On Sunday, June 24, the congregation wished pastor Ken Timmerman Godspeed as he concluded his final sermon at First Church and shared a covered dish meal in the fellowship hall with well wishers before his departure. The congregation now looks forward, with great anticipation, to the arrival of the Rev. Kim Eanes on Sunday, July 1, from her present assignment at Grace Community UMC in Fort Mill. Kim cites her ministry for the church as her greatest passion having practiced as an ordained minister for the past 28 years. She characterizes herself as a “diehard United Methodist” as evidenced by the John Wesley bobblehead doll which graces her office. She delights in small group ministry featuring in-depth Bible studies and discussion based spiritual growth groups. Her concern for the spiritual health of her parishioners is complemented by her interest in their physical health which she has addressed through leading weekly exercise classes including yoga, kickboxing and jazzercise. Her ministry also typically includes community outreach activities such as English as a Second Language classes, blood drives, student mentoring opportunities and coordination with secular agencies of community assistance.
Her path to Cheraw has been neither direct nor uneventful. She describes her beginnings as “just one small step below the angels” having been born in West Virginia, or as John Denver intones, “Almost Heaven, West Virginia.” Before her first birthday, the family relocated to Iowa and then Illinois and Michigan which provided her midwestern roots. She received an undergraduate degree from Barat College (Lake Forest IL) and a Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (Evanston IL). Kim began work on her Doctorate at Duke University but a reassignment in 2014 placed those plans on hold. Her first eleven years of ministry were spent serving churches in small communities throughout the state of Iowa. Following the death of her husband in an automobile accident in 2000, Kim decided to move to the South to be closer to family: her sister Melody (and husband Scott) live in Marietta GA and her parents Jim and Jewell reside in Aiken SC and will soon celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. Kim enjoys walking, hiking, cycling, kayaking, fishing, golfing, volleyball and softball and notes that she is most often accompanied on these activities by her twelve year old miniature schnauzer, Shalom. Her iPod playlist includes contemporary Christian and contemporary jazz selections. An avid college and pro sports fan, she has cheered many years for Big Ten teams, particularly the Iowa Hawkeyes. When given the opportunity, she declined to weigh in along the Clemson/USC spectrum, maybe disinterest or maybe a calculated political decision. She did admit her two semesters at Duke found her cheering for the Blue Devils in basketball, however. We welcome Kim into the church family at Cheraw First Church and look forward to making many meaningful and lasting memories.