Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 25, 1993 TAG: 9306250249
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FRANCES STEBBINS CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Among them is the first black pastor to be assigned to an all-white congregation in the district. The Rev. Alton M. Washington, who has been at Princess Anne Plaza Church in Virginia Beach, will come to Huntington Court Church in the Williamson Road neighborhood. Its pastor for the past three years, the Rev. Bradford L. Phillips, will go to Deep Creek Church in the Chesapeake area.
The United Methodist church has been seeking gradual racial integration of some congregations for more than a decade. Western Virginia has had several congregations with mixed membership. The Holston Conference serving Southwest Virginia once had a black bishop.
Other Roanoke congregations where a new pastor will start Sunday are Highland Park, Belmont, Rockingham Court and West End.
The Rev. Douglas Paysour, who has been at Highland Park for six years, is moving to Emmanuel Church in the Winchester area. His successor will be the Rev. Louis A. Timmons, who is coming from Mead Memorial Church in Lynchburg.
At Belmont Church, the Rev. Helen Casey-Rutland, who gave birth to triplets in late April, will be on family leave in the Fairfax area; she served the Southeast church for three years. Her successor there will be the Rev. Sam E. McPhail, who has been at Prices Fork near Blacksburg.
Rockingham Court will receive the Rev. Jo Ellen Hetherington, who is coming from Mount Zion Church at Mount Solon near Staunton. The Rev. Frederick Clemons, who has been at the Garden City area church for three years, replaces McPhail at Prices Fork.
At West End, a retired pastor, the Rev. Bernard S. Via Jr., will became the part-time minister succeeding the Rev. Philip Simms. Via, who retired to Roanoke last year, once served Greene Memorial Church and has been a district superintendent. Simms is moving after four years to the New River Parish, composed of the Mount Elbert and Mount Tabor congregations near Blacksburg.
The Fincastle parish, where the Rev. Willard Wash has been pastor for four years, will be served by the Rev. Michael L. Lyle, who is coming from Madison. Wash will move to Urbanna.
In the Stewartsville community, the Rev. E. Lee Chattin leaves Mays Memorial and Parrish Chapel congregations after five years and will move to the Montvale Charge. His successor will be the Rev. Scott Seiler, moving from Deltaville.
At St. Paul's Church in downtown Christiansburg, the Rev. Richard Geoghegan is leaving after three years for the Mount Pisgah congregation in Chesterfield County. His successor, the Rev. Douglas Wayne Kanney, is coming from St. Luke's Church at Grafton in the Newport News area.
Wesley Memorial Church near New River Valley Mall will become a separate congregation this year; it formerly was part of the New River Charge. Its new pastor will be the Rev. William St. Clair, who is coming from Hebron Church in Craig County. The new Hebron pastor will be the Rev. Dan Horner.
The Crockett Springs Church near Camp Alta Mons will be served by Charles Russell Davis, a Candler Theological Seminary student. Its pastor for four years, the Rev. Gary E. Heaton, is moving to Tabernacle Church of Virginia Beach.
After five years at the Mount Olivet Church at Newport, the Rev. Reginald G. Rumburg is going to Shiloh Church at Montpelier near Richmond. The Rev. Alan D. Thorne, who has been at Fieldale, will be his successor.
The Rev. William E. Olewiler will leave the three Christiansburg Charge congregations - Park, Garber Memorial and Calvary - after three years to become pastor of Mead Memorial in Lynchburg. He will be succeeded by the Rev. Raymond S. Kelley, who spent a year at the New River Parish.
The Rev. John Max Brown, who has been at Mount Carmel of Covington, has been assigned to the Pembroke Church in Giles County. He succeeds the Rev. Lowell P. Stovall, who has been there three years and is going to the West Franklin Charge near Ferrum.
A Roanoke woman, the Rev. Marianne M. Bird, who was a lay worker at several Roanoke churches before her entrance into Duke Divinity School, has been assigned to Hurt United Methodist Church near Altavista.
United Methodist pastors receive church assignments each year, although many remain at a congregation from three to eight years.
by CNB