spring/summer 2015 mountain circuit

MOUNTAINCIRCUITA PUBLICATION OF THE WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Spring/Summer 2015

2 - SPRING/SUMMER 2015

WE REMEMBER

CALENDAR

Mary Lenore Boyles Shafer, mother of Lisa ShaferErnestine C. Watkins Watson, mother of Rev. Patty RunnionRev. Dr. Frank Shaffer, Jr. (FE-R)Rev. Kermit William Poling (FE-R)Joseph H. Casey (FE-R)June Claire James, surviving spouse of Rev. Benjamin Ross James, Jr.Dora Hanlin Parrish, mother of Cheryl George (LP)Mavis Harrison Rhodes, mother of Rev. Steve Rhodes (FE-R)Rev. Harold Neal Precht (PTLP)Wilma Stout, mother of Rev. Gail Carson (FE)Rev. Lowell Edward Keeney (FE-R)Rev. Roy H. Gwinn (LP-R)Judy May, mother of Rev. Corbet May (PE)Mary Alice Hickman, mother of Rev. Mark Hickman (FE)Lisa Bacorn, sister of Conrad Tenney (AM-R)

JUNE24-28 Youth 2015, Orlando FL

JULY12-17 Radical Discipleship Academy of Appalachia24-26 UMW MissionU

SEPTEMBER4 Circuit Rider Golf Scramble 11-13 2015 United Methodist Men Circuit RiderView the full calendar at wvumc.org/events.

The Mountain Circuit P.O. Box 2313 Charleston, WV 25328 Voice: (304) 344-8331 Fax: (304) 344-2871 email [email protected]

Resident Bishop: Sandra Steiner Ball Editor: Laura Harbert Allen Associate Editor: Adam Cunningham Production: Shawn Withrow

Find us online: wvumc.org

CONTENTS3

WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN CELEBRATES 125 YEARS

5ANSWERING THE CALLUMNS ARTICLE

7PASTORAL LETTER ON RACISMUMC BISHOPS

8A DIFFERENT WAY OF SEEINGPHOTO ESSAY

10COMMITTEE ON NATIVE AMERICAN MINISTRIES

12SUNRISE SERVICE HISTORYCHURCH STANDS ON SITE SETTLED IN THE 1770S

13DEVELOPING THE SPIRITR.D.A.A.

14THOUGHTS ON FASTING & PRAYERBISHOP SANDRA STEINER BALL

ABOUT THE COVER PHOTOS:Cover photo: Taken during a United Methodist communications workshop in Chicago, IL, led by Laura Allen. Participants walked through Palmer House Hotel, and snapped photos of the everyday beauty in daily life.

Back cover: The “Gum Wall” in Seattle, Washington wasnamed one of the top 5 germiest tourist attractions in 2009, second to the Blarney Stone.

Both photos were taken by Rev. Jonathan Nettles. His photo essay starts on page 8.

SPRING/SUMMER 2015 - 3

WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE CELEBRATES 125 YEARSOn September 3, 1890, Roy Reger became the first of seventy students to enroll at the West Virginia Conference Seminary in Buckhannon. The school’s founding was the result of many years of hard work, and a few false starts, on the part of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which had long sought to have an institution of higher education to call its own in West Virginia.

The new school, under its first president, Methodist minister Bennett Hutchinson, provided the equivalent of high school or college preparatory education to the citizens of the region before the state system of schools was well-established. By 1905, the school was renamed West Virginia Wesleyan College and was granting college degrees.

The fledgling school encountered some challenges in its early years, from a massive fire that destroyed its main building in 1905, to the crippling loss of enrollment during World War I, to the Great Depression that nearly closed the institution. Yet through its trials, West Virginia Wesleyan relied heavily on the loyalty of its faculty and staff, the dedication of its trustees, and the moral, spiritual, and financial support of the Methodist Church.

Wesleyan emerged stronger from the Second World War, and entered a period of building and growth that included the addition of Wesley Chapel, the home of the West Virginia Annual Conference sessions each June, and the result of substantial contributions on the part of West Virginia Methodists.

(Continued Next Page)

Evening on the WVWC Campus

By Brett Miller

Above: Class of 1897. Below: Student Pastors 1921

This annual event will take on special significance, as we take time to acknowledge and celebrate Wesleyan’s

distinguished history.

