Ministry Center honors Englishes

By Phil Cobb | December 21, 2017 |

SKYE POURNAZARI/THE FORUM
Community members are shown honoring George and Juanita English by dedicating a bench in their name at The Ministry Center on Monday. Shown from left in the front row are: Charlotte Dunn, Kristy Giermann, Deb Crumb, Juanita and George English, Kat Atkins, Rod Shain and Carol Heller. In the second row are: Jan Corley, Sharon Shain, Ron Heller, Carolyn Roush, the Rev. Jonathan Mitchell, Pastor Dave Oddi, Kellie Holman, Merlin Atkins, Dorothy Schafer, Liz Mandrick and Alice Keller.

The Ministry Center and community members were out in force Monday afternoon to dedicate a bench in honor of George and Juanita English’s many decades of service to others.

The couple has been with The Ministry Center since its beginning. They are the originating founders of the clothing room, even when it could be found all over town, before it found a home at The Ministry Center.

“They’re very devoted,” Ministry Center board member Rev. Jonathan Mitchell said. He thanked the couple Monday at the dedication ceremony.

“We have really inherited this ministry from you and hope to carry it on,” Mitchell said. “You’ve given it to us in such good and wonderful hands, we thank you for that.

“The amount of lives you have touched with your hard work and care and love here is unimaginable. It’s uncountable and we thank you for that gift.”

“A lot of other people have helped here,” said Juanita English, with tears in her eyes and a light wobble in her voice.

“A lot of them are in this room with you right now, but history is history. You helped me start the clothes department way back before we had it here,” Merlin Atkins said.

The bench will be placed in the front of The Ministry Center for those seeking to rest while they wait.