Vine Street Christian Church took its name from the street it was located on, Vine Street in downtown Nashville. Today the street is known as 7th Avenue North, and you will find a historical marker there, right by the public library, telling passersby about our church and its former location at 138 North Vine Street. Nearby is another historical marker for the Vine Street Temple, but nothing else reminds pedestrians that they are walking on historic Vine Street. Further down the road, though, in Germantown, historic street signs are going up, and this means the Vine Street name is back in the old neighborhood!
What does this have to do with Charlie Strobel? Charlie grew up on Vine Street, and the Strobel family has a long connection to the block between Madison and Monroe. Larry Adams, one of our elders, happens to live there as well, and he suggested that Vine Street Christian Church fund a historic street sign on the corner of 7th and Madison, with a paver at the foot of the sign saying, “In memory of Charlie Strobel, by Vine Street Christian Church.” The cost of manufacturing and installing the sign and paver is $2,500.
Our Administrative Council approved that we solicit memorial gifts for Charlie Strobel from members and friends of the congregation, and has committed $5,000 to honor his life and ministry. Why $5,000? Paying for a street sign in the old neighborhood is a lovely gesture, but the Council affirmed unanimously that Charlie himself would probably suggest that we use the money to support the Charlie Strobel Housing Fund at Room in the Inn, to be used for expanding current housing at the Center for Human Development on Drexel Street. We are committed to doing both.
As we approach Thanksgiving, we invite you to consider a gift to the memorial fund at Vine Street in memory of Charlie Strobel (March 12, 1943 – August 6, 2023), a friend of the poor, whose kindness and vision live on through Room in the Inn.