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Tenth member of Brubaker family
.5//.¥/&?7
graduates at Albion College
ALBION, MI-When Chelsea resident
Herbert C. Brubaker went to Albion Colfege in 1925, he had no way of knowing
what an impact his decision would have
nearly 70 years later. On Saturday, May
9, Dr. Brubaker watched the tenth
member of his family in three generations
graduate from his Alma Mater.
Daniel C. Brubaker, Class of 1987 and
a resident of Grand Rapids, Mi., left the
stage with an Albion diploma and Phi Beta
Kappa honors on May 9 . An anthropology/sociology major, Brubaker also
graduates with departmental honors, having completed a major thesis under the
direction of Dr. Mary Kay Schleiter, Assistant Professor of Anthropology/Sociology.
This summer, Brubaker will accompany
Bob Brubaker,
Michigan Area
leader, dies
GRAND RAPIDS (MCA)-The Rev.
Robert C. Brubaker, senior pastor at
Grand Rapids First United Methodist
Church since 1981 , died Nov. 12 in
Blodgett Memorial Medical Center after a
long bout with cancer.
The Rev. Brubaker had preached every
other Sunday at First church and did the
pastoral prayer on Nov. 8.
He was born Oct. 15, 1935, to the Rev.
and Mrs. Herbert Brubaker. He graduated
from Albion College in 1957 and married
Ellen Brubaker shortly thereafter. He was
a Danforth intern at Virginia Polytechnic
Institute, Blacksburg, VA, from 1959-60.
He graduated from Garrett Theological
Seminary in 1962, and received his D.M.
from United Theological Seminary in
1977.
In the Detroit Conference he served
churches in Onondaga, Hanover, Horton,
Dansville, Vantown, Brighton and Adrian.
He transferred to the West Michigan Conference to serve Traverse City Central
UMC on Dec. 1, 1974. He then came to
Grand Rapids First UMC .
Bob authored the " Bible for Today" column for the Michigan Christian Advocate
for many years. He helped to write and initiate the "JOY" program in evangelism .
He trained fo r two years in transactional
<malysis under Dr. Stanley Woolams, an
Ann Arbor psychiatrist.
Bob was active in Native American
ministries and was a supervising pastor in
the Grand Traverse District, as well as a
member of the Pastors' School Senate.
On the Conference level, he served as
secretary of the Board of Evangelism
(DC) chair of the WMC Board of Church
and Society. He was also chair of the
Grand Rapids District Swords Into
Plowshares Peace Center, and chair of
the Bishop's Task Force on staff
deployment.
In addition, Bob chaired the District
EMLC committee and in Grand Rapids,
was a member of the YMCA metro board
and the downtown Rotary Club.
He was one of 56 ministers from the
U.S. to tour Beirut and Lebanon in Aug.
1982. Their mission was to determine if
reports of the death , destruction and
fighting between the Israelis and the
Palestine Liberation Organization were
biased. He met with political leaders there.
Bob was awarded for the Peace Sermon of the Year at West Michigan Annual
Conference 1986. Printed in its entirety in
the MCA (Sept. 1, 1986, pp. 1,6), it is titled " Peace is a long-distance runner."
He leaves his wife, the Rev. Ellen A.
Brubaker , Gran d Rapids Di ~tri ct
superintendent; his father, the Rev.
Herbert Brubaker of Chelsea; daughters
Catherine Brubaker-Ciarke of Saline and
An ne Brubaker of Saugatuck ; sons Daniel
and Michael of Grand Rapids; and a
granddaughter, Jessica.
Memorial services were held at First
UMC on Nov. 17, with Bishop Judith
Craig, Dr. Robert Horton, and the Revs.
Robert Davis, Darwin Salisbury and
Bradley Kalajainen officiating. The choirs
of Grand Rapids First and Traverse City
Central UMCs sang at services .
Complete memorial coverage and
eulogy will appear in the Dec. 7 issue of
[l
the MCA.
~----
.. ...
Dr. Elizabeth Brumfiel , Chairman of the
department, on an archeological dig in
Mexico before continuing his educational
and professional pursuits.
Dr.
Herbert
c.
Brubaker
As the most recent Albion graduate in
his family, Daniel follows a brother and two
sisters, as well as both parents, an uncle,
two aunts and his grandfather in this family tradition . His parents, Rev. Dr. Robert
and Rev. Ellen Seeley Brubaker are both
United Methodist ministers in the Grand
Rapids area. Robert Brubaker is senior
pastor at Grand Rapids First UMC . Ellen
Brubake r is Grand Rapids District
Superintendent.
Dr. Herbert Brubaker, now retired from
the Un ited Methodist ministry, graduated
from Albion in 1933 and received an
honorary doctorate from the College in
1964. He served pastorates in Michigan
for 42 years, including six years as District
Superintendent of the Saginaw Bay
District.
0
People
THEIR LIVES AND EVENTS
I#.:L!/J(
.DR. HERBERT BRUBAKER and
Ml:THA STEVENS were joined in marriage at the First UMC of Plymouth , on
Nov. 27. The Revs. John Grenfell, Jr., and
Ellen Brubaker officiated in the ceremony.
