EVA SURBROOK: MINISTERING SISTER. Dawn B. Miller

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1 EVA SURBROOK: MINISTERING SISTER Dawn B. Miller E va Surbrook was born to Samuel and Jane Surbrook on November 13, Third in a family of thirteen children, she made her appearance near the tiny town of Brown City in the thumb area of Michigan. Although her father was a staunch First Day Adventist, Eva began attending the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Sunday School with her brother Lewis and eventually convinced her parents to attend also. Eva's father forbade his children to attend high school because he feared it would cause them to lose their salvation, but Eva's compelling need for learning overrode her father's objections. She went to high school and then to County Normal, where she earned a teaching certificate. Finishing at County Normal, she took a position in the little Ridge country school near Applegate, Michigan. Eva Surbrook 16

2 UNDERSTANDING HER CALL But something was missing from Eva's life. She threw herself into teaching, but it did not satisfy. She prayed for peace and only felt the tug more strongly. Her Bible said, "the harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest" (Mt. 9:37, 38 KJV). The tug grew ever stronger. "God, are you calling me?" she began to pray. 'You know I'd love to serve you but I'm a woman. Women weren't really meant for the ministry." One night Eva sought her brother's counsel. "Lewis, I feel God calling me to His service," she said. "Could it be that He wants me in the ministry?" Together they knelt, seekinga clear understanding of God's will. When they finished, the call was clear-to Eva, and to Lewis. Eva secured the support of the Fremont Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church and submitted a comprehensive doctrinal statement to the leadership ofthe Michigan District. In 1924 she stated her call to the Michigan District Conference at Brown City, Michigan. The Conference granted her a probationer's license and commissioned her to "labor under the direction of the City Mission Board." Over the next five years Eva completed the comprehensive reading course which was required of all probationers and emerged with an overall score of 89%. The District Conference then sent Eva to the Oakwood Missionary Church as a helper for Sister Alice Francis; but in 1929, when the conference convened, no church was available for Eva. So, she went to Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, and there met Hazel Ewing. Together they finished their schooling and then entered an evangelistic ministry. a One summer they held services in the park at Bad Axe, Michigan. Eva's sister, Sarah, provided music on her accordion and Eva and Hazel sang. One night Eva brought the message and the next night the message was Hazel's responsibility. It was at those meetings that Bessie Lovelace found the Lord, and through her influence, her husband, Lawrence, recommitted his life to Christ. In God's time, Lawrence was called to the ministry. Each summer brought the Brown City Camp meeting. For ten days ministers and lay people pulled away from the cares of daily life, praising God and feeding on His word. In those days preaching responsibilities were shared among the ministers of the district. One summer when Eva brought the message, she chose Jeremiah 9 as her text. "Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people." Tears rolled down her cheeks

3 throughout the sermon and a holy presence filled the tabernacle. That sermon is remembered yet today. On March 23,1942, the Reverend J. Nelson Pannabecker died. Funeral services were held at the Stobel homestead in Grand Ledge, Michigan, and a number of Mennonite Brethren in Christ ministers attended. Among them were District Superintendent J. S. Wood, Reverend J. A. Avery and Reverend Sam Surbrook with Eva and several of her brothers. A group of about 20 local people whose roots were in the Mennonite Brethren in Christ Church were also in attendance. As they talked among themselves, they became convinced that, if a pastor was sent to them, they could form the nucleus for a new church. CHURCH PLANTING Several weeks later Eva's brother, Lewis, approached Superintendent Wood. 'Would you mind," he said, "if I go to Lansing to see what we can do about starting a church in the area?" The Reverend Wood responded in typical J. S. Wood style. "More power to you, brother. Anything you can do is all right with me. But this is depression time. I really can't see a work developing right now." So Eva and Lewis began the search for a suitable facility and soon found an old bank building. Rotten apples were strewn all over where vandals had thrown them through the windows. Dust and dirt covered everything, and a big hole in the floor marked the place where the vault had been. Lewis felt the old bank could be remodeled to serve. They rented it for $50 a month and, with the help of local people, began cleaning and remodeling. Finally the work was finished and the inaugural service set for April 19, Palms for the platform and 125 chairs were borrowed from Palmer Bush Funeral Home on Saturday night, April 18. The next morning people came to the service from Grand Ledge, Okemos and Owosso as well as Lansing to help celebrate the new work which had begun in the area. Thereafter for the next --- Historical Perspective Speaking of his conversion under Laura Mains, Jacob Hygema wrote the following in his journal: "... the following day an unutterable joy filled my soul as I sent the news by numbers of letters to my friends in Indiana. My prejudice against women speaking received a terrible blow that night, having been converted among only women...." --Gospel Banner, October 1, 1895.