Finally, we hope that you might consider purchasing a copy of Wesleyan’s newly-published college history, “Our Home Among the Hills: West Virginia Wesleyan College’s First 125 Years” by Wesleyan and Annual Conference archivist Brett Miller.

This publication updates two earlier college histories from 1940 and 1965, and uses many beautiful photographs to illustrate Wesleyan’s past.

These books make great gifts! They are available at Wesleyan’s retail store, the Bobcat Den, or can be ordered online via their website: www.wvwc.edu/alumni/services/the-bobcat-den

WESLEYAN 125 CONTINUED

The recent growth of our campus and the accomplishments of our college community are a direct reflection of Wesleyan’s sacred trust to broadly educate young men and women in the liberal arts tradition.

Since 1890, thousands of students have found a “Home Among the Hills” at West Virginia Wesleyan. In the fall of 2015, the College proudly celebrates its 125th anniversary, a milestone that could never have been reached without the loyalty and faithful support of the United Methodist Church.

West Virginia Wesleyan plans to celebrate this momentous anniversary in a number of ways:

First, we invite you to view a special exhibit on higher education in Upshur County at the Upshur County Historical Society Museum. The exhibit opening is Sunday, June 14 at 1:00 pm. The History Center is located at 81 West Main Street, Buckhannon (with parking across the street at CVS).

Second, we hope that you will consider joining us on Friday, October 16, 2015 at 11:00 am in Wesley Chapel for the college’s annual Founders Day Convocation, with a campus-wide lunch to follow.

Chapel Steeple 1966


Time is not on the Rev. Shelly Nichols’ side, but many people are.

Her family, pastor, church, district superintendent, bishop — all have helped Nichols answer God’s call to pastoral ministry, even as she faces terminal cancer.

“It’s worked out more perfectly than I could ever imagine,” she said.

Nichols, a 53-year-old mother of five, has since last summer served as associate minister at her home church, Cross Lanes United Methodist in Cross Lanes, West Virginia.

In her first appointment as a licensed local pastor, she has begun to preach and baptize. She has visited shut-ins and people less acutely ill than she is. She helped preside at the funeral of a young mother who committed suicide.

Nichols — whose cancer has spread so much that doctors give her just a few months — works part time at Cross Lanes. She works as her energy permits, and takes no salary.

Cross Lanes’ pastor, the Rev. Gary Nelson, laid down one law.

“He said, ‘Shelly, you can do as much or as little as you want. The main thing is no stress for you,’” Nichols said. “That’s how I’ve approached it. … It’s all good.”

Nelson insists that Nichols’ work and example have more than compensated for any accommodations.

“It’s been a tremendous gift for the church, for me, for all of us,” he said.

Feeling the call

Nichols grew up in Dumfries, Virginia, attending Dumfries United Methodist Church. Her father, Pete Costello, had a plumbing business and did lay ministry on the side, eventually becoming a licensed local pastor.

As a girl joining her father in visits to juvenile detention centers and retirement homes, Nichols felt her own tug toward ministry. Her father was sure she had a call, and after praying about

it one night, woke her and her three younger brothers at 5 a.m., to share his conviction. They had a party that night to celebrate.

Nichols took a first step by enrolling at North Carolina Wesleyan College. But a roadblock appeared.

“I absolutely hated the religion classes,” she said.

Instead, Nichols majored in criminal justice and psychology, getting her master’s in counseling psychology at Towson State University, and becoming a licensed professional counselor.

Her life soon included motherhood — twin girls, followed by three boys.

The career of her husband, Dave Nichols, took the family to Nitro, West Virginia, a suburb of the capital city of Charleston, in 2001.

There she became deeply involved at nearby Cross Lanes United Methodist. She taught Sunday school, became a liturgist for worship services, served as president of the United Methodist Women chapter, and went on mission trips to Nicaragua and Haiti.


ANSWERING THE CALL By Sam Hodges, UMNS.

Photo Credit: Mike DuBose


Help From Ohio

In 2012, Nichols took the first step. She met with the Rev. Edward Grant, superintendent of the Midland South District in the West Virginia Conference, about becoming a licensed local pastor.

Two weeks later, Nichols — whose only symptom had been fatigue — was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Surgeons removed 12 inches of her colon, but further tests showed the cancer had spread to her lungs and liver, leading to surgeries on those, too.

