William Appleby

Lake Junaluska – Dr. William F. "Bill" Appleby passed away on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. He was born June 20, 1928 in Drew, MS the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Chester Appleby. Having moved about to Arkansas and the Mississippi Delta, he spent most of his growing up years in Eupora, MS. Graduated from Eupora High School (1946); received his B. A. degree from Millsaps College (1950) and an Honorary D Divinity Degree (1987); his M. Divinity Degree from Candler School of Theology (1952); and his D. Ministry degree from the Methodist Theology School in Ohio (1978). He was licensed to preach in the Starkville (MS) District 1945; Ordained Deacon and Admitted on Trial in the North MS Conference, 1950; Ordained Elder and Received in Full Connection in 1953; and Retired Relationship from the itinerate ministry in the MS Conference, 1992, with 42 years' service. Ministerial Service includes serving as a student pastor for the Winona Circuit (1948-1950); appointed to Tishomingo-Burnsville Circuit (1952-1956); Burnsville Charge (1956-1958); Guntown-Saltillo Charge (1958-1962); North MS Conference Inter-Board Council staff (1962-1966); FUMC Corinth (1966-1971); Tupelo District Superintendent (1971-1976); FUMC Louisville and Director, Winston County Cooperative Parish (1976-1981); FUMC Clarksdale (1981-1986); North MS Conference Council Director (1986-1989); and MS Conference Council Director (1989-1992). Upon retirement, he served four years as a "part-time" staff member on the SEJ Administrative Council for "Congregational Ministry Development", six years as the Dean of Memorial Chapel at Lake Junaluska Assembly, and four years as President of the Lake Junaluska Associates. Bill served on numerous Conference Boards and Commissions including: Town and Country Commission, Evangelism, Ordained Ministry, Minimum Salary Commission, Missions, Conference Merger Committee, Conference Council on Ministries, Methodist Children's Home, Methodist Hospital Foundation, and Baddour Memorial Center; Conference Representative on Southeastern Jurisdictional Council, Trustee of Lake Junaluska, Hinton Rural Life Center Board of Directors, and SEJ Town and Country Ministries Fellowship; General Council on Ministries, National Cooperative Ministries Task Force, and the National United Methodist Rural Fellowship (four years as President). Throughout his 42 years in the itinerate ministry, he provided creative leadership in the formation and development of "Cooperative Ministries" in the annual conference, Jurisdiction and General Church levels. He was a co-founder of the first "Cooperative Ministry" in the North Mississippi Conference involving 26 congregations on 3 pastoral charges located in Tishomingo County. He developed "clusters" of churches as an administrative pattern while serving as the Tupelo District Superintendent. He developed an "extended ministry", while serving as pastor of FUMC in Louisville. The "cluster," a form of cooperative ministry, was incorporated in the merger plan for the North MS and MS Conferences adopted in 1989. Honors he received include: Elected a conference delegate to six Jurisdictional Conferences (1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1992) and to two General Conferences (1984, 1988); named "MS Rural Minister of the Year" (1959); honored as Pastor of the SEJ Jurisdictional "Circuit of the Quadrennium"(1960); Received UMRF Life Membership (1962), life memberships in UM Men (1990) and UM Women (1992); named a "John Wesley Fellow" by UM Men (1992), and honored with the "Chief Junaluska '09" Award by the Junaluska Associates. On June 7, 1953, he married Betty Smith, who preceded him in death, 1985. They had two children: a son W. Franklin Appleby, Jr., Arlington Heights, IL who has two children Will F. Appleby III and Elizabeth Sullivan "Lizzy" Appleby; and a daughter Elizabeth Ann "Libby"(Marty) Stamper, Petal, MS who has two children Lane and Taylor Smith. On November 15, 1986, he married Minna Hayes Gilbert of Dothan, AL, who had two sons: Dr. Greg (Suzy) Gilbert, Auburn, AL, who has three children Taylor, Lauren, and Jenny; and Kyle (Julia) Gilbert, Dothan, who has four children Hayes, Mary Kate, George and William. Upon retirement in June 1992, they moved to their home at Lake Junaluska, NC, where they have been actively involved in the Junaluska Community and Long's Chapel UMC. Then, in November 2003, they made Dothan, AL their primary residence, but spent six months in each location. A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 10, 2012 at Longs Chapel United Methodist Church. The family will receive friends from 1:00 until 2:15 p.m. prior to services at the church. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to The Lake Junaluska Singers Endowment Fund at P.O. Box 69, Lake Junaluska, NC 28745 or to your favorite United Methodist ministry.

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