The former Lieutenant Colonel Glenn Stringham is now the Reverend Glenn Stringham. He spent 22 years in the United States Army and the past 12 years working as the Minister to Senior Adults at the Fayetteville First Baptist Church.

He has thoroughly enjoyed his former duty and looks forward to many more years in his current capacity.

Born and reared in Illinois, Stringham’s father worked for the railroad, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy.

His work in the Army carried him from duty in Georgia, Alabama, Hawaii, Berlin and Vietnam to Puerto Rico and Panama.

That duty included serving as a provost marshal, training military police, company commander of a signal corps, taking part in jungle training, retraining of prisoners at Fort Riley, not to mention guarding then-Vice President George Bush when President Ronald Reagan was shot.

In fact, the father of Jim Brady, who was also shot at that time, was the boss of Stringham’s father at the CBQ railroad company.

Stringham received his degree in criminology and corrections from the University of Nebraska and a masters in human relations from Webster University in St. Louis.

He and his wife, Phyllis, who was a high school sweetheart, were married in 1966 and are the parents of Leslie Longstreth, who is married to Jeremy, and a son, Kevin, a children's minister in LaGrange. Kevin is married to Vikky. Their youngest is their daughter, Sarah, who was the first girl from Fayette County High School to go to All State in soccer. She is married to Scott Vessell. Both girls live in Fayetteville. The Stringham's have eight grandchildren.

Rev. Stringham is privileged to work with 800 senior adults at First Baptist and they enjoy his leadership. He is such a well-loved community pastor that he has conducted more funerals in the county than any other pastor and this includes all ages.

The senior groups at the church include the Keenagers who meet the fourth Monday of each month. They meet each at the church at 11 a.m. and then go out to eat.

The Young at Heart group meets each first Sunday after the worship hour with a covered dish at the church. Well over 100 get together for good food and fellowship.

Their activities include exercise classes, mission trips to such areas as North Dakota, Arizona and Mississippi. Trips to the Amish communities in Pennsylvania, exploring the nation's capital in Washington D.C., going to Savannah to learn about its 300-year history, or perhaps Branson, Missouri, will keep you interested throughout the year.

Another senior group is the Homebound senior adults. Each second Tuesday of the month, members of the church cook as many as 100 meals at the church, which are taken to those who are homebound. This activity has been in place for over 10 years.

This Saturday, May 3, the church will hold its annual Senior Adult Day. At 2 p.m., over 200 seniors will be at the church to enjoy a covered dish luncheon, complete with a speaker. A special Christmas luncheon is also held each year for them.

You are cordially invited to participate in the interesting senior activities that transpire throughout the year at Fayetteville First Baptist Church, led by a thoroughly interesting Senior Adult pastor with a thoroughly interesting past.

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