Internationally renowned author Terry Kay calls his senior year at LaGrange College, 1958-59, a “pivotal” time in his life. He was completing requirements for a social science degree and preaching three Sundays per month as student pastor at Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church in south Troup County. His post-graduation plans were to get married in the summer and start seminary at Duke University in Durham, N.C, in the fall.

“I had prepared everything for that,” Kay said.

Those plans changed, however, after neither he nor his wife-to-be (Tommie) found employment in Durham. Kay opted to take a year away from school and find a job, and the newlyweds decided to live on her salary (she was teaching in DeKalb County) and save Kay’s salary for his return to school the following year.

“It was during that time that I got a job working for the Decatur-DeKalb News and discovered a passion for journalism,” Kay said. “Our first child was born in December of 1960, and dreams of attending seminary were over. In the long run, I suspect it was a good thing. I don’t believe I would ever have found a congregation as splendid as those good folk of Pleasant Grove.”

Kay returns to Pleasant Grove at 3704 Hamilton Road for Homecoming on Sunday, along with his brother, the Rev. John Kay, who also served as Pleasant Grove student pastor during his senior year at LaGrange College, 1957-58. John Kay, a retired Methodist minister, will preach the 11 a.m. worship service. After a covered dish dinner, Terry Kay will speak about 1:30 p.m. Both talks are open to the public.

“My memory of the church is that it had a congregation of exceptional people - caring, patient, attentive,” Terry Kay said of Pleasant Grove. “I thought of them much the same as I thought of the members of my home church, Vanna United Methodist. If there were needs, those needs were met. I don’t remember any conflicts or even minor disagreements.”

Kay recalled the church having a strong Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF) group led by LaGrange College colleagues Nancy Childs and Jim Raum.

“In fact, I believe we had the largest MYF attendance of any church in our district,” he said.

While at Pleasant Grove, the Kay brothers preached three Sundays each month with the remaining services led by a full-time pastor who served Pleasant Grove and three other churches in the West Point Circuit. The Rev. Bill Webb was the circuit pastor when John Kay preached at Pleasant Grove, and the Rev. E.W. Dunagan led the circuit during Terry Kay’s tenure.

Both Kays fondly recall their service at the country church.

“I recollect feeling very much at home in the pulpit there from the beginning because the people were pleasant, very receptive and responsive, which made it a lot easier for a young preacher,” John Kay said. “Pleasant Grove was the first place I ever preached on regular basis.”

John Kay, 21 at the time, drew inspiration from Webb.

“Bill made the rounds of those four churches, preaching at one of them every Sunday and rotating among them on fifth Sundays,” Kay recalled. “He was a great soul and a wonderful mentor to us budding preachers.”

Each church in the West Point Circuit (Pleasant Grove, Harmony, Bethel and Long Cane) employed a college student who helped the full-time pastor serve the congregations.

“It was a pretty good situation that gave us some experience,” John Kay said. “The churches had to put up with rather immature preachers, I guess, but they were very thoughtful and understanding.”

What was not so understanding was the mimeograph machine he used to print off the weekly bulletins.

“I would go to West Point to the district parsonage to run them off on the old mimeograph machine,” John Kay said. “I had many struggles with that.”

More poignant struggles Kay recalls from his year as student pastor at Pleasant Grove include ministering the congregation through the death of Janet Robertson, the 11-year-old daughter of Claude and Louise Robertson, who died from a kidney disease.

“I have a vivid recollection because it had such an impact on the congregation,” he said.

He also recalled one of the strongest examples of courage he’d ever witnessed in the person of Hoyt Starr Sr., a church member battling dire illness.

“I have a sermon on the topic of courage where I refer to him being one of the most courageous persons I ever encountered due to his positive attitude in illness and suffering,” Kay said. “Although in a terminal situation, he knew how to celebrate each day as a gift of God. I wrote a poem about him that was published in the LaGrange Daily News.”

Reba and Raymond Smith Sr. were newlyweds attending Pleasant Grove when the Kay brothers preached there. Still members, the Smiths look forward to reuniting with the Kays at homecoming.

“One thing I remember is John talking about how there were a bunch of boys in his family and they didn’t have a chance to get into trouble because their dad was always working the ‘doo-daddlings’ out of them,” Raymond Smith recalled.

“We kept up with them as they moved on,” Reba Smith added. “Terry has been so much in the news because he’s an author, and we knew John went on to become an ordained minister.”

Church members and visitors to Pleasant Grove’s homecoming can expect to see “two brothers who have deep love and respect for one another,” said John Kay. “We grew up closer than any of the other siblings because we were so close in age and have maintained that relationship throughout these years.”

Pleasant Grove’s current pastor, the Rev. John Mattox, welcomes all to homecoming, whether returning or visiting for the first time.

“This year’s homecoming should be a great time for the congregation to reconnect with old friends while building new relationships with friends we are anxious to meet,” Mattox said. “I cannot wait to see what blessings John and Terry share with our community during the homecoming celebrations.”