MEET AMY RIGSBY

Apr 19, 2022

Let me introduce you to Amy Rigsby, who recently joined First Christian Church. I came to know Amy through her work in We Care Palestine and her participation in two of First Christian Church’s Bible Studies. I found her to be a woman of faith who also put her faith to action. In fact, Amy calls herself a “doer.” And, after visiting with her at Starbucks, I can say she is also a woman with several passions.

Amy Rigsby, a native Michigander, transplanted herself to Longview, Texas in 1979 and eventually Houston in 1992 where she attended a Disciples of Christ Church. Her involvement in this church allowed her to develop and to apply her many “people” talents to her faith, including training as a Chaplain and then a Commissioned Minister. Her family connections in Palestine eventually drew her to our community. She wanted to continue her ministry in Palestine and visited many churches, including First Christian Church, looking for her niche in pastoral care. She finally landed at First United Methodist where she found a welcoming congregation and several groups that could give her purpose and a way to exercise her faith, like We Care Palestine and United Methodist Women. These groups gave Amy many opportunities to be the “doer.” In our conversation about Church, her faith, and exercising her faith, I discovered Amy possesses a passion for a purpose-driven life where she finds meaning in her involvement with groups and organizations that emphasize service to people.

 Her passion for a purpose-driven life revealed itself when she spoke of her career. Amy graduated from Md Michigan Community College with an Associates Degree in Radiology and used her training to work in Breast Imaging centers. Her compassion for others and the joy she finds in listening to others led to a successful career. She spoke with pride and joy of The Rose, a non-profit Breast Center in Houston, that focused on women whose health care needs were underserved.  Amy, the Director of Imaging and Mobil Services for The Rose, described how the center started with only 6 employees but grew to 150 due to successful outreach efforts. Her career in this field illustrates another passion - Amy cares for others, for her neighbors. This passion also led to her involvement with We Care Palestine.

Amy possesses a passion for learning. After moving to Palestine, Amy, now in her mid- sixties, decided she wanted to learn how to sew and quilt so she took a class and was delighted to find a group of quilters at United Methodist Church. Amy has connected with the FCC Comforter Group, where I’m sure her love of sewing and quilting will be appreciated. But, quilting isn’t the only class she has taken. She also took classes to learn how to play Mah Jong and most recently to paint. She views learning new things as one of her hobbies!

I also learned that Amy is a passionate picker! She loves collecting old things and then selling them.  She is a vendor at Old Town Vintage and More and has two shops: Mantiques and Amy Etc. Amy combs garage and estate sales looking for unusual pieces. Sometimes her work requires research on the item to determine its use and value and even to determine how it might be repaired. That passion for learning rises again. Amy also enjoys how this hobby allows her to connect with people and hear their stories, giving her more opportunities to express her passion for caring for others.

As we ended the visit, I experienced Amy’s humor.  She told me if I needed anything more just to make it up. I see no need to fictionalize Amy’s life.  Her life story is varied and interesting, and with more to discover about her, I hope you all take the opportunity to get to know her.