Betty Jo Brubaker, daughter of Herb was
matron of honor and Whitney Stevens ,
son of Metha, was the best man. Whitney
was heard to say he never thought he
would be giving his mother away. After the
ceremony a reception was held in the
fe llowsh ip hall. Dr. and Mrs . Herbert
Brubaker are residing in a garden apartment at the Chelsea United Methodist
Retirement Home.
Living at the crossroads
By Jane B. Shapley
MCA correspondent
One of the most powerful symbols for
living as a Christian is the cross. The vertical plane points to the divine, while the
horizontal one depicts us and the world in
which we live; God's creation. When one
is living a life that is faithful to both God
and the created, one is at that point where
the vertical and the horizontal intersect: at
the crossroads.
From the opening poignant, yet powerful, notes of the Prelude for the cello by
Cesar Franck, to the choral "Amen" lovingly voiced by the combined choirs of
Central UMC in Traverse City and of First
UMC in Grand Rapids, there was a tangible sense of being in the presence of a
person who had spent his life at the
crossroads.
Although this was a memorial service
for Robert Brubaker, the words of each
participant, the choice of each piece of
scripture, the focus of each hymn all
pointed away from the human life that we
were celebrating to the divine guide that
had taught Bob how to set up his earthly
home, right at the Cross Road.
A spirit of Shalom
A phone call to Grand Rapids First
United Methodist Church early on that
Tuesday morning yielded the assurance
t~at there would be plenty of room in the
sanctuary. The thought was that, since
this was a working day, many people
would not be able to attend the service.
At 1:45 the sanctuary was completely full,
and ushers were putting chairs in the narthex, which also was filled before the service began .
The sun which filtered through the stained glass windows lent a muted patina of
light to the sanctuary space, and seemed
to complement the sense of deep peace
that those attending this memorial service
had brought with them.
That man of peace had imbued us with
a spirit of patience in the church on Nov.
17. As we searched for seats, and shared,
and squeezed together so that as many
as possible could be participants and
witnesses, we felt a gathering of a supportive community rather than an irritable or
anxious concern that there may not be
enough room for all.
The overflow choir calmly moved into
and
out of the chancel when it was time
I
to sing. The beautiful voices of infants and
small children during the service only
served to underscore the peace that for
a little whi le seemed ... within our
understandi[lg.
Tho u ootl'hor<> ~nrl w::~itl'm:: in thP. narthex
1.2/7/ P1
person who received an award for his sermon entitled, "Peace is a Long Distance
Runner," at Annual Conference in 1986
gave the same kind of comm itment to the
life of the members, and potential
members, of the congregation he had
been appointed to serve. The person who
reveled in scholarly research visited persons in homes and hospitals with the
same intensity.
Legacy of love
He who had moved into that house at
the Cross Road was fully human, and
those who spoke of Bob as they knew
him-friends from college and seminary,
laypeople in the church, colleagues
across the years-all shared stories that
encouraged memories of a person who
was constantly " underwhelmed and unencumbered by details." We heard of times
when his exuberant good nature and high
spirits were suffered more than appreciated , by both friends and family
members. We were told of a response to
the guidelines for church growth that
seemed less than enthusiastic. In short,
we found ourselves recapturing the
essence of the one who had inhabited the
home at the Cross Road.
After the benediction, Bishop Craig joined Ellen , Bob's wife, at the foot of the
chancel steps, and escorted her from the
sanctuary. Each leaned on the other for
support and community. That gesture expressed, more than any eulogy, the legacy
that Bob, joyously and lovingly at home at
the Cross Road , had left to all who had
spent time with him in his dwelling place.
The affirmation of faith that the congregation proclaimed described that legacy:
Bishop Edsel Ammons greets Bob and Ellen Brubaker at the 1983 session of the West
Michigan Annual Conference. Ellen joined the Cabinet in June of that year. Bob was
serving Grand Rapids First UMC, appointed there in 1981.
"God has created us to live in
community and invites us to build
life enhancing relationships. Such is
the witness to which the scripture
calls us : Beloved, let us love one
another; for love is of God, and
whoever loves is born of God and
knows God."
_ T,_h_e_R_e_v_
. J_a_n_
e _S-ha
- p- le_y_i_s _a_n_ew
_ _c_o_
m-es_p_o-ndent for the MCA. She also serves on the Advocate's Board of Trustees. Jane is the
pastor at Oakdale UMC, Grand Rapids.
A word about the life of Robert Brubaker
(Given at the memorial service 11/17/87 by Dr. Robert F. Davis)
It is a singular honor to have been asked to share words and thoughts about our
loved one, colleague and friend , Robert C.
Brubaker, whose life in this world spanned the years from Oct. 15, 1935 to Nov.
13, 1987. Any attempt to represent his life
in words is presumptuous, both because
of the profound expression of faith,
courage and compassion that his life was;
and because of the undefinable quality of
his spontaneous humor, his freedom to be
himself no matter where he was, and that
marvelous ability to be underwhelmed and
unencumbered by so many of the details
and concerns that the rest of us worry
about.