Since that first diagnosis, Nichols has yet to have a “clean” scan. But as she underwent chemotherapy, then alternative medicine treatments, she held to her dream of answering God’s call.

A setback in early 2014 prevented her from attending the weeklong local pastor licensing school in the West Virginia Conference. She recalls being in tears as she phoned one of her brothers, the Rev. Steve Stultz Costello, an elder and pastor at Faith United Methodist Church in North Canton, Ohio.

“My brother, he’s like, ‘Let me call somebody,’” Nichols said.

Her brother worked it out for Nichols to attend licensing school later, in the East Ohio Conference.

“Everybody fell in love with her,” said the Rev. Cara Stultz Costello, wife of Nichols’ brother, a pastor with him at Faith United Methodist and a teacher at the licensing school.

“That’s what happens with Shelly. Everybody falls in love with her instantly. She’s like a magnet.”

Fulfilling The Dream

Nichols’ health was so precarious that she knew she couldn’t lead her “own little church.” But she pushed forward, trusting some opportunity would appear.

Then Nelson, her pastor, had what he calls a Holy Spirit-sent idea to have her appointed to Cross Lanes. The church, with weekly attendance of 260, needed an associate minister. And Nelson knew how much leadership she had provided as a laywoman.

He worked with Grant to get West Virginia Area Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball to make the appointment.

“She acted very, very quickly,” Nelson said. “She really liked the idea.”

Nichols began last summer to serve Cross Lanes, wearing a robe provided by its United Methodist Women. Since then, she has preached four times.

“It’s kind of scary giving your first sermon,” Nichols said. “But, I thought, what better place than with people who are going to love me no matter what?”

Nelson agrees the church has fully supported her.

“They knew that she had this dream, and it meant a lot to them that they got to help her fulfill that dream,” he said.

Nelson added that it hasn’t been charity. He said Nichols has proved invaluable to him and the congregation as a fill-in preacher and regular liturgist, as well as in various other pastoral roles.

The Rev. JF Lacaria, assistant to Steiner Ball, has long been active at Cross Lanes and helped arrange Nichols’

appointment. He has watched her in action for years, particularly since her diagnosis.

“I really believe she’s teaching the church how a person should die,” he said.

Nichols is characteristically plainspoken when asked for her theological understanding of what she has been through with cancer.

“God doesn’t cause any of these things,” she said. “He doesn’t play favorites. God loves us, and God is with us through whatever journey we have to go through.”

Nichols has outlived her doctors’ earliest predictions. But a scan last month showed the cancer has spread to her spine, leading to an updated prognosis that she is in her last four months.

Of late, standing has become hard. She was unable to give the children’s sermon at Easter, or even to go to church. However, that afternoon, a crowd of friends and family came to her home for food and fellowship.

Amid the hubbub, she answered questions about her life since diagnosis, matter-of-factly relaying the latest dire details. She also said, with a laugh but also with emphasis, “The story ain’t over yet!”

One indication: She filled out paperwork, asking Steiner Ball to reappoint her to Cross Lanes.

Hodges, a United Methodist News Service writer, lives in Dallas. Contact him at (615) 742-5470 or [email protected].

This story was originally published by the United Methodist News Service.

ANSWERING THE CALL (Continued from page 5)


The Council of Bishops issued a pastoral letter on racism to the 12.8 million people of The United Methodist Church affirming the sacredness of all lives and renewing their commitment to work for an anti-racist, pro-humanity church. The action came at the end of the Council’s weeklong meeting in Berlin after prayerful reflection and discussion about the topic. Earlier in the week, President of the Council Bishop Warner H. Brown Jr. had also issued a letter calling for prayer and healing.

Grace and peace in the name of Jesus Christ!

We, the bishops of The United Methodist Church, are meeting in Berlin, Germany, 70 years after the end of World War II. As we gather, we renew our commitment to lead, as together we seek to become the beloved community of Christ.

We are a church that proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. On every continent, people called United Methodist are boldly living the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Yet, the people of our world are hurting, as injustice, violence and racism abound. Our witness to the dignity of all human life and the reign of God is needed now more than ever.

Our hearts break and our spirits cry out, as we see reports of migrant people being attacked and burned in the streets of South Africa, note the flight of Jews from Europe, watch the plight of Mediterranean refugees and see racially charged protests and riots in cities across the United States that remind us that systems are broken and racism continues. The evidence is overwhelming that race still matters, that racism is woven into institutional life and is problematic to communal health. This reality impacts every area of life – in the church and in the world.

