Thorntown pastor retires but will still be around

Maria Flora, The Lebanon Reporter, Ind.
·2 min read

Aug. 8—Glen Jewell finally has to time to go visiting on Sundays after 33 years as pastor of Thorntown Christian Church.

Jewell retired July 31, along with his wife, Kay, who also retired as the church secretary.

"We look forward to visiting some of our pastor friends at their churches," Glen said. "We haven't had that opportunity, except on special occasions."

Glen is the longest serving pastor of Thorntown Christian Church, having served 12 years longer than the previous record holder. "When you've been here 33 years, you develop deep ties and memories," he said.

Glen was known for visiting congregants in the hospital and for touching and meaningful funeral services, church member Cynthia Merrill said.

Glen will miss visiting with congregants, leading the worship and teaching the Bible, he said.

Being modest, he didn't mention singing in the choir, but, "He has the most beautiful voice and was a very important part of the church choir for many years," Merrill said.

He and Kay live in rural Thorntown and intend to keep doing so. She is a hair stylist and volunteers with WAVE, a non-profit after-school program in Thorntown, while Glen is the WAVE president. He's also a member of Thorntown Kiwanis and the American Legion.

Merrill says it's no surprise that Glen is active in WAVE because he always enjoyed his Sunday children's sermons. "I'm sure the kids will always remember his love for them, even if they don't remember the point of his talks with them," Merrill said.

The Thorntown Christian Church congregation may not see much of the Jewells in church for a bit, as an interim pastor and congregants handle sermons and search for a new permanent pastor.

"We need to back away while they make the next transition," he said. "We'll visit Colfax, Jamestown, Dover and Lebanon. We'll stop in and see a lot of folks we've known over the years."

But Glen left an indelible mark on the congregation.

"As any pastor of a small-town church, he had to be a jack of all trades at times," Merrill said. "But he also always pushed others to become leaders."