Coronavirus Outbreak Linked To West Virginia Church Grows To Over 40 Cases

From West Virginia-

A coronavirus outbreak linked to a church in southern West Virginia has grown to at least 41 cases, officials said Monday.

The caseload connected to the Graystone Baptist Church in Lewisburg increased after several tests came back positive over the weekend, Greenbrier County health officials said in a statement.

The state has seen multiple outbreaks this month connected to church services and tourism travel to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Health officials are urging residents to wear face masks and follow safety precautions.

Preston County has reported at least 26 cases stemming from trips to Myrtle Beach. Cabell and Kanawha counties have also reported spikes after residents traveled to the popular beach getaway.

More here-

https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/06/22/graystone-baptist-church-case-count-grows/?fbclid=IwAR356ExcWYI923UIRd4wn65fUb62azk5J9CoKR5WJI8-1niYmIAhrXcNSS4

West Virginia sees coronavirus outbreaks in churches

From West Virginia-

Less than a month after President Trump urged churches to reopen, West Virginia has reported a significant number of coronavirus outbreaks linked to houses of worship. According to the state’s public health office, a total of five churches have seen outbreaks.

Those churches are scattered across the rugged, mountainous state. The affected churches are in Jefferson County on the border with Maryland; Boone County, in the state’s southwestern coalfields, not far from the Kentucky border; Hampshire County, also near the Maryland border; and Marshall County, in a narrow swath of the state squeezed between Ohio and Pennsylvania known as the Northern Panhandle.

The state’s Department of Health and Human Resources announced the five-church outbreak in a Saturday press release about a house of worship in Greenbrier County, where it said “at least 17 cases have been identified.” It did not name the Greenbrier church, or the churches in the other four counties, to “protect the possibility of identifying individuals.”

More here-

https://news.yahoo.com/west-virginia-sees-coronavirus-outbreaks-in-churches-200854506.html

Local reverand (sic) performs baptisms in Jordan River

From West Virginia-

Reverand Chip Graves of Trinity Episcopal Church in Huntignton recently got to tour Israel and Palestine.

Graves also got to baptize eight new-found friends in the Jordan River.

"It was simply amazing," Graves said. "I was standing there at the traditional location where Jesus was baptized, pondering the event, the scenery, when all of a sudden, several folks came to me asking if I would baptize them," he said.

"After personal instruction and hearing their commitment to Christ, I baptized them in the Jordan where it meets the Sea of Galilee," he added. "It was truly a blessed event that I'll never forget."

More here-

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/features/x720298096/Local-reverand-performs-baptisms-in-Jordan-River

After seven years, St. Matthews Episcopal Church re-opens

From West Virginia-


After a seven-year drought, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Chester is once again opening its doors.

The church at the corner of Fourth Street and Indiana Avenue will hold its re-opening liturgy at 9 a.m. Sunday.

"I don't know for sure how many people we'll have there, but you have to start somewhere," said the Rev. Dale Eugene "Gene" Sheppard, parish missioner. "People who have seen the sign have called and said that they'll be there. I'm very excited."

A second-career clergyman, Sheppard, 65, of Follansbee, began his ministry to the Episcopal churches of Brooke and Hancock counties in June 2006. Four months later, St. Matthew's closed, the victim of declining membership.

At that time, the Rev. Jim Reed, who also was serving the Chester parish, decided to retire, and Sheppard continued his ministry to the three other Episcopal churches-St. Thomas in Weirton, Olde St. John's in Colliers and Christ Church in Wellsburg.

More here-

http://www.reviewonline.com/page/content.detail/id/570378/After-seven-years--St--Matthews-Episcopal-Church-re-opens.html?nav=5008

Trinity Episcopal has rich history

From West Virginia-

Trinity Episcopal Church, 430 Juliana St., will celebrate 170 years this year, and behind those 170 years are stories of outreach and community.

The church's roots go back to 1843 when its first rector, the Rev. Thomas Smith, came to the area and began to form and lead the church. The need for a rector and place of worship came after several English families had moved to the Parkersburg area from Virginia, said the Rev. Larry Jackson, rector of the church.

"After they started their settlement, then they started reaching out for a place to worship," Jackson said.

Jackson explained those English families had been members of the Church of England, which became known as the Episcopal Church after the Revolutionary War.

"The Church of England is what came to the shores of America first. And it was during the Revolutionary War, when we broke away from England, that the Church of England became known as the Episcopal Church, which means it's pastored by bishops," Jackson said.


More here-

http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/569330/Trinity-Episcopal-has-rich-history.html?nav=5061

Gun cult?: Theology issue

From West Virginia-

Some Charleston churches, such as historic St. John's Episcopal, are pondering a call for U.S. congregations to unite in a nationwide crusade -- against the "cult" of guns that idolizes weaponry, causing 30,000 U.S. violent deaths each year.