Racism is prejudice plus intent to do harm or discriminate based on a belief that one is superior or has freedom to use power over another based on race. Xenophobia is an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange. Racism and xenophobia, like other sins, keep us from being whole persons capable of living up to our

full potential. They deny the profound theological truth that we are made in the image of God with the handprint of love and equality divinely implanted in every soul.

As bishops of the Church, we cast a vision for a world community where human worth and dignity defeat acts of xenophobia and racism. We acknowledge that silence in the face of systemic racism and community fears serves only to make matters worse.

We commit to lead, model and engage in honest dialogue and respectful conversation and invite people of faith everywhere to join us. Let us repent of our own racial bias and abuse of privilege. May we love God more deeply and, through that love, build relationships that honor the desire of people everywhere to be seen, valued, heard and safe. As we proclaim and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, may we lead the way in seeking justice for all, investing in and trusting God’s transforming power to create a world without hatred and racism.

As United Methodists, we affirm that all lives are sacred and that a world free of racism and xenophobia is not only conceivable, but worthy of our pursuit. We renew our commitment to work for a Church that is anti-racist and pro-humanity, believing that beloved community cannot be achieved by ignoring cultural, racial and ethnic

differences, but by celebrating diversity and valuing all people.

“This commandment we have from him: Those who claim to love God ought to love their brother and sister also.” 1 John 4:21 (CEB)

RESOURCESA New Dawn in Beloved Community: Stories with the Power to Transform Us, Linda Lee, ed., Abingdon Press, 2012

Pan-Methodist Statement on Racismfrom the 72nd Consultation of Methodist Bishops

Understanding and Dismantling Racism: the Twenty-First Century Challenge to White America,Joseph Barndt, Fortress Press, 2007

PASTORAL LETTER ON RACISM


From the UM Council of Bishops

Capturing or taking a photo – I never dreamed these words held a clue as to how I approached life. My wife Carolyn recently gave me a copy of “Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice.” I’m still working through the message contained within, but it is changing how I view photography and how I view life. I’ve come to understand that words like capture and take did reflect an attitude in me that was far from life-giving.

Christine Valters Paintner, the author, recommends the camera lens as a tool that can help us see the world differently and more deeply. She lifts up receiving images as a gift, and contrasts that with capturing or taking them. Her plea to avoid judgment and see the beauty in all of life was refreshing. Over the past few months, I’ve begun to understand the need to slow down and be more attentive, and how this helps me to be fully present and to see God in the people and places I encounter each day.

With or without my camera, I’ve noticed that I’m no longer seeing the world in quite the same way.

I was excited to receive “Eyes of the Heart”, but not quite as enthusiastic when it began to challenge my life. I expected a better understanding of photography, but the principles being shared encompassed far more. The Holy Spirit used Paintner’s words to bring me face to face with parts of myself that I wished were different. I am drawn toward taking, capturing, controlling, and molding much of life according to my will and understanding.

This includes circumstances, decisions, churches, and people. At times I’ve even tried to control or mold God. I also judge all too easily, sometimes without even realizing what I’m doing. These tendencies are subtle ones, often hidden in the background, yet they still color my thoughts and actions.

A DIFFERENT WAY OF SEEINGPhotos and Story By Rev. Jon Nettles


As I reflect upon my life and upon society, the cost of such attitudes becomes clear. Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball recently spoke of the need to value relationships more than we value being right. So much damage has been done by those arrogant enough to believe they had a lock upon the truth. How sad to judge those with whom we differ as bad or evil, quickly forgetting the image of God that lies within. I mourn the beauty that has been lost through seeking to control and mold others, rather than helping them more fully become the persons God intended.

I thank God for this book and other reminders that we each have a choice, that life can be different. I’m trying to receive images, people, and all of life as gifts to be treasured. I’m learning to slow down and listen, to see beauty and God everywhere I look. I catch myself more often when I start to judge, and I seek to offer love and understanding instead.

I’m discovering that it’s good for my soul to approach life from a more peaceful and gentle stance, and it leads to greater joy in the journey. I’ve found that seeing with the eyes of the heart is a gift, both to me and to those whose lives intersect mine.

I’m a long way from getting it right, but at least I understand more of who I long to be and am called to be – and the pathway somehow seems a little clearer.


