Greetings, Good People of Glenn,

I attended Gatra Mallard’s memorial service a few weeks ago. I had the privilege of getting to know Gatra and Bill Mallard for a short time, 25 years ago, when I was an active member of Druid Hills UMC. They led many workshops at my church, which I attended. As the Church Business Administrator here, I make rounds through Glenn's buildings several times a day, so I see the daily activity of the many churchy folk who answer God’s call in this place.

Every Thursday afternoon during the school year, Glenn Memorial UMC’s Youth & Activities Building (YAAB) comes alive. The smell of fresh fruit, accompanied by the sounds of conversation and laughter, fills the space with energy and warmth. Behind the cheerful atmosphere is the dedicated work of retirees, Glenn members, high school students, and Emory students who volunteer with Snack in a Backpack.

An oft-repeated bit of advice in musical circles is to “leave space” in the arrangement. Particularly in group and improvisational settings, it’s important not to clutter the canvas with superfluous notes or step on your fellow musicians’ toes. “The notes you don’t play can be as powerful as the ones you do,” goes one common saying. But how is one to know when, where, or how to “leave space”? After all, laying out for the sake of laying out is no different than playing notes just for the sake of playing notes; neither adds much to the overall dynamic of the ensemble if it isn’t motivated by purpose and contextual understanding. 

The 2025 Glenn Alternative Giving Catalog raised over $68,600 for programs and projects that reach people in need. Proceeds will provide education support for vulnerable children in faraway places, care for victims of war abroad, environmental stewardship here in Georgia, and food and shelter for the hungry and unhoused in Atlanta. Glenn has shown once again it cares.

I recently preached during the chapel service at Clairmont Place. I planned to talk about faith, and I started preparing by turning to a piece of scripture that I would categorize in the “greatest hits” of what the Bible tells us about faith. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Yet, it was the preceding verse, Hebrews 10:39, that caught my attention.

Pause today and think about your childhood Advent & Christmas memories.  Do you remember a perfectly clean house, perfectly pressed matching holiday outfits, perfectly crispy (but still chewy) favorite Christmas cookies, and every single line of every single carol and performance?  Or if you're like me, you remember dripping candlewax on your siblings' hands while wriggling in the uncomfortable church shoes a size too small, yet the wonder and joy of hearing adults laughing and singing and sometimes even crying as they sang Christmas carols and shot you "that look" to stop it with the candle-dripping.

Happy New Year! Advent begins on November 30, and with it we celebrate the beginning of a new Christian year. Each Christian year we rehearse the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and Advent begins the journey. Sidebar: the lectionary many churches use goes through a three year cycle, with one of the synoptic gospels being central each year. This Advent we begin year A, with Matthew being the governing gospel.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” — Isaiah 43:19

There is a new energy moving through worship at Glenn. Can you feel it?! Many of you have commented on it - a sense of the Spirit stirring, voices lifted a little higher, and a renewed eagerness to invite others into our life together. The call to “go and do” has always been at the heart of this church, but it feels as though we are listening with new ears these days. God is at work among us, and it is a joy to witness and be at work with you!

We have received updates on our partner missionaries, Sara Flores and Dakin Cook from the UMC General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM), on their ministry in Ecuador. Please read the letter below for news regarding the work in their communities

Early this November, Georgia will have an important election in which voters will elect commissioners to the Georgia Public Service Commission. Decisions made by these commissioners impact the ecological wellbeing of our state as well as our pocketbooks. Check out the positions of the candidates and then make a plan to vote.

Glenn is blessed to have Mrs. Hannah Ellwood serving as the Director for The Glenn School since the summer of 2024. That was a busy time for Hannah and her family, having just welcomed baby son Hugo into the world, but Hannah started her position with grace and enthusiasm for the traditions of the school. 

Even though we know it's not "officially" Fall or Autumn for a few more weeks, I've been delighted to feel a slight coolness in the air each morning and evening.  Pumpkin Spice is overtaking every fast food menu and bakery item (hot take: stick with the original chocolate Frosty from Wendy's...unless you like the taste of what I imagine a pumpkin spice candle tastes like...)  And our Fall routines are taking shape: coordinating carpools, finding the cleats that fit in the back of closets, emails full of snack signups, and more. 

The Staff Parish Relations Committee takes pleasure in recognizing our staff members who have served the Glenn community well for many years. As Carol Wilson, Summer Camp Director, completes her 16th year in this seasonal position, we are grateful for the time and energy she has provided to our youngsters, ages 3 years old to 4th graders.

From June 12-14, 2025, our lay delegates - Vic Reinhold, Ginger Smith, and Diane Bryant - attended Annual Conference. As is tradition, they share their reports with our congregation. Please read their individual reports below.

For 20 years, Glenn Memorial UMC has supported two schools at the Methodist Mission in the rural Munyarari region of Zimbabwe. The region suffers from drought, poverty, and the ravages of disease, including malaria and HIV-AIDS. These diseases have stretched the community’s resources in caring for orphaned children. In addition, food insufficiency and inadequate water supply are widespread concerns for families.

Last week I had the amazing opportunity to visit Glacier National Park, Montana and even a day to venture through the beautiful wilderness into Alberta, Canada. Words really cannot describe the beauty of the mountains, trees, fresh air, sunrises & sunsets, and wildlife roaming free. If it's not yet on your bucket list, I highly recommend adding it! 

I guess I could have called this “LAST Words from Westmoreland,” but that seems a bit overly dramatic, if not downright morbid. Instead, on this, my last official day as senior pastor at Glenn, I offer some words of gratitude.

My writing schedule has not been as regular as I intended at the first of the year. Now that my house is sold and I have moved, I think I should be able to get back on track.

We are in the Easter season, the great fifty days between Easter Sunday and Pentecost. On the Second Sunday of Easter, we sang “At the Font We Start Our Journey” in worship. The fourth stanza is this:

The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. – John 12:23

My first thought is, “You’re being vague again, Jesus. I mean, there are 24 of them in a day, so which hour are you talking about? It seems like a big deal, this hour, I don’t want to miss it.”

In response to ongoing events in our country, the Glenn UMC Church Council, at its meeting on March 23, 2025, unanimously adopted the following statement to make clear how Glenn will respond to events that impact any of our neighbors.