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Roger was a depression baby born in December 1933 in a small rural town in central Illinois.
His church life in the early years was the parent-directed participation in the Congregational Church near his grandparents home. School years were more of the same.
In the spring 1951, Roger's senior year in high school, the family moved to Los Angeles, CA, where Roger finished his last three months of high school. What a culture shock! The college years, in the fifties were split between Ventura Community College and three years at Fresno State College all resulting in a degree in Industrial Engineering. The Fresno years were punctuated by two summer sessions as a camp counselor for a local Congregation church. It was one of those times when the youth leader said "Gee these kids can't go unless we have one more counselor" and a short summer stint working with a church program for migrant farm workers in the San Joaquin Valley of California.
Presbyterianism came along with his wife Sue in 1960. Community Presbyterian Church in Ventura, California was a start that led to their being among the fifty founding members of Eastminster Presbyterian church in Ventura in 1966. Not too many new church developments start with a lemon orchard and an old house. Along with this came the church organizing committee, later ordination as an elder and serving on a pastor nominating committee.
1969 brought the Shoemakers to Lincoln, Nebraska, via a U-Haul truck, and a family partnership truck stop business. Church shopping led them to Eastridge Presbyterian Church, the smallest but not the closest choice. This worked well for them but not for their children, whose community of friends went to the not so small Westminster Presbyterian Church, with its 2000 members, just four blocks from their home.
The next thirty years at Westminster brought service as Deacon, Elder, Christian education committee, youth work including Sr. High Ski instructor. Other involvements included adult education and teaching, stewardship committee, outreach committee, building and grounds, corporation president, and youth pastor nominating committee. Beginning in 1989, the most rewarding of all was the sister church planning task force with a Lutheran Church in Lohmen East Germany. This partnership still exists today. A second relationship started during that time was with Hope Church Chicago, an African American Presbyterian congrgation in South Chicago.
Of course if you're active in the Presbyterian Church USA, Presbytery and Synod involvement seem to follow along. Commissioner for the Synod of the Lakes and Prairies brought time on personnel, interim executive search committee and a year as Vice Moderator.
Roger has served as a commissioner for Homestead Presbytery, council member, more than once, nominating committee chair, Camp Calvin Crest committee moderator, as Vice-Moderator and then Moderator of Presbytery.
Roger and his wife Sue are active members of Southern Heights Presbyterian Church in Lincoln, NE.
National exposure evolved over time. Many visits to Louisville KY to see grand children allowed time as an observer of every GAC meeting he could attend. The 20 years of sister church partnership with the Lutheran Church in Lohmen, East Germany was facilitated by a strong sense of mission. Growing out of the Lohmen partnership came an additional interest in the Czech Republic through the Czech Working Group of GAC and Roger currently serves the Czech Mission Network as convener. During the Czech stage he has been to the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren Synodical meetings several times as the PC USA Representative.
The experiences of these varied exposures are the small grains of sand that make up the rock upon which Roger Shoemaker stands. These granules of sand are held together by the faith that has grown within him over the years and continues to grow in order that it may be shared.
Click Here to Contact Roger Directly...
A Special meeting was held on Friday, April 25th at the Presbyterian Church in Lawrenceville, NJ. The purpose of the meeting was to meet the four Candidates for Moderator of the 218th General Assembly. Click Here for detailed information.
Following are links from The Presbyterian News Service on all four candidates:
The Rev. Carl Mazza
The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow
The Rev. Bill Teng
Elder Roger Shoemaker
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