Bethany United Methodist Church

United Methodist Church serving Clio, Michigan

  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • New Here?
    • Who Are We?
    • What do we believe?
    • Reach out to us!
      • Find Your Fit
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Church Calendar
  • Music for the Season
    • The Soul Felt Its Worth – Daily Advent Study 2020
  • Sermons
    • All Video Worship Recordings
    • Sermons from Pastor Cathi
      • Pastor’s Page – From Pastor Cathi
    • Past Sermons from Guest Preachers
    • Listen to Past Sermons from Pastor LuAnn
      • Advent 2015 Sermons – Prepare for Jesus
      • Winter 2016 – Get Fit Sermon Series
      • Lent 2016 – Real Love: Relationship Matters
      • Spring 2016 – Luke! The Gospel of Amazement
      • Summer 2016 – Spiritual Renovation: The Amazing Grace Race
      • September 2016 – Road Trip Sermon Series
  • Ministries
    • Children & Youth
      • Fall Bible Focus – 2020
      • Children & Youth – Online Resources
      • Core
        • Summer Core Camp
      • Wednesday Night Live
      • Sunday School
      • Roller Skating
    • Worship
      • Advent 2015
      • Lent 2016
    • Music
      • Summer Gospel Concerts ~ Monday Nights
      • Music Updates
    • Wednesday Night Live
    • Missions
      • Missions News
    • United Methodist Women
      • UMW Events
      • Women’s Bible Study
    • Whine & Dine
    • Adult Fellowship
      • M and M All Church Fellowship
    • Adult Bible Study
      • The Soul Felt Its Worth – Daily Advent Study 2020
      • All Church Bible Study Plans
      • Tips for using the online Bible
    • Roller Skating
  • Calendar
    • Worship activities
    • Youth activities
    • Family Fellowship
  • News
    • Tower Notes
    • Annual Conference 2019 – Michigan Area
  • Connections
    • Community
    • Reach out to us!
      • Find Your Fit
    • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Youth Links
You are here: Home / Victim Statement for the Sentencing of Garrett Matthew Summerfield

Victim Statement for the Sentencing of Garrett Matthew Summerfield

Written by Ron Lemmon, Member of Bethany UMC. Delivered to Circuit Court Judge Celeste Bell on 10/7/2019 prior to sentencing. Shared here with our community who lifted Ron up in prayer and continues to support him after the traumatic attack.

Good Morning Your Honor,

I want to express my sincere gratitude for this opportunity to address You. This statement is made prior to Your sentencing of Garrett Matthew Summerfield after his plea of guilty on two felonies that he committed against me on February 5th of this year.

First I would like to give you a brief personal history so that you may understand the impact this crime has had on me. Born and raised in the north end of Flint Beecher. As a high school sophomore I met the most precious BLESSING of my life, my beloved wife, Nonie. We dated exclusively for seven years until I graduated from Spring Arbor College and we married in 1977 choosing to continue to live in the Flint Beecher area. So we have been married 42 years but together for 49. Nonie and I have spent our lives serving God. HE has Blessed US with three amazing children through the adoption process! Now as Loving Adults they are equally saddened by the attack against their Papa. We want Garrett and his family to know that from the moment the attack occurred and the police identified him we began praying for him and were joined by our entire Church Family at Bethany United Methodist Church in Clio. There is NOTHING more POWERFUL than a Family of God praying for Someone. Mountains are moved and Souls are Saved!!

I went to work as a social worker for the State of Michigan Department of Social Services at the Regional Detention Center where ironically Garrett was housed for over six months. I spent eight years there working as a Case Manager before transferring to Bay County DHS as a Children’s Protective Services Worker. Two years later I transferred to Adult Services which included Adult Protective Services. Twenty years later I was promoted to Supervisor of Adult Services for all of Bay County and maintained that position for ten years more until retiring with 40 years of State Service. Through the Spirit of God I have always been lead to serve a often marginalized and ignored population. However, I eventually developed a passion especially for vulnerable senior Adults in our communities. Scientists report the fastest growing population today is SENIORS over the age of 60 and predict that by the year 2020 the world’s population will shift so that Seniors are more than 50% of the population! Five years prior to my retirement I was successful with the assistance of Sheriff Robert Pickell in establishing an Elder Abuse Task Force in Bay County that was awarded a Federal grant and continues today.

The significance of this personal biography is to emphasize that I believe on February the fifth I became a victim of a heinous elder abuse crime. It is imperative that the sentence You hand down today sends a very strong message not only to Garrett but our Community as well regarding the importance of Seniors and the dedication that Our justice system is committed to in Protecting Them.

I want Garrett to know that it has only been my belief in the salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ that I can proclaim that as I am FORGIVEN then I FORGIVE You Garrett. The rest of my life and my beloved’s we will pray for Garrett. We understand that people who have been wounded often grow up wounding others. Our prayers include Garrett and all of his family that wounds may be healed which results in forgiveness given freely.

