Ode to Winston

The following is an excerpt from a speech Liz Sharpe made at Pastor Winston Baldwin’s going away party. After which there was not a dry eye in the audience…

“When I think of Winston, there are a lot of things that come to mind … I think of confirmation class in seventh grade, when everything was confusing enough at 13 and it seemed like all of us were out of place no matter what. I never said the right things and I was always too loud and I look back and wonder how I even stood myself. I had glasses as big as my face and bangs that covered my eyes and I towered over everyone awkwardly because I didn’t know how to handle my newly acquired height. But on Wednesday nights, when I would come to confirmation class, I belonged. In the fireplace room on the third floor, sitting in the rolly chairs in one big circle, I belonged. Winston let me know that I was wanted, that what I had to say meant something, no matter how loudly it came out of my mouth. He taught us that faith was not, as much I had wanted it to be, black and white. Faith and religion was not some category we could just passively toss ourselves into, but something to be explored. Winston assured us that questioning and even being confused about it meant that we were thinking and beginning to carve a new little place for ourselves in the church family. And at that age, that was all we really wanted- to finally start finding a place somewhere … Thank you for making all of us feel a sense of belonging and community that everyone should experience at some point in their lives, and for being such a wonderful friend and teacher. I love you to the moon, and am so excited to see what other wonderful things you will do for these new churches. Thank you for everything.”