The Peacemaking Legacy of Adele and Robert Lemon

by Mary Jacobs 

Adelle and Robert Lemon infused their lives with a goal of holy shalom where peacemaking and justice embraced to bring equity, hope and well-being to the lives of those around them and in the global community.  Theirs are some of the broad shoulders upon which we stand as part of Disciples Peace Fellowship.

   I met Adelle and Robert in the 1970’s as a first-year seminarian at Pacific School of Religion, Robert’s alma mater as well. Working alongside them in the Christian Church in Northern California-Nevada, it became clear to me that their passion for the gospel imperative of peace with justice was a part of their spiritual DNA.  

   They had moved their family to Berkeley, California in the 1960’s for Robert’s doctoral studies at PSR, and found themselves shaped by gospel peace and justice demands in new ways.  They were inspired by figures like Oscar Romero and others who preached a gospel of liberation, the Berrigan brothers and Martin Luther King Jr. (for whom they helped sponsor an aide).  

   They found themselves marching for farmworkers’ rights with César Chávez and in anti-war protests. They spent at least one night in jail after a protest at the Livermore Lab where nuclear weaponry was designed. The Disciples church in Richmond, California where Robert was pastor hosted the Black Panthers' local breakfast program.  Two of their children, David and Nancy reflected, “we spent some time as obviously white bodies sitting on the front steps to protect those inside from the KKK and those who sympathized with the KKK.”  Robert and Adelle did their best to represent the gospel call for peace and justice to family, church and community.

   This commitment blended their good humor with a refusal to compromise gospel values. Robert sometimes donned the dress of nineteenth century Disciples leader Alexander Campbell, giving voice to Campbell’s writings about Jesus and peacemaking.  Together they advocated for the LGBTQI+ community by being a part of GLAD (now Alliance Q+) and standing with the community to provide justice support within and beyond the church. 

   In Berkeley, Adelle applied her social work skills to programs of the Red Cross, giving her a platform for her compassionate spirit. She developed a “Friendly Visitor” program where she trained volunteers to visit elders and provide social contact. This led to the program for which she's best known, the Creative Living Center, where psychiatric halfway house clients could come, socialize, and get supportive guidance as they worked to navigate the outside world. The City of Berkeley and the California State Assembly each recognized Adelle for her tireless work to make things better. Son David wrote “I keep thinking that she reflected Jesus' dictum ‘as you do for the least of these, you do for me’".

   Death did not have the last word for them as peacemakers. Prior to Robert’s death, October 15, 2007, Robert and Adelle established an endowment fund at Christian Church Foundation to express their deep love for peace and justice.  When Adelle finished her life this year on March 7 just before COVID-19 thrust us into a new season of social distancing, an additional $87,000 was added to this endowment bringing the fund value to nearly $115,000, a continuing peace legacy that supports the ministry of Disciples Peace Fellowship into the future.  

   Seeing their named endowment for DPF in financial reports is such a gift.  It calls to mind each of them: Robert who preached and lived a peacemaking, justice-seeking vision of God in the world and Adelle who touched people's lives through her unique blend of deep caring for each person and her seemingly inexhaustible well of appreciation for life. Such a legacy they are to us all! Thank you, Adelle and Robert!

What Will Your Peace and Justice Legacy Be?  

Have you considered including DPF in your will or beginning a named fund to which you contribute now?  

For more information you may contact Randy Johnson of Christian Church Foundation by clicking these links to send an email or to speak with him on the phone. 

If you prefer to speak to a DPF Executive Committee Member, you may contact Mary Jacobs by clicking these links to send her an email or to speak with her on the phone.