Sunday, June 21, 2015

June 20, 2015, column:

Paul Matney recalls city's evolution

By Mike Haynes
            An early morning visit to one of Amarillo’s historic churches turned out to include a nostalgic look at growing up in the city as well as a spiritual blessing.
Dr. Paul Matney
            If you’ve heard Dr. Paul Matney speak in any setting, you know he’s a master communicator who relates well to his audience. As he talked to one of Polk Street United Methodist Church’s two men’s groups a couple of Fridays ago, he touched not only on the role faith has played in his life but on some people and places that brought knowing looks and grins to the faces of many of the 35 guys who had just finished breakfast in the church’s Christian Life Center.
            The Double Dip drive-in, for starters.
            You may not know that Matney, who retired as Amarillo College president just a year ago,
skipped out of Sunday school with a friend one morning to hang out at the Double Dip just down the street from the Polk Street church. He was a teenager then, and as he entered the popular drive-in, he had an “oh, no” moment. His father, longtime educator and coach Carl Matney, was sitting at a booth with other men and raised a “come here” forefinger toward his son.
            The elder Matney’s instruction to the young Paul was, “Don’t breathe a word about this to your mother.”
            Paul Matney, who has attended another church for many years but grew up at Polk Street UMC, has a storehouse of Amarillo memories, whether it’s school, family, politics, sports or church. He recalled the impressive appearance of Dr. Eugene Slater, the Polk Street pastor in the 1950s, with his navy blue suit and “full, white, shock of hair.”
            He remembered playing a wise man in the Methodist Youth Fellowship’s live nativity scene outside the church. Standing “still as a statue,” he heard a young child ask, “Are they real?” The kid’s friend exclaimed, “They’re real! I saw the fat one move.”
            Matney’s family often sat in the balcony during church so they could exit quickly enough to “beat the Baptists to the Silver Grill,” the iconic Amarillo cafeteria.
            Leader Rodney Laubhan said most of the Methodist men’s group – which does projects such as building ramps for people with disabilities – attends PSUMC, but a few regulars are from other denominations. Matney certainly didn’t limit his recollections to one church, focusing on the downtown congregations, including Central Church of Christ, First Baptist and First Presbyterian.
            Of course he recalled the authoritative voice and presence of Dr. Winfred Moore, for decades the personification of First Baptist, who died May 8 at age 95. According to group member Ken Pirtle, Moore spoke a couple of years ago to the PSUMC men. Other than some funeral appearances, it was Moore’s last formal public address. “It was outstanding,” Pirtle said. “Meaningful, organized and powerful. And without notes. What an honor it was to have been his final speaking engagement.”
            Matney, who gave credit to his wife, Sandy, as perhaps the best Bible scholar in the family, reminded the group of some “guidepost” verses: the faith of Hebrews 11, the grace of Ephesians 2:8-10, the hope of Philippians 4 and the Golden Rule of Matthew 7:12. And he commended the recent ecumenical efforts of those four downtown churches. As a group, “4 Amarillo” has collaborated the past two years on Thanksgiving and Easter services, Vacation Bible schools and other ministries.
            “I think this is genuine,” Matney said about 4 Amarillo. “It’s not one part contrived. It sends a tremendous message to the community that we can concentrate on the things we have in common instead of on the small things.”
            Judging by the Friday Methodist group, which includes at least one man representing Presbyterians, the Church of Christ, Mormons and Baptists, these guys are focusing on their shared faith.
            For information on the 6:30 a.m. Friday group or the PSUMC noon Tuesday men’s group, call the church at 374-2891.