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God's promises guide Miss America Holly McCray, Feb 22, 2007
United Methodist Lauren Nelson was crowned Miss America in January.
By Holly McCray Special Contributor
When Lauren Nelson, a member of Lawton-Centenary United Methodist Church in Lawton, Okla., was named Miss America in January, nearly 100 supporters gathered at the church to cheer her on, and a parade of children led her to her crown.
"Our Monday night Miss America Watch Party was awesome!" Lawton-Centenary's newsletter reports. "We had 97 Lauren supporters . . . cheering each time she made it one step closer to the crown.
"During the commercials, we had our own 'Miss America' parade, as children dressed up and paraded across the stage. The children were just as excited as the adults each time Lauren's name was announced. When they called her name as the winner, there were very few dry eyes in the house. What a moment!"
Ms. Nelson has spent the last year -- as she's spent her 20-year lifespan -- giving back to the Lawton UMC, and living a life of faith. Despite her extensive travel schedule as Miss Oklahoma for the past year, she attended church in Lawton whenever she went home to see family. Her base was Tulsa during the pageant year.
"For me, church is where I grew up, where I learned everything about myself, about the talents God has given me," Ms. Nelson said. "The Centenary family has always been so supportive of all the youth who go through there."
The Nelson family's faith story at Centenary spans generations. Ms. Nelson and her brother and sister, their parents, and their grandparents attend the church.
"My mom and dad were married at Centenary," Ms. Nelson said. "I was baptized, went through confirmation classes, went to youth group, all those things, at Centenary. I started singing in the church choir when I was in kindergarten. Centenary is where I found out that I could sing."
Centenary hosts a weekly Logos program for children. "I was involved with Logos ever since I was in kindergarten -- from kindergarten through 12th grade," Ms. Nelson said. "We had recreation time and choir time and Bible study and dinner. Choir was always my favorite."
Ms. Nelson said, "When I started singing in church, that's when I found my gift. That's when my mom and even my church family realized it. And then, every chance I got, I sang.
"You have to use your talents that God gives you. He doesn't give them to you in vain. You need to use those to spread a message, to set an example, to glorify him, because that's why he gave them to you: for a purpose."
Ms. Nelson said competing in pageants initially provided her another venue for singing. Then she began to win scholarship money.
Although being Miss Oklahoma has already paid for her college career, Ms. Nelson said her viewpoint extends well beyond securing funds for school.
In a December interview, Ms. Nelson described the sense of responsibility she carried as Miss Oklahoma, as an ambassador for the state. "Be NetSmart," about Internet safety for children, was her platform presentation at schools across the state during the year.
She said, "I pray all the time to God to help me make a difference for somebody, to touch somebody's life."
She talked about moments during her reign when she sensed God's touch in her life.
"I remember my very first school assembly, how very nervous I was," Ms. Nelson said. "They expect you to speak 30 to 40 minutes. You could face pre-kindergarten through 12th grades all in one assembly. . . . I remember being so nervous to the point that I felt sick to my stomach. "I remember praying to God, right before I started speaking: Fill my mouth with the words that You want me to give them; let Your light shine on me to impact these kids.
"It was probably the best program I've done so far. That's the power of prayer."
After an assembly at Kellyville, Okla., High School, a teenager told Ms. Nelson that she was a new student at the school and Ms. Nelson's talk meant a lot to her. "She didn't have to do that. . . . You can tell when you touch somebody," said Ms. Nelson.
Ms. Nelson prefers to focus on the responsibility of her role. She strives to get plenty of rest and nutritious food, and she runs or jogs for physical exercise. "You have to make the choices that make you the best you can be every day when you're meeting people. You are kind of a little mini-celebrity," she admitted.
Before winning the Miss America title, Ms. Nelson took a philosophical attitude toward the honor. "I'm going to go totally prepared and do everything I can to win," she said in December. "If I'm not the winner, I'm at peace, because then there's another purpose for me. In the end, it comes down to God's plan for you," Ms. Nelson said.
She pointed to another favorite Bible selection -- one she's treasured since childhood: Psalm 23. It begins: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want."
Portions of this article appeared in the December 2006 edition of Contact, a magazine published by the Oklahoma Annual Conference's communications department.
United Methodist Lauren Nelson was crowned Miss America in January.