The United Methodist Church is taking steps to extend to regional units and local congregations a ministry of repentance and reconciliation with Native American and other indigenous people as part of an effort to build a church of integrity and inclusiveness for all people and all of God’s creation.

The work continues years of effort by the denomination to overcome centuries of mistreatment of native people in the United States and elsewhere. The church’s 2012 General Conference, its highest legislating body, engaged in a formal Act of Repentance Service for the Healing of Relationships with Indigenous Persons.

In response to this initiative, the West Virginia Conference has formed the Committee on Native American Ministries (WV-CONAM) to reach native people across the conference in urban and rural settings.

We are also communicating with the local UMCs to keep people informed about our visions and focus. In order to help you we would like to address some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Native American Ministries and the WV-CONAM.

Why does the United Methodist Church emphasize Native American Ministries each year?The United Methodist Church has sought to share the Good News with indigenous people of the New World

since it its founding. Early Native American ministries have born much fruit and today the UM church is one of the largest Christian denominations among Native American peoples.

Why do we emphasize this in West Virginia since we do not have any reservations?Though there are no federally recognized tribal communities in West Virginia, there are many Native American from federally recognized tribes living within the boundaries of our Conference as well as many self-identified Native Americans who are not registered with any tribal community. Since many of these persons live among us, the church’s goal is to reach them with good news of Christ in ways which respect their unique cultures.

Why does the church always seem to be apologizing to Native Americans? The Act of Repentance Service at the 2012 General Conference initiated a four year process recognizing past hurts the church has inflicted on Native Americans and begin conversation with local Native peoples in preparation for similar services at the Annual Conference level. As Blenda Smith, a white laywoman from the Upper New York area noted, “Repentance by itself makes the repentant feel good.

O Great Spirit whose voice we hear in the winds,and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear us.We come before you as your children.We are small and weak; we need your strength and wisdom.Let us walk in beauty and make our eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset.May our hands respect the things you have made, our ears be sharp to hear yourvoice. Make us wise, so that we may know the things you have taught your people,the lessons you have hidden in every leaf and rock.We seek strength not to be superior to our brothers and sisters,but to live in harmony with ourselves and all of your creation.Help us to be ever ready to come to you, so when life fades as a fading sunset, ourspirits may come to you without shame.

A Prayer of Confession, from the UM Book of Worship (Traditional Native American Prayer)

HEAL PAST HURTS, BUILD RELATIONSHIPSREPENTANCE IS MORE THAN SAYING “I’M SORRY.”


We cannot just apologize. We need to focus on healing relationships...the service of repentance and healing helped us begin to see a small part of our history and the beginning of repentance.” The intention is to build relationships, begin to heal past hurts and move forward in building up the kingdom of God.

What is the Local Representative for Native American Ministries and what do they do?Each local church will develop its own program for Native American Ministries and awareness building based on the nature of their context and the native people residing in the area.

NATIVE AMERICAN BASED LITURGIES

Call to Worship ILeader: We share our stories.People: Each of us brings a unique story and gifts from the Creator.Leader: Our stories are our journeys of faith.People: We walk the paths of righteousness.Leader: We share our path with all creation.All: We are all related.-From Eastern Cherokee Prayer Tradition

*Call to Worship IILeader: Every part of this earth is sacred.People: Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy.Leader: The rocky crest, the meadow, the beasts and all the people, all belong to the same family.Teach your children that the earth is our mother.People: Whatever befalls the earth befalls the children of the earth.We are part of the earth, and the earth is a part of us.Leader: The rivers are our brothers, they quench our thirst.People: The perfumed flowers are our sisters, the air is precious, for all of us share the same breath.Leader: The wind that gave our grandparents breath also receives their last sigh.People: The wind gave our children the spirit of life.Leader: This we know, the earth does not belong to us.People: We belong to the earth.Leader: This we know, all things are connected.People: Like the blood which unites one family, all things are connected.Leader: Our God is the same God, whose compassion is equal for all.People: For we did not weave the web of life.We are merely a strand in it.Leader: Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves.

People: Let us give thanks for the web and the circle that connects us.All: Thanks be to God, the God of all.-From The UM Book of Worship inspired by Chief Seattle, Native American, U.S.A., 19th Century.

