Rev. Lyall Hartley was employed in 1972 as an associate minister to direct the Education and Youth departments. He resigned in January 1976 based on differences over music, preaching form and community commitment. July 4 was the Bi-Centennial of America and a special worship service was held. August 22 was the Big Thompson Canyon flood; 4 lives lost were members of Loveland FCC. Church secretary for 14 years, Georgia Barclay resigned. Rev. Archie Stevenson was to retire and move to Texas in October, so a congregational dinner was held to honor them both. In December Rev. Roy Fields and wife Cherry came to a covered dish dinner. Fields caught a cold and then flu and had to be hospitalized in Kansas.
April 17, 1977, the Fields arrived with their 5 children and purchased a house. Rev. Fields was installed on May 1, and preached to 258 people. Needs, Inc. moved to a building on the South Side. In the summer of 1978, Dr. Fields came down with hepatitis. His son Tim served as interim. In May 1979, Dr. Fields received his doctorate. AA began using the church as a meeting place. July 16, the worst tornado in state history occurred in Cheyenne. Jim McKinnon Jr. lost his baby son and later his wife. An Interfaith Task Force helped those affected by the tornado. Thanksgiving was memorable because a terrific blizzard kept most people at home. Claire Miller, a talented artist from the congregation painted a beautiful pastoral scene, placed behind the baptistery. It represents 5 parables: The Lost Sheep, The Sparrows, The Sower, and The Mustard Seed.
As you can see, this article covers only the last half of the 1970’s and skimmed the surface of all that was then happening in the church; future installments to come.
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