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Title
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DeGraw, Marilyn C. Lossing
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extracted text
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MARILYN C. DEGRAW
Spouse:
Home Church:
District:
Appointment:
College:
Seminary:
Rev. Alan DeGraw
Vassar UMC
Saginaw Bay
Waterman-Preston UMC Detroit West
St. Clair County Community College,
Saginaw Valley State Univ. , B.A., 1975
Garrett-Evangelical, M.Div. , 1992
Statement to Conference:
I covenant with my fellow clergy people to live and preach the Gospel as lived and taught by
Jesus Christ. My commitment to laity is to never ask more of you than I would of myself.
J
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The Call ! J-fJ,,j 96
,...----------..,
Marilyn DeGraw received the
call to ministry 35 years ago, "but I
did n' t know women could be ministers." She grew up in the Thumb
area, m arried a minister, and
majored in music. In churches the
couple served, Ma rilyn built the
music program, " in most cases
from the ground up.
" I began to see women in ministry," she said, "and the call came
back. I wanted to ser ve in ordained
....__........,\......__ _ _ _ __. ministry but m y children were
small. When the youngest kid went to college, the call surfaced.
"I was not sure I h ad the capability," Marilyn said . She
decided to take one class, a survey of ministry, at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit. "There were six
women in the class, and I was the youngest."
The second semester Marilyn took a full load, and ultimately earned her degree from Garrett Seminary six years
ago. She was ordained an elder two years ago.
Marilyn's flrst appointment was in Detroit. She had done
her field education in a suburban church and had never lived
or worked in a city.
"My and m y congregation's expectations of ministry were
not well suited," she said . "Non-proflt programs were the
church's ministry- raising money, administering programs. It
was a demanding, crisis-centered ministry. There were lots of
battles to fight. This is a valuable ministry to be done in the
city - if you have a built-in support group."
Marilyn has been serving at Byron, a village between F lint
and Lansing for the p ast 1 1/2 years. "There are people ever ywh ere hungering for spiritual food ," sh e said . " This is a
church which has been led to a point of understanding they
need to move into the 20th century."
"We border Livingston County," Mar ilyn said, " the fastest
growing area in the State of Michigan. We're trying to be proactive rather than re-active."
The average attendance at Byron is higher than the "m~::m,
bership.
~
.
•
.I
•
crMy peace I give to you"
-~t;;i;:vN C
_.t2..2., pastor at Byron
~
ed Jan. 28 at home
<-----,after
a
lengthy illShe
was born in
Yale, Mich.,
on July 2 1,
1940,
the
daughter of
Denver Ellis
and Beatrice
Jennie
(Ryder)
...__....______._. L o s s i n g .
She married the Rev. Alan W.
DeGraw in Fargo, Mich. on
Mar. 21, 1964. She received a
Master of Divinity degree from
Garrett Evangelical Seminary.
DeGraw served as a music
teacher, a piano teacher, and a
church choir director. She
directed the Detroit Conference Chorale on four Euro-
pean choir tours. She had
served Byron UMC since
1994. Before that she was pastor at the Waterman-Preston
UMC in D etroit for three
year s. She leaves her husband;
daughters, Julie Elizabeth
D eGraw,
Sharon
Louise
DeGraw; her mother, Beatrice
•
The Call !J-/ 3t'j96
,.-- - - - -- - - . . ,
M arilyn DeGraw received the
call to ministry 35 years ago, " but I
didn't know women could be ministers." She grew up in the Thumb
area, m arried a m inister, and
majored in music. In churches the
couple served, Marilyn b uilt the
music program, " in m ost cases
from the ground up.
"I began to see wom en in ministry," she said, "and the call came
back. I wanted to serve in ordained
L - -......s.;I.L._ _ _ _ __ J ministry but my children were
sm all. When the youngest kid went to college, the call surfaced .
"I was not sure I h ad the capability," M arilyn said. She
d ecided to take one class, a survey of ministry, at the Ecum enical Theological Seminary in Detroit. "There were six
women in the class, and I was the youngest."
The second semester M arilyn took a full load, and ultimately earned her degree from Garrett Seminary six years
ago. She was ordained an elder two years ago.
M arilyn 's first appointment was in D etroit. She had done
her field education in a suburban church and had never lived
or worked in a city.
"M y and my congregation's expectations of ministry were
not well suited," she said . "Non-profit programs were the
church's ministry- raising money, administering programs. It
was a demanding, crisis-centered ministry. There were lots of
battles to fight. This is a valuable ministry to be done in the
city- if you have a built-in support group."
Marilyn has been serving at Byron, a village between Flint
and Lansing for the past 1 1/2 yea'rs. " There are people everywhere hungering for spiritual food," she · said. "This is a
church which has been led to a point of understanding they
need to move into the 20th century."
=·- _,,_.___u
"We border Livingston County," Marilyn sa id,"~!.. ~ frocrPcr ..::_..._• ..,-~,.....--"",.,~·· ~ ' ~ M ~r~~~·;~M" 1 u ~~ • ·t.. .. . . ·
growing area in the State of Michigan. We're trying
~
"My peace I giv e to you"
1
active rather than re-active."
The average attendance at Byron is higher than
bership.
pean choir tours. She had
DeGRAW, 59,., pastor at Byron served Byron UMC since
UMC, died Jan . 28 at hom e
1994. Before that she was pastor at the Waterman-Preston
.--- - -.,.,.----.-....a f t e r
a
lengthy ill- UMC in D etroit for three
ness.
She years. She leaves her husband;
daughters, Julie Eliz abeth
was born in
DeGraw,
Sharon
Louise
Yale, Mich.,
DeGraw; her mother, Beatrice
on July 21 ,
1940, the
daughter of
Denver Ellis
•
•
:;;\~~- THE ~
e n n i e
( R y der)
.__.....__ _ _ _
She married the Rev. Alan W.
D eGraw in F argo, Mich. on
Mar. 21, 1964. She received a
Master of Divinity degree from
Garrett Evangelical Seminary.
D eGraw served as a music
teacher, a piano teacher, and a
church choir director . She
directed the D etroit C onference Ch orale on four E u ro~Lossing .
•
Jim Simmons
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
RickAWade@aol.com[SMTP:RickAWade@aol.com]
Friday, January 28, 2000 12:05 PM
MICHIGAN_CHRISTIAN_ADVOCATE@ecunet.org; news_alert@umc-detconf.org
DEATH NOTICE
Reverend Marilyn DeGraw, pastor of Byron UMC, died on January 28, 2000.
Funeral: Monday, 1/31/00 at 2:00p.m . at Court Street UMC, 225 W .
Court Street, Flint, MI.
NO VISITATION--family will see people 2 hours prior to the
2 :00 p.m. service.
Condolences: Reverend Alan DeGraw, 10250 Bath Road, Byron , Ml 48418.
Memorials: Bethlehem Bible College in Israel ; Byron UMC Seminary Scholarship
Fund, Nature Conservancy; or family choice.
Received 1/28/00
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