Religion: Methodist Church Losing Reverend

This past Sunday I did something that I rarely do--I went to church. Not just any church, but St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in North Redondo Beach to hear Rev. Jim Hamilton’s last sermon. After 17 years there, Rev. Hamilton is leaving for a year’s sabbatical in Costa Rica. After that, who knows?

I first met Rev. Hamilton almost four years ago when, as editor of the Redondo Beach News, I became intrigued by the work that both Project: NEEDS and the AIDS Heartline were doing out of his little church in District 5. Over the next few years I wrote several stories about them and Rev. Hamilton and I became good friends, getting together for lunch every few months to catch up on life and complain about the demise of our beloved Boston Celtics. I even began helping out at the church’s Tuesday night meal.

During the past two years, I’ve seen the South Bay Community Church of the Brethren and the First United Methodist Church of Redondo Beach add Wednesday and Thursday night meals to their schedules, always remembering that it all started at St. Paul’s.

To me, Jim Hamilton is everything God wants a preacher to be. A leader to both his flock and his community. Kind, loving, compassionate and tolerant. I like to think some of that has rubbed off on me over the past few years, just because I had the honor and privilege of being his friend.

We’ll all miss Jim.

ROSS S. YOSNOW

Redondo Beach