The crusade is based on a new book, America and its Guns, by retired Presbyterian pastor James Atwood, published just before the Connecticut school massacre. The book says U.S. politicians won't protect American families from gun murder, so churches across the nation should join in a mass movement for gun safety.

Gun-lovers are more than just shooting fans, the book alleges -- they actually worship weapons like members of a cult. The minister-author says America's "Gun Empire" is rooted in shoot-'em-down video games, violent movies and toy guns cherished by American boys. The cult has more than 5,000 U.S. assemblies per year: gun shows drawing throngs.


More here-


http://wvgazette.com/Opinion/Editorials/201301040079

People from church, Marshall help Marcum Terrace children

From West Virginia-

Members of St. John's Episcopal Church and the Marshall University community banded together to make sure children in low-income families receive a gift on Christmas.

The church partnered with the Huntington Housing Authority's Marcum Terrace Apartments through its Housing Learning and Development Center. The after-school program was started by the church to provide a safe, nurturing and supportive place to learn and play when school is over or not in session. At Christmas, St. John's Church expands it by providing gifts for children.

This year, 85 children will receive gifts, about three each. Project coordinator Debra Coleman said initially there were 66 children and then 19 others who were on a waiting list and were not eligible for other gift programs. Church members, however, didn't want them left out. And, with the help of faculty, staff and students at Marshall, it was possible to help them all.

More here-

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x2071553843/People-from-church-Marshall-help-Marcum-Terrace-children

Former Diocese of West Virginia Bishop John Smith dies at 82

From ENS-

Former Diocese of West Virginia Bishop John Smith, 72, of Brunswick, Maine, died June 2.
He died after a two-year struggle with leukemia, according to an obituary in the Portland, Maine, Press Herald newspaper.

Smith, who was born Sept. 11, 1939 and raised in the Panama Canal Zone, was diocesan bishop of the Charleston, West Virginia-based diocese from 1989 to 1999. Ordained to the priesthood in 1965, he served parishes in Maine and Vermont. He also was chaplain and taught at the National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C. He was rector of Trinity Episcopal Church in Rutland, Vt., when he was elected bishop.

After his retirement Smith also served as priest-in-charge at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Bridgton, Maine, where he oversaw the construction of a new church building. A celebration of his life will take place June 7 at St. Peter’s, according to an e-mail from Diocese of Maine Bishop Steve Lane.

More here-

http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2012/06/04/former-diocese-of-west-virginia-bishop-john-smith-dies-at-82/

Serpent-handling pastor profiled earlier in Washington Post dies from rattlesnake bite

From The Washington Post-

Mack Wolford, a flamboyant Pentecostal pastor from West Virginia whose serpent-handling talents were profiled last November in The Washington Post Magazine , hoped the outdoor service he had planned for Sunday at an isolated state park would be a “homecoming like the old days,” full of folks speaking in tongues, handling snakes and having a “great time.” But it was not the sort of homecoming he foresaw. 
 
Instead, Wolford, who turned 44 the previous day, was bitten by a rattlesnake he owned for years. He died late Sunday.

Mark Randall “Mack” Wolford was known all over Appalachia as a daring man of conviction. He believed that the Bible mandates that Christians handle serpents to test their faith in God — and that, if they are bitten, they trust in God alone to heal them. 

He and other adherents cited Mark 16:17-18 as the reason for their practice: “And these signs will follow those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

More here-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/serpent-handling-pastor-profiled-earlier-in-washington-post-dies-from-rattlesnake-bite/2012/05/29/gJQAJef5zU_story.html

Former Club To Be Razed

From Wheeling-

The landmark Fort Henry Club at 14th and Chapline streets is set to meet the wrecking ball.

Leaders of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Wheeling confirmed Wednesday morning that after more than three years of effort, working in concert with others, they are unable to renovate and preserve the Fort Henry Club building.

The Rev. Mark Seitz, rector, said, "As a result, the church is now seeking bids for demolition of the building."


Seitz said despite numerous efforts to obtain tenants for the stately building, costs to renovate the structure proved too much for potential renters who have inspected the property.

"It took a while to come to this decision. It's not what we wanted, but frankly it was problematic from the beginning," Seitz said.

In December, St. Matthew's purchased the building for $1. The Fort Henry Club is located across the street from the church property.

The Fort Henry Club, a Wheeling social organization dating back to 1890, closed it doors last September as membership had dwindled. The facility was a popular destination for businessmen during the early 1900s and a much-utilized facility for social events.
More here-

http://www.theintelligencer.net/page/content.detail/id/570268/Former-Club-To-Be-Razed.html?nav=515

Graffiti preservation under way at Morgan Chapel

From West Virginia-

Neither William Briggs nor Andrew Shute ever made the history books, but their names are causing a stir at the Morgan Chapel where their signatures - along with various other soldiers' drawings, doodles and even some personal messages, collectively referred to as Civil War graffiti - dot the old Episcopalian church's interior walls.

