Lloyd Tenney to retire after serving church for 26 years
COSHOCTON – Lloyd Tenney and his wife love Coshocton so much that they bought their first house here after more than 30 years of marriage.
“There are very good people here,” he said. “I don’t know where else I’d live and I’ve lived all over the country. I was born in West Virginia and graduated from high school in Arizona.”
Tenney and his family came to Coshocton in April 1988, when he started preaching at the Church of Christ on Chestnut Street. He has served the church for 26 years and will retire after giving his last sermon on Sunday, June 22.
“That’s the longest I’ve ever been at a church and I’ve spent 42 years in full time ministry,” Tenney said. “It’s unusual to stay that long, but I think more and more ministers are trying to.”
His father was a minister for 45 years, but Tenney also was drawn to the profession because he enjoys helping people.
“I enjoy working with people and helping them build a spiritual relationship with God,” he said.
During his time at the Church of Christ, Tenney also has enjoyed doing a Sunday morning radio program, working with the church youth on projects like Vacation Bible School, helping the community out by buying coats for children who are in need and having food and clothing giveaways and doing a booth at the fair.
“We tried to do different things to get out into the community,” he said. “They were fun to do and a nice way to meet people.”
Tenney also provided ministerial services to the community through his work at Hospice and Coshocton County Memorial Hospital. He has retired from Hospice, but still serves the hospital as chaplain.
Once he retires Tenney and his wife plan to do some traveling visiting family in Indiana and in West Virginia, but still worship with the congregation when they are in town.
“I’m going to miss being involved as a minister, but after 42 years of preaching it will be nice to be able to do some other things,” he said. “Ministers don’t get a whole lot of Sundays and weekends off.”
The Church of Christ is currently looking for Tenney’s replacement, but he said speakers are being lined up to fill in until someone is hired.
He and his wife Kathy really enjoyed being in Coshocton and raising their two daughters here. Their family also includes two grandchildren and a son who passed away in 1999.
“It felt like home almost as soon as we got here,” Tenney said.
josie@coshoctoncountybeacon.com
Category: Faith
