs washer, to consoling a person experiencing a "bump" in life’s road, to putting a bulletin board display together to bring folks attention to mission outreach, to heading out to visit folks in the hospital whether in town or in Columbus...and that is just a typical morning for her. That doesn’t count the nights she volunteers all night at the Winter Sanctuary, or Friday nights at Hot Meals, where you will find her with the people, nor the Saturdays and Sundays spent at the church helping prepare for meaningful Christian education/spiritual opportunities for folks.

I know Mary is an asset to Pastor Denise in many ways. Denise affirms, "Mary is a unique individual who is compassionate and decisive, articulate and thoughtful, contemplative and passionate. Mary’s long history here at Gay Street and her extensive knowledge of the community immediately helped me get acclimated here in Mount Vernon. Those initial discussions about who’s who and what’s what soon gave way to deeper more substantial conversations about ministry. Mary is an asset to this church and to me in many ways, juggling all kinds of tasks and ministries from caring for the needs of people who need help with rent to planning Taize worship. Her deep love of this church and the people here, along with her desire to connect people and the church in mission are truly a benefit to the church and to me. However what I appreciate most is the easy way in which Mary and I can delve into those deeper, Spirit led conversations in which new ideas, vital connections and passionate direction for the church are shared."

It is going to be so exciting to "read" the next installment in the book of "Mary" as she writes another chapter...or two...from her experiences in Liberia/Camphor Mission. We know it will be glowing with God’s light.