Service of Thanksgiving for Carolyn Oehler

Carolyn Ruth Oehler, age 80, left us physically on June 13, 2021, but she will always remain in our hearts. Born into a pastor’s family, she was a life-long leader on various levels of the United Methodist Church.

A graduate of North Central College, she earned her Master’s Degree from Garrett Evangelical Seminary and her PhD from Northwestern University.

Her dissertation subject was FEMINISM AND RELIGIOUS ANXIETY: GENDER TROUBLE IN THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH. She was passionate in advocating for the empowerment of women and equality between the races. In 1984 she authored the church-wide study on inclusive language titled “Words that Hurt, Words that Heal, Language about God and People”. In 2005 she wrote for the denomination, “The Journey is Our Home, a History of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women.”

After serving as Council Director of the Illinois Conference of the UMC, she became Executive Director of Scarritt Bennett Center in Nashville and served for ten years. At the Center she initiated a city-wide “Celebration of Cultures,” now administered by the city. In order to improve race relations in Nashville, she and her staff established a program called “Diversity in Dialogue” setting up small groups of mixed races to meet and talk together to better understand each other. Over a decade this became the leading diversity training program in the region. Subsequently Metro Nashville contacted Scarritt Bennett Center to conduct racial diversity training for police and firemen.

After moving to The Heritage at Brentwood, she served in several leadership roles. Her quiet demeanor attracted many friends who will miss her. Carolyn often referred to herself as a “Reader, Writer, Thinker”. She not only was that but also was a welcoming, warm-hearted, positive person always thinking about others.

Carolyn is survived by Margery Mayer, her companion of 33 years; her two sons, Peter Oehler and Andrew Oehler (Deborah Cole) of Elgin, Illinois, and two sisters, Nancy Henninger of Prague and Gretchen Henninger of Chicago.

A service of Thanksgiving and a reception will be held on Saturday, July 24 at 11 AM at Wightman Chapel, Scarritt Bennett Center, 1027 18th Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37212.

The service will also stream live from the Scarritt Bennett Center YouTube channel. Bookmark the livestream at this link.

An online guestbook is available at AustinFuneralService.com 615-377-0775

—

Location & Parking Information

Scarritt Bennett Center’s mailing address is 1027 18th Avenue South, Nashville, TN, 37212. Our GPS Address is 1019 18th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212. Parking is available on campus for free to all Scarritt Bennett Center guests in Lots A & B, both of which are accessible off 18th Avenue South. Lot A is closest to Wightman Chapel (download our campus map).