Beveridge, Thomas Frank (July 9, 1939—October 12, 2014)
As Tom said in our 50th reunion booklet, “Time carried me from [Middletown] Connecticut to [Grinnell] Iowa at the age of eighteen.” Living in Smith Hall and playing the clarinet in the band, Tom majored in English and later acknowledged that “Grinnell had broken me open (not always a comfortable process) and introduced me to a much richer, more diverse world.”
Tom fondly recalls one of our professors saying that although he disagreed with Tom’s conclusions in a paper, he appreciated the way in which Tom had presented his argument. “That may have been the first time in my life that an authority figure complimented me for having the integrity to say what I thought, and say it well, rather than just spouting a ‘right’ answer.”
Tom went on to Drew University Theological School to obtain a M. Div. degree in 1965. Later he earned a Master of Arts in Counseling from the University of St. Joseph, and a Doctor of Ministry in Psychology and Clinical Studies from Andover Newton Theological School.
After ordination as a Methodist Church deacon in 1964, Tom served as a Methodist pastor for the next eleven years (1965-1975) in his native Connecticut and New York and again in 1977-1982. He also was a Resident Chaplain at Hartford Hospital (1975-1977) and spent many years in pastoral counseling in Connecticut (1982-1993).
Since 2006, he served as an Ecumenical Associate at Christ Church Cathedral of The Episcopal Church in Hartford, Connecticut. There he was active in its Church Street Eats ministry that serves the homeless and others in need and was a leader in the Cathedral’s healing ministry and Adult Christian Formation. Tom was a member of the Order of Saint Luke, a religious order whose calling is to liturgical/sacramental scholarship, teaching and practice. For several years, he served the Order as its first Pastoral Care Officer.
Here is Tom’s photograph from this year’s Palm Sunday in his vestments, including the scapular of The Order of St Luke that symbolized his vocation as an ordained minister and his commitment to the Order’s Rule of Life and Service. The tall buildings in the background speak of the connection Tom made between his service at the altar and his service to the people of the city, particularly those living on the margins. Also note his using a cane that allowed him to continue his ministry in spite of extreme back pain.
In his essay for our 50th reunion booklet, Tom said that he had spent much of his life on the boundaries of the world, including those between the arts and sciences, liturgy and life, psychology and religion, ecumenical and interfaith dialogues, encountering other ethnicities and cultures, being involved with issues of war and peace, advocating for justice in access to healthcare and standing in the ever-widening gulf between wealth and poverty. In all of this, “respect among people of differing thoughts, commitments, and experiences is one of my core values.”
This theme was echoed in Tom’s sermon for our 50th reunion, “Boundaries: Bridges to Wisdom. which drew upon Jesus’ words in John 4:24: “God is spirit, [therefore], those who worship God must worship in spirit and truth.” According to Tom, Jesus invites us into His experience of boundaries. He was in a place he was not supposed to be, talking to someone he is not supposed to be associating with—a Samaritan woman in the heart of Samaria. Responding to her question, Jesus said the place (Jerusalem or Mount Gerazim) for worshipping God was not important. “God is spirit, [therefore] those who worship God must worship in spirit and truth. Spirit is unpredictable. Truth is “something so deep and so important that you know you’ve always known it,” like all people share one common humanity.
Spirit and truth, Tom continued, “work together to unmask the falsehoods of our world. They expose the lies that say that boundaries of nation, religion, race, class, gender, sexual orientation—any such boundaries—are something to be fought over. They re-mind us that differences between people in lifestyles, cultures, thought and worship are expressions of God’s creation in us, not grounds for fear, suspicion, hatred and violence.”
Tom is survived by his wife Amy (Anderson) Beveridge, whom he met at Drew University, their son, Thomas Andrew Beveridge, his sister Lois Czachorowski (Philip) and their three children.
His memorial service was at the Christ Church Cathedral on October 18th. The service bulletin said, “”A devout and dedicated pastor, tom used his special gifts in helping others on their spiritual journeys, and was able to reach out to many in personal and meaningful ways and especially to those who asked for healing. He had a passion for ecumenical and interfaith ministries, and will be deeply missed by all who were privileged to know him.”
Our classmate, Ginger Hoff Stolztenberg, was there in the nearly full cathedral to watch the family enter with 28 robed participants, including two bishops, priests, a vicar and deacons. Seven people shared their memories of Tom, including the Bishop of Connecticut.
