Published: Nov. 6, 2026

This year we honor 4 outstanding members of the congregation who've spent enormous amounts of time, energy and heart helping Asbury First connect with the needs of our community. 

Bob Castle has led Asbury First’s Outreach programs for years. He began in the Dining and Caring Center and later became head of the Outreach Committee when its first leader stepped away, a commitment of about fifteen years. He also served on both Outreach Task Forces and the organizing team for One Great Week of Service, envisioned by former Pastor Mark Rawls. With his wife, Barbara, an active volunteer in her own right, he has joined several adult mission trips and helped build homes in the Miami area with groups like Habitat for Humanity. He is also active on the Social Concerns team, particularly on housing.

Bonnie Kay is always among the first to volunteer. She co-led the Asbury First Storehouse for three years and still volunteers there, working regular shifts and helping organize fundraising sales. She served on the first Outreach Task Force and represented the Storehouse on the Outreach Committee. A retired school librarian, she has long served on the Library Committee and helps with educational programs such as Banned Books Week. She and her husband, Dave, also a regular volunteer, were part of the crew that built homes in the Miami area.

John Smalt may be the reason you received a small wooden cross from an Asbury First pastor during an illness or hospital stay. He either carved it himself or taught someone else to. A retired special education teacher, John has headed the Help Me Read program at School 17 for about 20 years, coordinating volunteers who work one-on-one with children from one of Rochester’s poorest neighborhoods to build their reading skills. He has traveled far to build homes for those in need, led painting projects during One Great Week of Service, served on both Outreach Task Forces, and now sits on the reorganized Outreach Committee.

The late Rev. Margie Mayson left Asbury First more than 20 years ago and died unexpectedly 5 years later, yet her spirit endures. Pastor Margie devoted herself to building discipleship- focused small groups and sparked our labyrinth in Fellowship Hall, but she also provided pivotal inspiration for Outreach. She encouraged the creation of the Dining and Caring Center and suggested the fundraiser that has raised tens of thousands of dollars for outreach, which we celebrate today as Dining In for Outreach.