Marilyn Brumley alongside her paintings inside Aledo United Methodist Church
Madilyn Kopec/The Community News
Marilyn Brumley and Beverly Crumbie, Aledo residents and members of the Aledo United Methodist Church, met as kids in an art class in Fort Worth.
Both ladies found a love for expressing themselves through art at a young age and began taking lessons. Some may call it fate that they ended up in the same class at nine years old.
Life went on for the pair, and in the 1980s, Brumley moved to Aledo with her husband, Buddy. Brumley and Crumbie lived similar lives as they were both teachers and attended the same church. However, they did not reconnect until Brumley was invited to attend a Keno party at Crumbie’s home.
“When I walked in…she had a painting on her wall that I had done too,” said Brumley. Their friendship blossomed after connecting the dots on their shared experiences. Now, they walk alongside each other through life, fulfilling their mission at the church.
About four years ago, Aledo UMC Senior Pastor Joel Robbins, Director of Children’s Ministry Teresa Chisum, Brumley, and Crumbie began a project to fill the halls with bible stories told through paintings so that the gospel is shared in a way for more people to understand.
When Robbins introduced the idea to Brumley, she said, “I want that job, and I have someone who will help me…and that’s Beverly.”
Brumley and Crumbie have made it their mission to complete this goal for the church. “I believe that whatever talents God gives us, he’s giving them to us for us to let him shine through,” said Crumbie.
The ladies receive ideas from Chisum and begin designing and painting so that the whole story is told through one image. The idea is for children and adults to recognize the stories as a reminder or to learn through curiosity. Alongside the paintings are bookmarks Chisum made so people can read the story if unsure. “[The paintings] just make it simpler for anyone to learn stories,” said Chisum, who calls the mission “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
“It’s like the Holy Spirit is guiding me to do this,” said Brumley, “it’s very rewarding” in moments when “you can hear the little 4-year-old walk up and tell her mother and daddy about the story in the Bible,” while looking at the paintings.
Rooted in friendship, Brumley and Crumbie have filled the halls of the church with nearly 50 paintings by using their passion in the way they feel God called them to.
