New Centenary Methodist pastor to hold homecoming service Sunday

Centenary Methodist Church's newly appointed pastor, Carl Palmer, is set to lead a homecoming service at 9:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 15.

This service, a celebration of homecoming during Southeast Missouri State University's homecoming weekend, will be followed by displays sharing the church's history and showcasing various small groups. The event will conclude with a complimentary dinner at the church, 300 N. Ellis St.

"We are particularly inviting people who have been a part of Centenary sometime in their life. But we're also welcoming anybody in the public that might find of interest to visit our church or to hear our pastor preach," said Ron Hahs, chairman of the church's administrative council.

Palmer, 52, has been serving as a pastor since 2003, primarily in the vicinity of Fayetteville, Arkansas. He and his wife, Denni, have been married for 27 years, and they are parents of two biological and five adopted children.

Palmer earned his Bachelor of Arts from Ohio State University and pursued a master's in divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky. Currently, he is in the final stages of completing his doctorate in organizational leadership at Asbury.

Palmer's journey with the church began at a luncheon meeting with the church committee, which eventually led to an invitation for him to deliver a sermon. Following his visit, the church voted unanimously to request Bishop Scott Jones to appoint Palmer as the senior pastor. Palmer was appointed and delivered his first service at Centenary Methodist Church on Oct. 1.

"We feel very blessed of what has been able to happen since July 1, when we became our separate church. It's amazing when we think back about it, with a lot of interested people who stepped forward and volunteered to be of assistance in this process. We feel very blessed that we've been able to obtain our senior pastor in this amount of time, we are very excited about he and his family," Hahs said.

Earlier this year, Centenary United Methodist Church members voted in favor of adopting a memorandum of understanding that created an "amicable separation", splitting the church into two separate congregations.

Palmer is planning to serve at Centenary Methodist Church until retirement, Hahs added.

Centenary is encouraging those planning to attend the dinner to call (573) 382-8020 or visit www.centenarynow.org/homecoming for more information.