The Brethren Church

Memorial for Vernon Grisso

by Lynn Mercer for the National Association of Brethren Church Elders, General Conference July of 2004

Vernon Grisso was pastor at Gretna Brethren Church, Bellefontaine, Ohio from 1938-1940. I had the privilege of meeting him and his lovely wife Maijorie during the sununer of 1975 while I was a Summer Crusader Pastoral Intern at Tucson First Brethren Church. I was a dinner guest at the home of Vernon and Maijorie in Tucson. Following the meal Vernon handed me his copy of God’s Means of Grace by CF. Yoder. I still treasure that gift to this day.

I think that it is really neat that I was able to learn many lessons that summer while with Clarence Stogsdill (Stogy) who was the pastor at Tucson First Brethren Church at the time. I had no idea in 1975 that God would one day call me to serve the Gretna congregation from 1990 to the present where not only Stogy served from 1948-1952, but also where Vernon Grisso pastored from 1938-1940. What a small world! What a small Brethren denomination!