Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 20, 1990 TAG: 9006200453
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B5 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: FRANCES STEBBINS CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The valley has become a popular place for retiring clergy, many of whom have lived in several Virginia localities, the Rev. T. Eugene Carter, Roanoke District superintendent, said.
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 current 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 workplace, was established by United Methodists though it is now ecumenical in support.
All appointments are effective June 27.
by CNB