Litany of ConfessionLeader: We confess that the circle of love is repeatedly broken because of our sin of exclusion.Women: We create separate circles: the inner circle and the outer circle,Men: the circle of power and the circle of despair,the circle of privilege and the circle of deprivation.All: Forgive us our sins, as we forgive all who have sinned against us.

Leader: We confess that the circle of love is broken.Women: whenever there is alienation, whenever there is misunderstanding,Men: whenever there is insensitivity or a hardening of the heart.All: Forgive us our sins, as we forgive all who have sinned against us.

Leader: We confess that the circle of love is brokenWomen: whenever we cannot see eye to eye,whenever we cannot link hand to hand,Men: whenever we cannot live heart to heart and affirm our differences.All: Forgive us our sins, as we forgive all who have sinned against us.(silent prayers of personal confession)

Assurance of PardonLeader: Through God’s grace we are forgiven, by the mercy of our Creator, through the love of the Christ, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.People: Let us rejoice and be glad!All: Glory to God! Amen.


Hospital. Horse’s stable. Church. Virginia’s Chapel, “the little brick church by the side of the road,” has been all of these things since it was built in 1853 by William Tompkins as a gift to his daughter. Tompkins made his fortune in the salt mines and early natural gas industry in the Kanawha Valley.

The Confederate and Union armies both used the church during the Civil War.

The church was non-denominational until 1901, when the Methodist church got involved. The church now has connections to the Cedar Grove and Glasgow United Methodist Churches. The land where the church sits was originally settled in 1773/4; it was the first permanent settlement in the Kanawha Valley.

Back in 1774, 79 years before the church was built, Colonel Andrew Lewis marched members of the Virginia militia past the site where the church would stand as his troops made their way to the Battle of Point Pleasant.

They barely won the fight there against a Shawnee Indian force led by the great Chief Cornstalk. The battle and its combatants are now memorialized at Tu-Wen-Du-Wei state park near Point Pleasant.

These events are memorialized on three historic markers around the church, but a very important piece of history is missing. Slaves lived and died in the area; and an old slave cemetery sits down the embankment from the church, not far from the shoreline of the Kanawha River.

SUNRISE SERVICE HISTORYHISTORIC CHURCH STANDS ON SITE FIRST SETTLED IN THE 1770S

By Laura Allen


By 1860, William Tompkins owned 50 slaves; they built a house out of red brick for the Tompkins family in what is now Cedar Grove. Did slaves also build Virginia’s Chapel? I don’t know yet.

The only historical reference I can find so far is this entry in the eWV online encyclopedia, which states that Tompkins built the chapel. But the fact that slaves built his home is a clue that they may have built the church as well.

It’s not a fact that gets talked about much, but there were about 20,000 slaves in West Virginia in 1850, according to records in the West Virginia State Archives.

Seems to me that a historical marker honoring the people who helped build the communities in which we now live is in order.

DEVELOPING THE SPIRITOne of my favorite biblical narratives follows Philip and a short meeting he has with an Ethiopian Eunuch. Acts 8:26-40 describes their interaction; it’s small story, easily passed over.

The entire episode is just an excerpt, really; and yet, it provides a profound model for spiritual formation. In the scripture, Philip follows God’s call to the road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza. Once there, he meets the Ethiopian Eunuch who has been reading out of the book of Isaiah.

Peter simply asks, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (v. 30). The eunuch responds, “How can I unless someone guides me?” (v. 31). Philip then gets into the eunuch’s chariot, allows the eunuch to ask questions and helps him interpret the prophet’s words. They search the scripture together for the good news and the eunuch asks to be baptized. Through God’s grace, Philip and the eunuch have an encounter in which they are transformed, enlivened, developed.

For the last two years I have read and reread this scripture along with the design team for the Radical Discipleship Academy of Appalachia (RDAA).

We continue to read it because it embodies the process of discovery we desire for youth in this conference: an invitation is given; disciples then sit together, asking questions, searching for good news, and responding to it.

For youth who are grappling with the questions inherent in a life of faith, for those who, when asked if they understand the scriptures, say “how can I unless someone guides me?” we want to be faithful companions.

In preparation of our inaugural year the RDAA design team prayed, studied and engaged with our context as a program wholly situated in Appalachia.

True to the demographics and geography of the area, we found that most of West Virginia Annual Conference’s churches are located in rural, impoverished areas and many have memberships of less than 100 people with few youth. These factors can create isolation for youth who seek exposure to theology that can inform their relationships, church leadership, and connection to their communities.