Bob Brubaker served as senior pastor
of this great church since June of 1981 .
Swords into Plowshares Peace Center
estahlished the " Rohert Bruhaker
have
..01m ,.f'¥ f"l"\ f.)Ottnonvo ~n r ~~ 1\&1 nrnf.r f't
Peace Scholarsnip Fund."
Peace was his theme. Compassion was
his way of life. We are here this afternoon,
not only because of what Bob stood for,
but because Bob cared about us. The love
of God did dwell in him richly. His life and
love touched us and enriched our lives in
a multitude of ways; comforting us when
troubled, consoling us when sorrowful, encouraging us when hesitant and affirming
us when we dared to risk.
This love was the heart of his effectiveness as a pastor whose desire it was
for people to experience God's love and
grace for them personally in and through
·
the church.
special recognition among his colleagues
and friends, though it · was frequently
deserved.
No saint was he , by his own
acknowledgement, and yet he possessed
much of the stuff of which saints are
made. So as he takes his place in the spirit
world beyond our sight, which God has
prepared , we thank God for his life and
love and we are bold to pray, " For all the
saints who from their labors rest, who thee
by faith before the world confessed , Thy
name, 0 Jesus, be fo rever blest. Alleluia!
Alleluia!" Amen.
Dr. Robert F. Davis Is a program coordinator for the West Michigan Conference.
~
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The watchers and waiters in the narthex
reported that even there, Bob's presence
was felt. In other words, there was.a true
sense of that community of Shalom for
which each of us yearns: the Shalom that
was the foundation of that home constructed at the Cross Road.
Living beatitudes
Although nobody was stunned or shocked by the announcement that "the fiber
of (Bob's) human life" had at last been
given away-a thought beautifully expressed in a poem by Charles Fullmerwe were saddened to have to agree with
Bob's comment made shortly before his
death , when he said, " There is so much
to give and receive, and so little time left."
His legacy was articulated eloquently in
Bishop Craig's witness of the word, based on the fifth chapter of the Gospel of
Matthew. She interpreted the Beatitudes
as the framework of a life lived in Jesus
Christ, and spoke of Bob's life as an example of ''what it looks like to live the
Beatitudes" and how those words
became for him the blueprint of a "whole
Gospel lifestyle." The responses of the
congregation were the affirmation of the
images the bishop had chosen. She
described clearly and specifically how a
person goes about setting up housekeeping at the Cross Road.
The prophetic voice that we heard
through Bob's preaching and writing activity was complemented and enriched by
his authentic pastoral nature. The same
of this great church since June of 1981.
He was graduated from Albion College in
1957, and was a Danforth intern at Virginia
Polytechnic in Blacksburg, VA,
1959-1960. He graduated from Garrett
Theological Seminary in 1962, received
his Doctor of Ministry degree from United
Seminary. He served United Methodist
Churches in Onondaga, Hanover, Horton,
Dansville, Vantown, Brighton, Adrian and
Traverse City before coming to Grand
Rapids.
Bob offered to us and to the world his
gifts of deep personal faith, solid biblical
scholarship, prophetic preaching,
courageous and challenging leadership in
social and justice issues and a personal
example of caring and unselfishness. Bob
lived out his sense of justice on a daily
basis; and on two occasions, he made
pilgrimages to Washington, D.C. to make
his witness for civil rights for all people and
for justice for the poor people of this land.
The strongest and most dominant
theme of Bob's ministry and life was his
witness for peace. What Bob wrote about
another, in a recent book review, is most
appropriately said of him, "He not only
believed in peace and worked for
peace ... he had a heart of peace." It was
out of this personal passion for peace that
he wrote the sermon , "Peace is a Long
Distance Runner" for which he received
the 1986 West Michigan Annual Conference Peace Sermon of the Year award.
It was in recognition of this passion for
peace that friends and colleagues in the
the church.
Throughout the years of our deep personal friendship and the friendship that we
shared as families since our days as roommates in seminary at Garrett, it was evident how much Bob's family meant to him;
how much he loved them and how much
he drew strength from their love for him.
In addition to the sense of deep fulfillment
that he had from sharing in the parenting
of their four children , has been the pure
delight of being a grandfather with the arrival of granddaughter, Jessica. Thanks
be to God for the joy she has brought to
this family during these days.
As we celebrate and give thanks for
Bob's life and ministry, we are aware that
we have all been privileged to know one
who has made our lives richer, given them
more meaning, challenged us to grow in
faith and taught us much about how to
love more deeply.
His witness and courage have never
been more powerful than during these last
weeks and months of struggle. While being physically weakened by the disease
that invaded his body, Bob remained an
indomitable spirit, amazingly strong of
voice and heart, and keen of mind in his
preaching and unrelenting in his caring for
others at a time when he needed more to
be cared about.
It was always thus with him . Anytime
that you tried to do something for Bob, you
always felt that you received more than
you gave. In his self-effacing way, he
would never claim honor for himself or
Bob Brubaker strikes a familiar pose as he
addresses a legislative committee during
the 1986 West Michigan Annual
Conference.
Brubaker, Robert C.