Southland’s Friendship Class gives retired veterans a sense of family

Posted: 7/18/06

Southland's Friendship Class gives
retired veterans a sense of family

By Angela Best & Laura Frase

Communication Interns

SAN ANGELO—Sunday school is a veterans’ affair for 144 members of Southland Baptist Church.

Majors, corporals, privates, lieutenants, petty officers, sergeants, specialists, warrant officers, seamen, pharmacist’s mates and colonels all hold the same rank in the San Angelo church—members of Dan Keeney’s Friendship Class.

About 80 members attend the Sunday school class each week.

“The Friendship Class breaks all the rules when it comes to recommended class enrollments, but it works great for them,” admitted Jill Fulghum, Southland’s minister of education. “And I’d be crazy to ask them to go by the book!

“They are by far the largest class we have in both enrollment and attendance. I believe that if we had a bigger room—they are now meeting in our fellowship hall—they’d outgrow it also!”

The veterans, who in their youth wore the uniforms of the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines and Seabees, served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

The class includes a large proportion of veterans because these men are members of the generation that came of age when World War II came along, Keeney said. Patriotism propelled them to enlist in the war.

Fulghum agreed, noting class members grew up when God, country and patriotism peaked. As a result, they developed strong commitment to both their country and their church.

“They have stayed true to their priorities and their convictions,” Fulghum reported. “Today, our church reaps the benefit of their loyalty to churchmanship.”

The veterans reached retirement age and have settled down in San Angelo.

“San Angelo has become an excellent retirement community, because everything is geared toward the elderly,” Keeney said.

For example, after spending more than 26 years as a military chaplain, retirement and family brought Lewis Burnett to San Angelo.

When they arrived in San Angelo, the Burnetts visited several churches. But “something about the spirit of the church, about the people reaching out and the families made Southland Baptist stand out,” he said.

Burnett has been a member of Southland 10 years and is a member of the Friendship Class.

“This is one of the most unique classes I’ve seen,” he said. “The members reach out to the community and help each other. We really pray for each other and lift each other up.”

A lot of fellowship goes on in the class, and Keeney has found this class different than others because “they want to talk more and voice their opinions.”

The class is divided into ministry teams responsible for fellowships and quarterly Sunday lunches. When someone is ill, having surgery, misses Sunday school or has a need, they are there for each other.

“I think their impact is far-reaching—both within the walls of our church and in our community,” Fulghum observed.

While some of the veterans teach in other areas of the church, serve on committees and ministry divisions, and participate in the senior-adult choir—Southland Singers—they also minister throughout the city at retirement centers, where they assist other senior adults who struggle with health problems or physical disabilities.

And the influence the Friendship Class has on the church and its members is notable.

“The number of veterans impacts the church tremendously,” Burnett said. “Veterans bring not only personal experiences as Christians, but experiences from the military to a church family which is made up of people of all different ages and backgrounds.”

“I believe the Friendship Class models for us what it is to be family,” Fulghum noted. “They take care of each other, love each other and minister to each other in so many ways. I think the rest of our church recognizes that and has great respect for them.”

Keeney recalled the class started small and just grew.

“There is a lot of love in the class,” he said. “It draws people.”

“We are a family,” Burnett agreed.

“They do a tremendous ministry within their class,” Fulghum said. “They pray for each other. They minister to each other. They fellowship together.

“Their name fits them perfectly—they find friendship there.”