The Silly Side of Rev. Schoener

In October, our community lost a once-in-a-lifetime person — Rev. W. Terry Schoener — to a rare lung disease. Schoener was the senior pastor at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church for 27 years.

He also baptized, confirmed and even came out of retirement to officiate my wedding. Like many, he has had a profound impact on my life.

In his more than eight decades of life, humor, was one of his many calling cards.

Andy and Katie Borland reminisced with me about their longtime friend, who they both called a “prankster.”

It wasn’t out of character for him to wear disguise glasses, complete with a big furry mustache.

“It was always humor with him,” said Andy Borland, “He used that in his sermons too.”

Schoener captivated his congregation often with the said tactic even instituting Joke Sunday the week after Easter when attendance was typically low as a strategy to bring people back. Joke Sunday is a tradition that continues at Woods Church.

“Everything was clean, that was the beauty of it, whatever humor he had,” said Katie Borland.

Nancy Lincoln Reynolds, associate pastor at Woods Church and director of the Woods Counseling Center, recounts the early days with her mentor.

“Not long after I came on board at Woods, Terry learned quickly that I was a vision person with ideas for change,” she said. “One day he stood in the doorway of my office and told me I was to have no new ideas for two weeks.” 

Three days later, Lincoln Reynolds went to his door and did not see him anywhere. This man, known for his decency and order, was hiding under his desk from her.  

“Becoming aware that his staunch Presbyterianism was accompanied by a sense of humor, colored our relationship from that point on,” Lincoln Reynolds said. 

A few weeks later, Schoener went on vacation, leaving Lincoln Reynolds at the helm. About a week into his vacation, a parishioner approached her about changing the cover of the church bulletin. 

“I happened to be wearing red shoes that day and announced that wearing red shoes meant I could make changes, and so we did,” Lincoln Reynolds explained.

The red shoes became a symbol for making changes and were kept in her office, wearing them when decisions needed to be made. 

Not long after Schoener’s return the red shoes went missing. On Schoener’s next vacation, pictures were sent from his travels. The red shoes appeared in every place he and his family went, including being worn by Minnie Mouse in Disney World.

Many recall another memorable moment of Schoener during a fundraiser for the mission trip called WoodsWork, where teens and adults build or restore a house for the homeless. For nearly four decades, Woods Church has partnered with Habitat for Humanity for the cause.  

While riding his bright, red scooter, Schoener drove through the WoodsWork car wash wearing his sailing foul weather gear.

Andy Borland shared an early memory of Schoener at his 40th birthday party. An unexpected visitor arrived on his doorstep in a wheel chair, wearing a rubber mask that looked like an old man with a sign on his chest that said “Andy, remember when we were kids together?”

Borland had no idea who it was. When the man removed his mask, it was his minister who had been with Woods for about one month.

Borland remembered at the time, Schoener said, “I was told if I was going to make it at Woods Church, I had to be your friend.”

“That was the beginning of a lifelong friendship,” Andy shared.

Lastly, I’ll never forget Schoener assigning me “homework”. He wanted me to share why I selected my wedding ceremony readings, insights which were never used. I’m fairly confident he never intended to incorporate my thoughts. I smile at his sneakiness with getting a busy bride to deepen her faith and reflect on her upcoming nuptials.

A Celebration of Life service for the beloved Schoener will take place at Woods Church on Saturday, January 13 at 1pm. The service is slated for MLK weekend to honor the memory of his relationship with Martin Luther King Jr., who occasionally used Schoener’s civil rights office in Cleveland for meetings and press events.