December 15, 2004
Church honors retiring leader
Unity Church members bid fond farewell to Judith Grimes
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Before Judith Grimes could ride off into retirement sunset, members of her congregation decided to see her off in style.
Saturday night, more than 80 members of the Unity Church of Traverse City gathered at the church to bid farewell to their minister of five years. The feted her with food, dance, song and laughter in a sanctuary decorated with photos from her life. A main segment of the evening was a 'This is Your Life' synopsis of Grimes' history, complete with stories gleaned from family members and, unwittingly, from Grimes herself.
"She has always provided a firm guiding hand that we've grown to know and love," said Marty Chirgwin, emcee of the evening.
Chirgwin and June Neal presented the life history, beginning with her birth in Chicago, her desire to 'be a minister's wife,' a feat she accomplished twice, and her own journey into Unity ministry. Ordained in 1984, Grimes served congregations in Hawaii, Washington State before coming to Traverse City in 1999.
She felt the tug of ministry at the age of 12, recalling a strong call received at a church camp.
"I said, 'Yes, God, my life is yours however you would use me,'" she recalled. "I went on to be a national speaker, leader and fund-raiser for Young Life, an interdenominational type of thing."
Raised in a traditional denomination, she fell away from church after walking out of a service one day because of her disagreement with their teachings on Heaven and Hell. Years later, she and her first husband together discovered the Unity Church as a young couple when they lived in Maui. They were instantly intrigued and both later became ministers in the church.
Even before entering the seminary herself, Grimes was very active with Unity Village in Kansas City, the home of the Unity School for Christianity. During her years as a minister, she remained active in the church leadership and received a lifetime achievement award from the organization after Sunday's service in Traverse City. Grimes will remain active with Unity Village in retirement, she said.
Grimes journey with Unity led her to Traverse City five years ago, drawn in part by a grandchild living nearby. She came to the area when the church was at a crossroads, the congregation looking to heal.
"This congregation had been through some very difficult years and they had been without a minister for a good year and a half, I'm not exactly sure how long," recalled Grimes, who moved her from a congregation in Maui. "I feel like I'm a stabilizing minister and one of the things that really supports this is to move into an area and buy a home. Let the congregation know that you are here, not just transient."
Her last sermon will be on Sunday although she will be officially on staff through December 31. After that, Grimes and husband, Ken will head south and eventually split their time between a new home they are building in Deer Lake and Louisville, Kentucky. They have children and grandchildren in both locations.
Although it is a big change, Grimes said she is ready to move on after decades of guiding individuals and congregations. She and her husband, also an ordained minister, will continue performing weddings; combined they have performed more than 5,000 over the years.
"My spiritual life has been public property for 34 years," she said, noting that she began teaching Sunday School in 1971.
As she takes some time to figure out the next steps on her life's journey, Grimes plans to relax, garden and kayak.
"They gave me a kayak at the church, I'm so thrilled," she enthused. "I've wanted one for 25 years and they gave me the exact one I wanted."
Reviewing her life and ministry with the Unity Church, Grimes reflected on her achievements and challenges.
"It's been rewarding, it hasn't always been easy," she said. "There's definitely been some disappointments but there's also been satisfaction and soul and spiritual growth and fulfillment."