Word: nelsoned
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...final day of the British Open at the famed old course two blocks away, 130 parishioners gathered last week for Sunday worship at the gray stone Hope Park church in St. Andrews, Scotland. Said Pastor William Henney as the service started: "We give a special welcome to Jim Nelson, who starts a probationary period with us. We wish him a happy time among us." Clergy Candidate Nelson, clad in black gown and clerical collar, showed barely a trace of nervousness as he began his duties by reading the Scripture lessons from Luke 12 and Acts...
...seemed routine, except for one elderly worshiper who whispered to her pew partner: "It should never have happened." She meant that soft-spoken James Nelson, 39, is one of the most prodigal of sons ever to be approved for the Christian ministry. On Oct. 30,1969, near Glasgow, Nelson got into a row with his mother over a girlfriend and, in a fit of rage, began bludgeoning her with a truncheon. When it broke, he went after her with a brick. Nelson dragged her body out to the garage, changed his bloody clothing, washed up and drove into the city...
...admission of Nelson as a Church of Scotland minister and candidate for full ordination has touched off a passionate and painful controversy throughout the nation. Over the past several months, hundreds of letters have filled the columns of Scottish newspapers, debating whether God's forgiveness means that even someone who has committed such an abhorrent crime should be allowed to serve in the church. "The Bible says there is great rejoicing in heaven over the recovery of a lost sheep," wrote one correspondent, "but there is no suggestion that the sheep was promoted to shepherd." Perturbed Scots have also...
...murderer's odyssey began in 1970, after he had been ruled sane and sentenced to a life term. An Edinburgh prison chaplain's sermon started Nelson pondering the self-centeredness of his life. Gradually he turned to God and began thinking about ways of serving him. Released on parole under lifelong probation in 1979, Nelson entered the divinity school at the University of St. Andrews. He was accepted as a student candidate by a national church committee in 1981, and won the routine approval of St. Andrews Presbytery, the supervisory body representing dozens of congregations...
...tests. But the Minnesota Jaycees chapters did not have to delay celebrating. Kathy Ebert, former vice president of the Minneapolis chapter, had suffered through the 5½ yearlong legal process as one of the original plaintiffs and happily called a press conference to savor the victory. As for Anne Nelson, a St. Paul banker and onetime local Jaycees president, she reports that on the day of the decision "we had 25 bottles of champagne on ice, and after work we did our best to get through them." -Michael S. Serrill. Reported by Anne Constable/Washington, with other bureaus