Although it's been about four years since workmen doing minor repairs discovered these personal artifacts, both church officials and local historians are now more eager than ever to move forward with plans to preserve them.

Excitement was running high Friday morning as the Rt. Rev. W. Michie Klusmeyer, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, and Berkeley County Landmarks Commission members examined the historic treasures and talked about future collaborations.

Smiling as he looked up at a wall in the building's balcony, space that was originally reserved for slaves attending a church service, Klusmeyer chuckled as he recalled one of the soldier's inscriptions.

More here-

http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/575330/Graffiti-preservation-under-way-at-Morgan-Chapel.html?nav=5006

Parishioners Attend Last Mass at Wheeling Church

From Wheeling (with video)

It was an emotional day for parishioners as St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Elm Grove held its final mass Sunday morning.

The church has been located in Elm Grove since the mid 1950's, and is closing its doors for good like many other churches across the United States due to a dwindling population of churchgoers.

St. Paul's is merging services with St Luke's on Wheeling Island.

"God always said an end is not an end, " Bishop Mike Klusmeyer of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia said.

During mass, parishioners had the chance to reflect on many fond memories.

Sisters Carol Bowman and Vickie Henderson reflected on their father, when he used to sit in the church during the baptism of their grandchildren.

"We see our dad sitting here, " Bowman said. "I'm going to start crying. Seeing dad sitting up there, I remember cleaning the church with grandma."

More here-

http://www.wtrf.com/story/16627149/parishioners-attend-last-mass-at-wheeling-church

People surprise you

From Columbus-

I've learned in my years as a religion reporter that pastors collect some pretty interesting/crazy/touching stories.

I heard one yesterday from the Rev. George Glazier, rector of St. Stephen's Episcopal Church on the Ohio State University campus. I was interviewing Glazier for this story about church finances in 2012.

Here it is, paraphrased:

Glazier used to work at a church in Wheeling, W. Va., where an unkempt woman who appeared to be very poor would worship on Christmas Eve. That was the only time all year that she came, and the staff got to know who she was because of her appearance and because she didn't smell very good.

After the woman died, the church was shocked to find out she left $500,000 to the congregation. The reason? On at least one Christmas Eve, an usher was kind to her and gave her a good seat.
I'd say you never know how your kindnesses will pay off, but of course that's no reason to be kind. It is a remarkable story about how people can surprise you.

http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/the-compass/2011/12/500kstory.html

Volunteers keep Manna Meal kitchen running

From West Virginia-

Sometimes when a task seems overwhelming, many helpful hands can achieve the job flawlessly.

Manna Meal, which serves two meals a day to the homeless and those who are struggling to make ends meet, has been without a kitchen since Feb. 21. Housed at St. John's Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, the kitchen will be under renovation until mid-June.

However, food has been served without a hitch thanks to groups of volunteers who cook and deliver.

"It's amazing," said Jean Simpson, executive director. "No matter what happens, Manna Meal always pulls through. God is always taking care of us."

The renovation project began thanks to a $500,000 gift from the H.B. Wehrle Jr. family. The renovation will convert a 1930s church kitchen to an industrial facility.

More here-

http://www.dailymail.com/News/Kanawha/201104071251

Buckles honored at Zion Episcopal

From W.Va.

Reporter Richard F. Belisle's father, Frederick M. Belisle (1896-1981), served in the U.S. Navy in World War I.

It seemed to all make sense, to finally come together Wednesday afternoon when Charlie Casabona led nearly 300 people in Zion Episcopal Church in the singing of "Over There."

Frank Woodruff Buckles, the last American to serve in World War I, died Feb. 27 at age 110. If he was relatively unknown before then he wasn't after weeks of mass-media coverage detailed his experience in the "War to End All Wars," his three-year ordeal in a Japanese prison camp in World War II and his life as a farmer, raconteur and father.

There were the fights in Congress over whether Buckles' body should lie in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. They were followed by his burial Tuesday in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. President Obama and Vice President Biden paid their respects Tuesday at an Arlington chapel ceremony where Buckles' body lay in honor.

More here-

http://articles.herald-mail.com/2011-03-16/news/28700701_1_frank-buckles-honor-guard-susannah-buckles-flanagan

Nation's top Episcopal bishop speaks in Shepherdstown

From West Virginia-

Trinity Episcopal Church in Shepherdstown had what Pastor G.T. Schramm called one of its proudest moments Sunday when the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States led a service there.

The church at the corner of Church and German streets was nearly filled to capacity when the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori celebrated the 10 a.m. service.

