Pastor's life inspires community

Araby United Methodist Church celebrates the life of leader, car enthusiast

She would frequently ride her motorcycle to take communion to shut-ins, and Charlotte's motorcycle was a big part of her ministry. She established the Riders of Faith Motorcycle Ministry at Araby United Methodist Church in Urbana, which helped to raise funds and spread the word.

People who knew her regarded her as an inspiration. This much was evident at her funeral Monday morning, where those she had touched gathered not to mourn her death, but to celebrate the woman whose example had shown them how to be better Christians, friends, family members and greater human beings in general.

Mayne, 54, of Buckeystown, was diagnosed with cancer in 2003, and had to have her entire right lung removed. In December of last year, the cancer returned.

Speaking with the Rev. Mathew Poole, she asked why the disease had relapsed. Deciding that the answer to that question did not matter, she instead rededicated herself to her church. Poole said that Charlotte decided to use her experience to express her faith.

"She said ÎGod's gonna do something with this," according to Poole.

As Poole spoke with the dying Charlotte, she said the one thing she would have him tell her family, friends and congregation was that she did her best.

"If that doesn't inspire you, we've got to wake you up," Poole said.

Charlotte was also a childhood tomboy, who studied auto repair at the foot of her father, Charles Kirby Sr. At the funeral, her daughter Leanne Phillips of Jacksonville, Fla., said Charlotte was fascinated by cars and motorcycles. Through the course of her life, Mayne owned 19 different cars and four different motorcycles, many of which were classics she repaired herself.

"It was never a surprise for her to leave the house with one antique [car] and come back with another," Phillips said.

She also had a knack for gardening. Phillips recalled that her mother was able to grow 500 quarts of produce on the family farm to keep her family fed through the winter.

She was also very active in her church, even prior to becoming a pastor. In 2006, she was assigned as the pastor of Araby United Methodist Church.

Charlotte's cousin-in-law, Jeff Potter, also spoke at the funeral. He said he first met Charlotte while spending time at his cousin, Mehrl Mayne, family's farm in Buckeystown as a child.

He said he was immediately impressed by the "cool girl with a motorcycle" who his cousin was courting, and they became fast friends. He said her height Û Charlotte was only about 4-feet, 11-inches tall Û was balanced by an enormous love and character.

"She was small in stature but large in spirit," he said.

Potter said one of his favorite memories of Charlotte was her laughing hysterically as he led his children with faces stained red after picking berries on her family's farm. He said Mehrl's response was that Potter's children would have to be weighed in order to figure out how much he owed them.

Poole said that Charlotte had lived a life full of energy and faith that inspired her congregation. When he asked at the funeral how full the church was when Charlotte would give sermons, the crowd responded in unison that it was "standing room only," which he said was a testament to this inspiration.