Having been given this opportunity to address Garrett has been VERY beneficial for me. However it is still a concern that he does not understand the gravity of what he did to me that fateful morning. Garrett, your attack on me has altered me and my family FOREVER. Can You even begin to imagine what my wonderful wife felt and experienced that morning when I had to turn on the bedroom lights where she was still sleeping saying, “Honey be prepared I have just been attacked at Kroger’s and my face is badly beaten”! The horror in her eyes and the immediate flood of tears will be a memory that I will carry for the rest of my life. And later to receive the devastating news that as a result of Your attack I had suffered a stroke in my right eye which has left me partially blinded with no expectation of it being restored. So everyday of my life I sruggle to see all of God’s glorious world but because of Your actions there is now a missing part. There is also the on-going PTSD. It will arise at the oddest times. A loud bang or argument, angry voices, anything violent can trigger the dark memories of You punching me and slamming me against the door of my Ford Escape while yelling things like “stupid old man” all this continues to haunt me. I am firmly convinced that if God had not been present that morning keeping me calm and focused so I could concentrate on pulling myself back into the vehicle and successfully driving off You would have not stopped beating me until I was dead. It is only by God’s love that I can forgive You. . . a gift taht I freely give to You. It is now Your responsibility to accept today’s sentence as the first step towards You making amends. God expects the forgiveness that has been given to You through the resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ, is now Yours to share with others including the abusers in Your Life. You are expected to Pass It On!!

Judge Bell I will forever be grateful for this opportunity to address You God Bless You in this immensely difficult job before You. The Holy Spirit has assured me that whatever You decide today will be RIGHT for Garrett, MYSELF and Our Community.

God Bless Us All!!!

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Categories

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Stay informed on the happenings at Clio Bethany UMC

Tower Notes - Receive our monthly all church newsletter by email. This has a letter from the Pastor and details on upcoming events, worship and prayer services as well as an all church calendar.

Children's Ministry - Receive news and updates for families of children from Kindergarten through 4th Grade.

Youth Ministry - Receive news and updates for families of youth from Grade 5 - 12

We use a 2 step subscription process to combat spam. Be sure to check your inbox and spam folder for a link to click to confirm your subscription. Then whitelist bethanyumcclio@gmail.com to make sure that our messages reach your inbox.

Check your inbox or spam folder now to confirm your subscription. Make sure to whitelist our email address so that you receive our messages in your inbox!

Connect with Us!

  • YouTube
  • Facebook

Connect online with Bethany Youth & Children’s ministries

Connect online with Bethany Youth & Children’s ministries

Rewatch previous video worship with one of the following links:

Visit our Facebook Page Videos Tab to view all of our recent videos

Epiphany – Sermons from the Sunday after Christmas until the start of Lent

Prepare Ye Series – Advent 2020 (From 11/29 thru Christmas Eve)

Special Sundays (including All Saints and Stewardship Sunday)

Changing Colors – Fall 2020 Series

The Blessings of Sabbath – September 2020

View all past online worship experience choices

Share this:

  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Youth Social Media Links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Missions

Mission Projects – 2020

Everyone can participate!

  • Ongoing – LOVE Pantry – Accepting cash donations and non-perishable food donations
    • Fill a grocery bag from the gathering area labelled with a current need
  • Knitting with Jesus – Meets on Thursdays @ 1pm
  • Aluminum & Steel Tabs and Bottle Caps – Den & Karen Nichols collect these in support of Ronald McDonald House, University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The monies earned from this collection go to providing a place for families to stay at Ronald McDonald house while their children are being treated there.
  • Ongoing – Collect items for Operation Christmas Child.  Toys, hygiene products, crayons, hats, gloves, etc. must be able to fit in shoe box, no liquids, and no weapon or war like toys. Bring them to church office or youth ministry!

If you have a need or can fulfill a need in our community, please connect with our church office.

Regular Worship Activities

Bethany United Methodist Church - Clio, MI

In Person worship & activities temporarily suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  Please stay in touch with us here on our website and on our Facebook page where we worship together online.

Watch and See!

Sunday:

9am – Sunday School – Join Online

10:30am – Online Worship on Facebook

Learn about Activities for Youth & Children


1st Sunday (when in person) – Communion – The UMC has an open table.

1st Thursday of every month – Grief Support Group at 7pm Meeting digitally for now, contact us for details.

Praise God through Bible study, music, and fellowship. Bible study groups for youth and adults available.

Prayer Requests

Are you in need of prayer? Do you want a member of our congregation or pastoral team to contact you, a family member or a friend? Please feel free to reach out to us with your prayer requests, or to share your joys or the ways that God is working in your life.

Prayer Request Form





Prayer Requests
Join Bethany United Methodist Church in Clio, Michigan on the mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors

Keep in Touch!

Bethany United Methodist Church
353 Vienna Street
P.O. Box 327
Clio, Michigan 48420
Phone: 810-686-5151
Email Us!

Current Office Hours (December 2020) Mon & Wed 10am – 1pm

Follow Us

  • YouTube
  • Facebook

Meet Pastor Cathi

Pastor Cathi HuvaereWould you like to visit with Pastor Cathi? We could meet in your home or in a nearby restaurant during the day or early evening. If you would welcome a visit, please let me know. Just call the church office to set up a time. I look forward to getting to know you!

Copyright © 2021 · Bethany United Methodist Church | Clio, Michigan

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.