The Right Rev. W. Michie Klusmeyer, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia and its 70 churches, accompanied Jefferts Schori.

Jefferts Schori is the 26th presiding bishop and the first woman elected to the position.

Jefferts Schori’s stop in Shepherdstown ended a three-church pilgrimage to the Mountain State. She also visited Christ Church in Fairmont, W.Va., and St. Luke’s on Wheeling Island.

She said that during a dinner at Christ Church, paper stars were passed out inviting those eating to write notes to its rector, who is facing cancer surgery. The woman turned 29 Saturday and the congregation had seen her only once since she became ill in May, Jefferts Schori said.

“At some point ... a parishioner stood up and offered a lament ... ‘Why is this vibrant young woman so terribly sick? Why has our shepherd been taken away?’” Jefferts Schori said during her sermon.

More here-

http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=254100&format=html

W.Va. Episcopalians consider blessing same-gender relationships

From West Virginia-

Delegates to the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia's annual convention voted this week to allow the church to bless same-gender relationships.

The resolution was submitted by the Rev. Ann Lovejoy Johnson, associate rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Charleston. It "urges our Bishop to honor same-gender relationships by supporting public rites for the blessing of same-gender relationships in congregations where such blessings are supported and so desired."

The final decision rests with the diocese's bishop, the Rt. Rev. W. Michie Klusmeyer, who responded with a prepared statement when contacted by the Gazette on Tuesday.

"Thank you for your interest, but I wonder where your interest was when wonderful things have happened in the past in the Episcopal Church? And try as you like to make us one, we are not a one issue church," he said in the statement. He would not comment further, and calls to St. John's were not returned Tuesday afternoon.

More here-

http://wvgazette.com/News/201009141135

W.Va. churches taking 'hard walk' on mining

From The Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh)

The Rev. Dennis Sparks calls it "the hard walk."

That's what you have to do when your religious organization decides to take a position -- in, of all places, West Virginia -- saying mountaintop removal mining is against God's will, but also raises money for the families of miners who died in accidents, and organizes a meeting to cool the debate over coal issues.

As a result, it has been loved and loathed by mining interests and mine families, acting as both an agitator on issues and friendly comforter in times of crisis. But it still manages to act as an intermediary, as it did at the extraordinary meeting it arranged in January with Gov. Joe Manchin, environmentalists and the United Mine Workers to talk about nonviolent communication.

"That's the hard walk we have to take, because it is hard to walk between those" positions and actions the West Virginia Council of Churches has taken on coal, said Rev. Sparks, the council's executive director for the past eight years.

"So when the Upper Big Branch disaster happened I didn't say, 'Gee, I've been criticized by some mining companies, or some miner, because of our position on mountaintop removal, so I'm not going down there,' " he said.

"You set aside whatever political differences you have when a crisis happens and you help."

Read more:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10220/1078592-455.stm#ixzz0w0goHK92

Lewis gets Episcopal license back

From West Virginia-

The bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia has restored the license of Charleston's foremost reform activist minister, Jim Lewis.

A Thursday notice from St. John's Church Rector Susan Latimer and Senior Warden John Canfield said: "We are pleased to announce that Bishop [Michie] Klusmeyer has issued a license to the Rev. Jim Lewis to officiate within the diocese of West Virginia."

Lewis -- creator of Manna Meal for the homeless at St. John's, and later founder of the Patriots for Peace anti-war group -- temporarily lost his license after complaints that he performed too many services for St. John's members while retired. Negotiations resolved the complaints.

Thursday's announcement also said the historic midtown church plans to "obtain the services of a congregational consultant for the purpose of helping [it] resolve ongoing parish conflicts."

http://sundaygazettemail.com/News/201007010564

Vestry asks that Rev. Lewis' license be restored

From West Virginia-

The vestry of St. John's Episcopal Church in Charleston has asked the state's bishop to restore the license of West Virginia's best-known religious reform crusader, the Rev. Jim Lewis.

Senior Warden John Canfield notified church members Tuesday that several meetings were held between Lewis, Rector Susan Latimer of St. John's and Bishop Michie Klusmeyer. Latimer and Lewis reached an agreement on protocols of church procedure, and the vestry approved it Monday night.

"The vestry has now officially requested that Bishop Klusmeyer relicense the Rev. Jim Lewis within the Diocese of West Virginia," Canfield wrote.

Lewis has been a major activist for four decades. While he was rector of St. John's in the 1970s, he launched Manna Meal, which feeds the needy, and also helped create Covenant House to aid the homeless. He led opposition to Kanawha County's notorious 1974 fundamentalist uprising against "godless textbooks." He performed union ceremonies for gay couples.

More here-

http://wvgazette.com/News/201006150787