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At 90 years old, Lebanon preacher still full of spirit

The Rev. Paul Aultman, who turns 90 on Dec. 28, has been the minister at Fellowship Church in Lebanon for the past 18 years and a minister for 68.

Justin McClelland The Rev. Paul Aultman, who turns 90 on Dec. 28, has been the minister at Fellowship Church in Lebanon for the past 18 years and a minister for 68.

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By Justin McClelland, Staff Writer Updated 2:13 PM Saturday, December 26, 2009

The Rev. Paul Aultman had already been retired for close to a decade in 1991 when he stepped behind the pulpit at Fellowship Chapel, the small, historic church located in the south end of Lebanon.

Aultman was a “sub” minister, doing fill-in duty for a few weeks. Eighteen years later, he’s still “filling-in,” preaching God’s word every Sunday at the church built in 1826.

“I’m still here,” said the tiny, gregarious minister with a laugh. At slightly more than five feet tall and with a cane and large, thick glasses, Aultman hardly resembles an imposing force. But his church’s members say he is a glue that holds the small congregation of around 30 together.

“Seeing him at the pulpit every Sunday encourages me to quit complaining and carry on with joy,” said Fellowship member Susan De Bow.

Aultman, who will turn 90 on Monday, Dec. 28, has been preaching for 68 years — more than two-thirds of his life.

De Bow said Aultman is always doing things unique for the church’s membership. One Father’s day, for instance, he presented canes to all the men.

Aultman grew up in Monticello, Wis., and attended Mission House Seminary (now called Lakeland) in nearby Sheboygan. He gave his very first sermon at the Christmas service in 1941, just before his 22nd birthday.

“I was nervous, but my mother was more so,” Aultman said. “She forgot to put her shoes on and went to church in slippers.”

Aultman said he had always felt the call to serve God and spread his word. He spent the majority of his career at St. Luke’s in Cincinnati, where he preached for 34 years. A heart attack in 1982 pushed him into a temporary retirement.

Times have changed. The U.S. has fought in five wars, TV was invented, computers created and the Internet became the “king” of information delivery.

But Aultman keeps it simple when he talks about the biggest changes he has seen.

“It used to be people would arrive and be seated and pretty reverent,” Aultman said. “Now everybody’s talking before the service. You have to start and then they’ll quiet down.”

Aultman’s mantle is decorated with mementos from his six decades in the ministry. One photo he is particularly proud of shows him at a wedding with the parents and grandparents of the bride. Aultman performed the marriage ceremony for all three generations.

“There’s just an aura about him,” De Bow said. “Maybe it’s because of its longevity, but he just has a wonderful spirit.”

Another sign in his office may hold the key to how he’s still going at 90. It reads simply “God put me on earth to do a few things; I’m so far behind, I’ll never die.”

“Things change,” Aultman said. “If you don’t keep going, you cease to exist.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4544 or jmcclelland@coxohio.com.

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