Thoughts from Our WUMC Community
Keeping Up With the Joneses
Karen Gerken
We have been remiss in keeping up with our former senior pastor and long-time WUMC member, The Reverend Robert Jones, as we missed reporting on the 50th anniversary of Bob’s ordination as an elder last June.
I had the pleasure of visiting with Bob and Helen Jones (and their dog, Joker) in their cozy home where I learned more about this couple’s journey through a life of ministry over these past 50 years. For those of you who don’t know, Bob was our beloved pastor at WUMC for eight years from 1991-1999.
Bob was raised in one of the oldest Buffalo Baptist churches, Prospect Avenue Baptist Church. From there he went to Houghton College and then on to Alfred University School of Theology. Meanwhile Helen, who was also a Baptist, grew up outside of Geneseo. She went on to major in early childhood education at Fredonia State College.
Fast-forward a couple of years when, as fate would have it, Bob and Helen met on the steps of East Otto Methodist Church where Bob was a student pastor. Helen was a teacher in nearby Cattaraugus. They married in 1957.
On June 9, 1959, in the morning, Bob was ordained as an Elder at the historic Asbury Delaware Church in Buffalo and that afternoon, Bob graduated from Alfred, the reverse of the way it is done today.
Bob’s first appointment was as associate pastor at University Methodist Church in Buffalo. It was 1959, UB was nearby and dormitories were about to be built. The area was rife with students, and Bob was told to “do something with them!” In 1961, he became the Campus Minister and the Director of the Wesley Foundation, the Methodist student movement he established and centered at University Church. The Wesley Foundation consisted of over 100 mainly on-campus students. Many met Sunday evenings for dinner and fellowship. Helen often did the cooking for 60-75 students. During the week, there was Bible study, activities and retreats planned; and the first inner city tutoring project was established. Being a kindergarten teacher, Helen started a nursery school in the church, which was active for decades.
After eight years, and a lifetime in Western New York, Bob wanted to pastor a local church; he asked the Bishop what might be available in the mid-south part of the country. He was offered - South Buffalo. That wasn’t quite what he had in mind, and Bob’s colleagues advised him not to take the job, since replacing the 21 year veteran pastor would be a tough act to follow.
In 1967 there were a lot of changes: The Methodist Church and The Evangelical United Brethren Church were about to merge into The United Methodist Church, created in 1968. Plus, the Joneses had three children to consider. Three days later, Bob got a call asking him to consider the appointment. Local ministry was a big change from the University setting but the Joneses grew to love South Buffalo, Woodside United Methodist, and the people.
Bob’s parents had good friends at Woodside Methodist who sponsored a bright Filipino
medical school student, named Ben Atanacio. In fact, Rev. Bob Jones performed the marriage ceremony for Ben and Benita Atanacio at Woodside United Methodist Church. The Atanacios have now been longtime members at WUMC where they were coincidently reunited with Bob as their senior pastor, all those years later.
After seven years and many fond memories, in 1974, Bob was appointed to Baker Memorial United Methodist in East Aurora where Helen was active in the Women’s Society and was the director of the Children’s Choir.
After six years, Bob was wondering aloud to a long-time member of Baker Memorial where he would go next and her reply was that “most pastors either become District Superintendents or they die!” So, he jumped at the opportunity to take the position of District Superintendent of the Rochester District in 1980, knowing it beat the alternative.
The Joneses ended up back in Buffalo when Bob’s term as District Superintendent was up where he became the pastor at Central Park United Methodist Church for three years. They decided to purchase a home in Williamsville and in 1989, Bob was asked to be the Bishop’s Associate and operate a satellite office in Buffalo. Just like that, Bob was back at University Methodist, the same office, right where he started!
Tragedy struck the Joneses in 1991 when an electrical heater caused a house fire and major destruction. Shortly thereafter, the Bishop called and said the Cabinet would like Bob to take a full-time appointment. Being so near retirement, and with a newly renovated house, Bob couldn’t bear the thought of moving Helen again. However, he listened and learned the assignment was less than a mile down the road at WUMC! So, for eight years, Bob was the senior pastor at WUMC until his retirement in 1999.
Bob felt fortunate to have so much perspective from his experience in various ministries. For those of us lucky enough to recall Bob’s sermons, that wisdom shone through in his powerful messages as he interspersed personal experience in spiritual lessons.
When asked the biggest change he had seen over the past 51 years, Bob had to stop and consider since there have been so many. He responded that perhaps it has been the movement to a more liturgical service, and the inclusion of a contemporary service. He also mentioned that the place of communion has also been a notable change, observing the frequency trend from the “old days” of quarterly distribution, to once a month and now about one-third of United Methodist services celebrate the Lord’s Supper every week.
If you attend the 11:00 a.m. Sunday worship service, you will see Bob and Helen in “their” pew, greeting friends before worship. They have come full circle now, from student teachers to fully engaged church leaders to wisdom-bearing exemplary members among us. It’s good to keep up with the Joneses. Who could have imagined the journey ahead for these two young Baptists would met on the steps of a Methodist Church.