Bud+Tillinghast

Most of my years after seminary have been spent in parish ministry, but not without struggle. With all the books in the early 60’s about ‘new life in the Church’, I requested an appointment to begin a new congregation. It was granted, and three years out of seminary I was sent to five acres in northern Marin County. I discovered the only thing the people coming had in common was dissatisfaction with the last church they had been in. I lasted less than a year.
 * H. A. “Bud” Tillinghast, wife: Kathleen**

After 5 years in a newish congregation in northeast Sacramento, I felt the need for a sabbatical and spent the next year with wife and two kids in a VW camper. We traveled through Europe and North Africa, ending up in England, where I spent two years on a Methodist team ministry and teaching in a college.

Planning to return to the U S and ministry I found that wife, Fran, loved England more than me. There followed a legal struggle for custody of our two children. I returned to California and ministry, which went well, and filed for custody, which didn’t.

While in England I met a woman who had been a nun and was teaching Latin and Greek. Later, Kath came to California and we married and have had two children. We spent 16 years in Oakland and the last 20 years in Eureka. In Oakland I served an inner-city basically Anglo congregation while starting Korean and Tongan ones. These were the years of our enjoying and celebrating ethnic diversity. We got and fixed up a house in East Oakland (where the barrio met the ghetto) through an urban homesteading program. My last two years were in directing our denomination’s metro ministries there: 14 churches, 9 ethnic groups.

From there I was appointed to a church on the far northern California redwood coast. So I soon found myself in the midst of the timber wars. As there are not that many people of other ethnicity, Kath and I have explored and celebrated our human religious diversity. For 25 years, beginning in an Oakland Franciscan parish, I went to (Saturday evening) mass with Kath. Our explorations included co-teaching world religions in the local community college and university. The second setting lasted only a month because I refused to sign the Loyalty Oath and was escorted out of the classroom by campus police.

Now in retirement, I have continued those aspects of ministry that I enjoyed most while I was active: peace and justice. A particular issue close to my heart has been the acceptance of LGBT folk, such interest enhanced early by the discovery my son is gay.

Six years ago I developed CFIDS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which severely limits my activities. I’m glad I got started with a computer 25 years ago because it helps me to keep connected with the world. My four children live on four continents! So with iChat on the computer and by air travel we keep in close touch. Last year, Kath and I spent six months just south of Oxford, England with a daughter, son-in-law and new baby. We plan to return for another six months this year. So at 75 I found myself developing a whole new circle of friends. We became part of a most interesting congregation there and began a new field of interest: the intersection of science and religion. 2010 Buhne Street, Eureka, CA 707 442-0443 rev.bud@mac.com htilling@sbcglobal.net