The youth we connected with desired to know and understand the Bible, wanted to learn how to discern God’s voice and identified a need for meaningful inter-generational relationships with mature, Christian adults willing to journey with them.

Thus it was that RDAA was purposed to give participating students the space, the disciplines, the worship, and the relationships necessary for in-depth theological engagement.


By Rev. Krysta Rexrode Wolfe


DEVELOPING THE SPIRIT (Continued From Page 13)

We are about to graduate our first class of students. After a full year of studying, gathering with covenant discipleship groups and being challenged to think of themselves as theologians, students are sensing that their faith shapes their daily ethical choices, directs them toward social justice and frames their most basic worldview. Students are enthusiastic, empowered and bright, breathing life into the program and one another.

As we look toward a second year, we continue to embrace students from the corners of the annual conference. Students who thirst for community and pursue it with authentic questions are welcomed. From the farthest reaches, the Academy seeks to develop students, relationships, spiritual formation and the connection. Students wishing to apply can still enroll, just go to www.springheights.org/radical-discipleship. For any questions please contact [email protected].

FASTING & PRAYING By Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball

Why are fasting and prayer important in the disciple walk? We asked Bishop Steiner Ball to tell us a little more about her beliefs about fasting. Here’s what she wrote:

Fasting has traditionally been a practice of preparation for the Judeo-Christian faith. I believe that it a good and right thing to do to prepare our hearts, minds, and spirits to enter into the worship and holy conferencing that occurs at Annual Conference. Annual Conference is the place where we review and celebrate what is past and set the course for how we together fulfill God’s vision for the future.

Additionally, this year we elect delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conference. I believe this election should be about spiritual discernment and not about politics. Who is God calling? What or who will fulfill God’s will and purpose? Who will try to put on the heart and mind of Christ? Who will listen for the Spirit’s leading and direction as they participate as members of the delegation?

The practice of fasting and prayer first helps us to take a good look at ourselves and repent. This spiritual practice

helps us to remember that it is not about us! It is not about our agendas, our concerns, it is about seeking God’s agenda(s) and about seeking to be the answer to God’s prayer.

This practice also prepares persons for receiving the strength and grace necessary to faithfully participate in mission and service in God’s name. Prayer and fasting are methodical or systematic practices that help people to go beyond themselves and to have a clear and regular sense of the resource they have in the presence of God, and that God, that Christ, is in fact present! We are not on our own! Christ constantly pointed to God’s authority, God’s power, God’s Will and not his own. As the body of Christ in the world today, the emptying practice of fasting and prayer helps us to grow into this greater image of Christ that points to God and not to us.


The United Methodist Foundation of West Virginia, Inc.Contact Jeff Taylor or Kim MatthewsP.O. Box 3811 Charleston, WV 25338

304-342-2113 or 1-800-788-3746 ext. [email protected] www.umfwv.org www.facebook.com/umfwv

Consider the Possibilities...

Serving By Managing FundsWhy don’t all churches place their reserves with the Foundation?

Rosanne Glover of Main Street United Methodist Church in Petersburg asked this excellent question after the United Methodist Foundation made a presentation at her church. Rosanne was speaking from experience as the church’s treasurer. She knows that the Foundation is not only a good investment vehicle, but also a ministry of professional service to our donors and investors. We respond to the needs of those we serve.

What five facts are important to know about Custodial Accounts?

Investment Opportunity: The United Methodist Foundation offers Custodial Accounts to the churches and agencies of the Conference as an investment opportunity. All money deposited in a custodial account is available to the church upon demand, at any time, in any amount, up to the market value of the account. There are no maturity dates, penalties, or transaction fees.

Low Minimum for accounts: The minimum investment to begin a custodial account is $1,000. Any amount can be added to an established account at any time.

Investment Choices: Churches can choose between the four Foundation Investment Funds, each of which has a different investment allocation. We practice sustainable investing, using Christian principles.

Market rate of return: Funds are invested and subject to market conditions. While there are no guarantees about the future performance of our funds, if you contact the Foundation, we can provide historical returns for each of our four investment funds.

Easy to establish: The Foundation provides the paperwork for a church to establish a custodial account. Agreements are written to meet the needs of the church, and are customized for each account holder. We will also come and meet with any group within your congregation to answer questions.

Contact Jeff Taylor or Kim Matthews at the Foundation for more information.

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