Staying the Course

Fathers’ Footsteps – Intro:

Welcome to this UMTV Web Brief; I’m Reed Galin.

This week, golf shirts and ties are flying off the racks as kids try to find the perfect gift for Dad.

One family has found the ultimate way to honor Father. For seven generations, at least one member of the Bryan family has followed in the footsteps of his father, serving as a pastor in The United Methodist Church.

Fathers’ Footsteps – Story:

Columbia, Mo.

Meet the Bryan family. Andy’s at the piano … That’s Daddy Monk … and next to him, his son Jim.

The one common bond that makes this family so unusual is that each one of them is a United Methodist pastor.

Andy Bryan / United Methodist Associate Pastor: “It’s always been a part of who we were, and who I was as I was growing up.”

Monk Bryan is a retired bishop, but still preaches when given the chance.

Andy Bryan: “He is the best preacher I have ever heard. I’m sorry, Dad, but I’ve got to say Grandfather Bryan is an incredible preacher.”

Having three ministers is one family is unusual, but in this family the tradition goes back even farther. Andy represents the seventh generation to have served The United Methodist Church, dating back to the 1800s.

Every one of them will tell you they never intended to become ministers – it just worked out that way.

Jim Bryan / United Methodist Pastor: “I tried to avoid it and grew up saying that would not be me, that I would break the chain.”

Andy Bryan: “Growing up, I never felt any pressure from my father or grandfather.”

Monk Bryan / United Methodist Pastor: “There never was any attempt to persuade my son Jim to be a preacher. My father and mother never tried to persuade me.”

Each will tell you they were called to serve in their own ways. Youngest brother Brad recently indicated he too will enter the ministry, helping to preserve a family legacy for yet another generation.

Fathers’ Footsteps – Tag:

Andy’s youngest daughter Cory has already indicated she would like to follow in her father’s footsteps someday. But Andy is quick to point out she is only 5 and she will be encouraged to find her own path in life just like all the Bryans have done before her.

Backtrack – Intro:

Every day, people flood into the United States seeking their American dream. But what happens when you get it and decide it’s not for you? One father, who brought his family here from Korea, has done well by American standards, but, in the process, he says he lost something very important – an appreciation for the simple things in life. Now, he’s trying to reclaim that.

Backtrack – Story:

For this family, eating together was unheard of – until recently.

Lydia Sohn, 19: “Before, it was all about having dinner at a restaurant.”

They’d left Korea for a better life. Sung Sohn studied to be an architect, while his wife Myra, a pharmacist, put in 10-hour days.

Sung Sohn / Myra House Retreat Center: “As we continue to live here, we realize we are not living properly. We are slowly dying.”

Chasing the American dream left them exhausted.

Myra Sohn: “I felt sorry for my daughter and my son because I did not give them time.”

After visiting a monastery, the peaceful setting inspired the couple to change their lifestyle. It wasn’t easy.

Sung Sohn: “We had to give up the TV...”

… and cell phones and new cars. Their children were appalled.

David Sohn, 18: “We put up a fight, but it didn’t go so well.”

To complete the transformation, the family spent several years – and most of their money – building “Myra House,” a retreat center near Claremont, Calif. This eco-friendly residence is home to boarders and other guests hoping to simplify their lives.

Sung Sohn: “We have about 60 kinds of fruit trees.”

Sohn, now studying to be a United Methodist minister, teaches others how to recycle, compost and live off the land. Meals come from the back yard.

Sung Sohn: “Thank you for the lesson.”

They let go of material things to grab hold of the simple things like sharing a meal.

Sung Sohn: “This is the happiest time of the day, yes.”

Backtrack – Tag:

On the next UMTV Web Brief, moving ministry to the streets.

“It’s fun. We learn about God the easiest way that we can; we play.”

Thanks for watching. Make it a good week.