Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 21, 1990 TAG: 9006210060
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FRANCES STEBBINS CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
The valley has become a popular place for retiring clergy, many of whom have lived in several Virginia localities, said the Rev. T. Eugene Carter, Roanoke District superintendent.
The denomination maintains a retirement home in Northwest Roanoke, but several of the retiring clergymen and their wives will own their first homes. The church generally supplies parsonages for its ministers, who are considered for rotation every summer.
The pastors of Belmont, Fairview, Raleigh Court, South Roanoke, Rockingham Court and Pembroke will be among those moving to retirement status.
One of those, however, Benjamin Chidester, who has been at Rockingham Court for two years, will be semi-retired as he continues in ministry at the Boones Mill United Methodist Church.
Chidester, who went to seminary after a long career as a trucking supervisor in New York, will serve part time.
The other retirees are M. Douglas Newman of South Roanoke Church, James W. Reynolds Jr. of Raleigh Court Church, Harold Fuss of Belmont Church, Frank Laine of Fairview Church, all in Roanoke, and Raymond S. Kelley, who has been at the Pembroke Church in Giles County for 15 years.
Carter said the Roanoke Valley will remain home to Newman, Reynolds, Fuss and Chidester. Kelley will live at nearby Ironto and Laine will retire to Keysville.
Two ordained women will come to Roanoke in the annual rotation of clergy. Belmont will receive Helen Casey-Rutland, who has been on the staff of Candler Theological Seminary in Atlanta. She is a daughter of Robert Casey, a former pastor of Thrasher Memorial Church in Vinton.
Tammy L. Estep, now at the rural Smith's Grove Church near Petersburg, will become associate pastor of Windsor Hills Church.
Robert M. Chapman Jr., who has been at Selma, will come to Fairview Church to replace Laine, who has been there four years.
The new pastor at South Roanoke will be James A. Hain, who comes from First Church of Martinsville. Newman, the retiring pastor, came in 1988 and previously had served two other Roanoke parishes.
Replacing Reynolds at Raleigh Court will be Gregory A. Adkins, who has been at Main Street Church in South Boston. Reynolds is ending a four-year pastorate.
To replace Kelley in Giles is Lowell P. Stovall, who has been at Lyndhurst near Waynesboro.
Replacing Chidester at Rockingham Court is Frederick D. Clemens, who comes from the Diamond Hill and Emmaus congregations in Bedford County.
The Rev. George H. Gravitt, at Huntington Court Church for six years, moves to Danville's Trinity Church. He will be replaced by Bradford L. Phillips, who comes from Providence Church near Newport News.
Leaving the associate's position at Windsor Hills is William Olewiler. He will move to Christiansburg to serve the three small congregations of Park, Garber and Calvary.
They have been served for the past year by the Rev. Eugenie Finn-McKenzie, whose husband, Michael, will leave a five-year appointment at White Memorial of Shawsville. The Finn-McKenzies will move to the Harrisonburg area to serve the Mount Horeb and Mount Clinton congregations.
A new pastor also will come to downtown Christiansburg's St. Paul Church. After six years there, the Rev. Arthur E. Wingfield will go to Monumental Church in Portsmouth and will be succeeded by the Rev. Richard K. Geohegan Jr., now at Welborne in Richmond.
Replacing Michael Finn-McKenzie at Shawsville will be Keith E. Ritchie, who has been in Northumberland County.
The Floyd parish will lose John S. Davenport after three years to Kenbridge near Farmville. Richard A. Ecklund will come to Floyd on his first appointment.
After three years as executive director of the national Institute of Industrial and Commercial Ministries based in the Roanoke Valley, D. Glen Langston has been assigned to Ferebee-Halstead Church in the Hampton Roads area.
Langston said that although his job was not filled through a conference appointment, a new director is being sought by the ICM's board.
The ICM, which trains volunteer chaplains for ministry in the work place, was established by United Methodists though it is now ecumenical in support.
All appointments are effective June 27.
Pastoral appointments for churches in the Danville, Lynchburg and Staunton districts also have been announced.
Danville District - William P. Gardner leaves Fairfax for First Church of Martinsville. He succeeds James A. Hain, who goes to South Roanoke Church. At Smith Memorial, Collinsville, Larry J. Edmonds, now of Clover, will succeed John B. McCormick, who takes leave of absence.
The Ridgway Church will receive Wade H. Creedle Jr., who has been at Kenwood near Petersburg. He succeeds Virgil W. Soots, who goes to Axton Charge to succeed retiring Robert E. Carty.
Henry D. Butler, now at the South Franklin Charge, will go to Oakland at Dry Fork to succeed retiring Calvin B. Johnson.
Butler will be succeeded by Robert L. Gue, who has been at Monterey. At Callaway's Highland Church, Ashby H. Lazenby, now at Big Island, replaces A. Davis Snead, who goes to Pleasant Grove of Martinsville to succeed retiring R. Fletcher Hardy.
Henry J. Wuntke retires from Salem Church at Patrick Springs and will be succeeded by a new pastor, Walter Mason. Alpheus W. Potts, who has had a retirement pastorate at New Hope of Rocky Mount, will be succeeded there by a new pastor, Doyle Wyatt.
Lynchburg District - Carl H. Douglass Jr. goes to Main Street of Bedford from Madison Heights. Reginald H. Potts III is retiring to Richmond. From the Big Island/Cove churches, Ashby L. Lazenby goes to Highland in Franklin County; his successor has not been chosen.
Ardell F. McClung, now of Richmond, will begin at Diamond Hill/Emmaus at Moneta. The current pastor, Frederick D. Clemens, comes to Roanoke's Rockingham Court Church. Robert E. Maas goes from secular work to Otter Charge in Bedford to succeed W. Jay Gunn, who is returning to school.
David L. Tanner will leave the Boonesboro Church to join the staff of Charterhouse, a clergy financial benefit agency in Roanoke.
Staunton District - Jack E. Davis, now at Mount Olivet in Pittsylvania County, will succeed Robert M. Chapman at Selma. Chapman moves to Fairview of Roanoke. Lloyd C. Judy is assigned to Central of Covington; he comes from Mosely Memorial of Danville and succeeds Charles N. Moore who goes to Waynesboro.
Also new in Covington will be J. Leroy Young at Granbery Memorial and John Max Brown at Mount Carmel. Young has been at Oakton and succeeds Joseph T. Williams, who goes to Clarendon of Arlington. Brown comes from Lorton and succeeds Lawrence Q. St. Clair, who goes to Charlotte County. Robert J. Hopkins retires from the Peoples/Marvin Charge at Buena Vista, and no successor has been named.
Floyd A. Murphy retires from Christ Church of Covington and will be succeeded by Charles N. Moore, now of Waynesboro.
by CNB