Chuck's Journal of the Journey: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Cancer

About Me

Ministry Experience

Charles (Chuck) Nutt is an ordained minister, and with his wife, Beth, has served churches in Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio, Mississippi, and Tennessee for more than 25 years. His ministry roles have included Pastor, Interim Pastor, Minister of Music and Worship, Minister of Outreach and Youth, and Evangelist.

Chuck was called to the ministry at the age of 13, at Sebring Camp Meeting, Sebring, Ohio. He has served as a member of the Board there since 1981 and as its President since 1990.

Chuck identifies his spiritual gifts as preaching, teaching, writing, mentoring/coaching, and strategic leadership. He describes his purpose as using his “influence and innovative, instructional, and inspirational abilities to help people and organizations develop the leadership and resources necessary for accomplishing their missions.”

Development Experience with Christian Organizations

Chuck has served as the Divisional Development Director for the Maryland & West Virginia Division of The Salvation Army since March 2011. Previously he served as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Wesley Biblical Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi, and the historic Piney Woods School. As Associate Director of Development for the Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi Division of The Salvation Army, he conducted long range planning and feasibility studies, as well as advisory board assessment and training efforts, and supervised capital campaigns in Gadsden and Selma, Alabama.

Chuck has also conducted planning and assessment (feasibility) studies for the Seward Peninsula Lutheran Ministry in Alaska, Mission Alive, Dallas, Texas, Presbyterian Christian School, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas. He has conducted capital campaigns for the Concordia Lutheran School in Tacoma, Washington, and Massanetta Springs Camp & Conference Center, Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Education

Chuck is a graduate of Malone College, Canton, Ohio. He holds the Certificate of Fund Raising Management from The Fund Raising School at the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy. Chuck has also studied at Nazarene, Southern Baptist, and Asbury Theological Seminaries and has over 100 hours of graduate theological education, including M.Div. equivalency and Doctor of Ministry studies from Ashland Theological Seminary.

Family

Chuck and his wife of 38 years, Beth, reside in New Freedom, Pennsylvania. Beth has taught elementary grades in Hinds County and Clinton Public Schools in Mississippi, and Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. They have three grown children: Bekah, married to Benjamin (Jamie) Salka, lives Los Angeles, Rachel, who is married to Nathan Clay, lives in San Antonio, Texas, and Jonathan, married to Anna Boyd, lives in Clinton, Mississippi. Chuck and Beth also have three grandchildren, Thomas Charles Clay and Abigail Leigh Clay,son and daughter of Rachel and Nathan, and Zosia Rose, daughter of Bekah and Jamie.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Cancer – Once Again Part of My Journey

Toward
Higher
Ground

The very good news is – I’m home! I was discharged from the hospital Friday afternoon around 2 PM. Beth and I are enjoying a quiet evening. Thanks to so many of you that have “prayed us home!”

You could say the bad news is – as it turns out – there were two tumors in my small intestine. The larger was about the size of walnut. There was also a smaller one. Both of these were determined to be metastasized melanoma (Any melanoma within the body and not on the skin is metastasized).

The “good news” connected with this “find,” however, is that all the other nearby lymph nodes and tissue the surgeon removed tested negative for any cancer. Additionally, I specifically asked the surgeon if the bleeding this tumor (only the large one was bleeding) produced was enough to cause my hemoglobin problem. He responded emphatically, “Yes.” So it would seem that issue has been resolved. My hemoglobin did remain stable through my week in the hospital.

As for the next steps in this journey, I have been there and done that. You can read more about my experience with melanoma in 2010 HERE, if you wish. There will be more imaging – a PET Scan and an MRI. What is found, or not found, will determine what happens next. If nothing is found, then we’ll decide on treatment or non-treatment. Any treatment with no other cancer found is simply preventive (my 2010 experience with interferon). Non-treatment is a real option.

The next step in the process is my follow-up visit with my surgeon for removal of my staples and an incision drain I came home with. For you medical folks, several of the nurses that cared for me commented on my “beautiful incision.” Dr. Johnson is highly regarded for his work. I’ll spare you the photos. That follow-up visit is next Thursday, August 28, at 1 PM.

This will continue to be my update site. I will link from Facebook and from any other emails I send. Thanks for praying for us and I hope you will continue to partner with us as we trust God for the days ahead. Let me encourage you to continue to use your gifts of encouragement with others. It is amazing the impact of a few kind words or the simple click of the “Like” icon!

Because of you we sense that the God of Angel Armies – and his soldiers below - are by our sides!