If you want something done right, just ask a busy person. That old adage proved true when Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary asked Chrys Hyde to help organize a Small Informational Gathering in Oshkosh, Wisconsin as a part of its Forging Our Future campaign in 2003. Although she was already deeply involved in church and community activities, she was recommended by her pastor as someone who would do a great job in coordinating such an event. "I'm a good organizer and that's my problem," says Chrys. "I can't say 'no.' I'm hard on myself. If I say I'll do it, then I'll do it 150 percent. I have a hard time relaxing and I like to be busy."
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary is one of the 13 United Methodist seminaries supported by the Ministerial Education Fund apportionment of the United Methodist Church.
So Chrys said yes to organizing the gathering-and it was a big success. In fact, she so impressed Garrett-Evangelical staff with her leadership and organizational skills that she was invited to join the seminary's board of trustees. Again she said yes, this time because of her deep appreciation for The United Methodist Church and her recognition that preparing outstanding leaders for the church needed to be a high priority.
"I'm a United Methodist through and through," Chrys notes. Her love for The United Methodist Church goes back to when she was a little girl growing up in Kansas City. Her father, a recovering alcoholic, was told by several churches that he could never hold a leadership position in the church, even though he had been sober for years. Asbury United Methodist Church in Prairie Village, however, welcomed him and his family with open arms. The progressive attitude of the church and its doctrine of love and acceptance had a profound effect on Chrys. Her father went on to serve in many leadership positions in the church, and Chrys came to love the inclusiveness of The United Methodist Church. One year her family served as a missionary family to an inner-city church. Here Chrys learned the joy of diversity and her appreciation for the church's acceptance of all people grew even deeper.
Chrys went to Coe College in Iowa, where she majored in psychology and sociology and met her future husband, Doug. They married and moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where they raised two children, Andrew and Sarah, and became deeply involved in the life of the community. Like her father, Chrys became a leader in the church, serving as trustee, stewardship chair, membership chair, vacation Bible School chair, pastor-parish relations chair, administrative council chair, revisioning committee chair, and fund for discipleship chair.
Chrys' leadership didn't stop at the church, however. When her children were young she started the citywide Parent Teacher Organization. She worked on capital campaigns for the Girl Scouts and the Paine Art Center. She was a founding member of the Women's Fund, a fundraising organization with a mission to empower the lives of women. Doug's full-time job, however, was with Oshkosh B'Gosh, demanding much of his time and energy, especially when he became CEO of the company in 1991. Nonetheless, he too managed to find time to give back to the community, becoming deeply involved with the Boys and Girls Club of Oshkosh.
In 2007 Doug and Chrys "retired" and moved to Florida. While they now have more time for boating, traveling, and reading, their lifestyle is not one of just leisure. Chrys has already thrown herself into the work of the local United Methodist Church; Doug remains active with the Boys and Girls Club, and they are both involved with their alma mater, Coe College, Doug as a board member and Chrys as a member of the campaign steering committee. And Chrys is again hard at work raising awareness for Garrett-Evangelical and the important role it is playing in preparing bold Christian leaders for the church and the world
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary website, Evanston, IL
One of seven apportioned giving opportunities of The United Methodist Church, the Ministerial Education Fund is at the heart of preparing people for making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The 13 United Methodist seminaries help students to discover their calling through the challenging curriculum. The fund enables the church to increase financial support for recruiting and educating ordained and diaconal ministers and to equip annual conferences to meet increased demands. Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the Ministerial Education Fund apportionment at 100 percent.
