MOUNT VERNON -- Cornell College and the
United Methodist Church will mark 150 years of a shared heritage and mission Sunday, March 21, during the 10:45 a.m. worship service at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church.
Gregory Palmer, bishop of the Iowa Conference of the
United Methodist Church, will give the sermon, titled "All of the Above." The Cornell Chamber Singers, directed by Lisa Hearne, will provide special music. Following the service will be a potluck dinner open to all.
Pastor Frank Seydel notes the service also will recognize members of the congregation associated with Cornell, including faculty, alumni, students and parents of students. "Those persons make up a substantial portion of our congregation," he said.
The
United Methodist Church has historically looked to colleges to help inform its members. Cornell was founded by Methodist minister George Bowman, who believed education was critical to a civilized society. In September 1853, classes began at Cornell -- then called the Iowa Conference Seminary -- in the old Methodist Episcopal Church because construction was not finished on the first academic building on the new 15-acre campus. During the college's early history, the church aggressively helped recruit students.
Today six of Cornell's 39 trustees represent the
United Methodist Church, and the church supports the college financially and encourages its members to do so. The college and church remain committed to the joint mission of developing leaders with intelligence, compassion and willingness to serve others.