4 nine months, chairs were picked up each Saturday night for use on Sunday and then returned to Palmer Bush each Monday morning. Eva's home was the balcony above the sanctuary, her kitchen the alcove behind the pews. Many Sunday mornings the aroma of roast beef wafted throughout the sanctuary during the services. Everyone knew Eva was a great cook. During the year and a half that the Lansing church met in the old bank building, it established its credibility as a functioning body. The first membership list was officialized and the first revivals held. On October 11, 1942, the first quarterly meeting took place with District Superintendent J. S. Wood presiding. Quarterly meetings generally began on Friday night and ran through Sunday. During these times wonderful sermons were preached. The sacraments of communion and foot washing were held and the business of the church conducted. Under Eva's leadership the congregation soon outgrew the old bank building. On January 22,1944, an old store building at 634 West Saginaw was purchased and remodeling began anew. Replastering was finished on February 19,1944, and the walls of the long merchandising area painted light blue. A platform was built in the north end and a piano moved onto it. Pews placed on either side of the sanctuary left a long aisle down the middle. Two storage rooms on the east side became classrooms. Soon the congregation moved into its new facility and Eva's home became an upstairs apartment. For several years she carried coal up a sometimes icy outside stairway to her second story space heater. Then, in 1948, she was stationed at the New GreenleafMissionary Church. Eva served five years in New Greenleaf and then moved to the tiny Lynn Missionary Church, where she ministered for eleven years. In 1956, while she was a pastor at the Lynn Missionary Church, Ardith Sanford came to live with her from the Lapeer Home for Mentally and Physically Disabled Persons. Ardith was severely challenged physically, but could converse quite capably regarding routine daily matters. Shortly after Eva's retirement in 1969, she took Doris Gerber into her home. Although Doris was badly bent and always faced the ground, she navigated quite well. These two "girls" became Eva's family. Her one concern at death centered on their care. MINISTRY IN RETIREMENT Although Eva retired in 1969, this did not bring about a lapse in her service to God. She attended the Watertown Missionary Church where her sister, Sarah, attended and her brother Lewis

5 was ministering. She served as church treasurer and secretary and for a time as superintendent. Then Lewis was stationed elsewhere and the church was left without a pastor. Ever faithful to her calling, Eva (now in her seventies) picked up pastoral duties, filling in as she could. In 1974, Pastor Wilbur Ricketts was stationed at the Watertown church. "I was an untutored beginner," says Pastor Ricketts today. "And Eva was always there. Whenever I found myself in a situation I didn't know how to handle, I went to Eva. I wish I had half the knowledge she had. She could give you verse and reference for any subject you might request. I respected her opinion and it was natural for me to go to her for help." Finally in 1977, at age 79, Eva was no longer able to travel the 17 miles to Watertown for services. She began to attend the Brown City Missionary Church, just blocks from her home. Of her time in the Brown City church Pastor Henry Smith says, "She supported you 100%. From time to time she taught an adult class but mostly she held up the church in prayer. Her passion for God never waned. She would sit in service and all at once the tears would come. A holy hush would sweep across the congregation and the entire church would feel the Spirit." Then one day Pastor Smith woke with a feeling of foreboding. "I must go over to see Eva," he said to his wife, Gail. When they arrived at Eva's home, Ardith and Doris were beside themselves. Eva was on the floor and she could not get up. At the pastor's insistence Eva went to the doctor and the next day she found herself in surgery. A blockage had occurred in her stomach. "If I fail to survive," she said, "take care of my girls." Although she survived the surgery, her heart failed in the recovery room and she went to meet her best friend, Jesus Christ. "Literally hundreds of people were converted under Eva Surbrook's ministry during her 36 years as an evangelist and pastor," read the obituary. Pastor Smith put it like this, "Eva was a great prayer warrior and knew how to touch God in prayer. She didn't have to be caught up; she just stepped over." Dawn B. Miller is a member of the First Missionary Church in Lansing, Michigan.