West Virginia Council of Churches

West Virginia Council of Churches
Annual Report
Rev. Jeff Allen, Executive Director

As we began to turn the corner away from the COVID pandemic, the West Virginia Council of Churches was pleased and honored to minister to the people of West Virginia on behalf of our fifteen member body denominations.

The work of the Dismantling Racism Task Force continues to be important in the life of the Council. In June of 2023, the Task Force led a service honoring the victims of lynching in West Virginia in a memorial service held at Trinity Lutheran Church in Charleston with well over 100 persons in attendance. At the same time, the Task Force continued it efforts to secure a memorial regarding African American history in West Virginia.

The West Virginia Council of Churches remained active with WV VOAD through the Disaster Spiritual and Emotional Care Committee and followed both the Mercer County and Upper Kanawha Valley flooding events.

The Council held a Faith and Health Town Hall with Dr. Clay Marsh, former General Jim Hoyer, and Dr. Matthew Christiansen in November of 2023. The Town Hall focused on the current state of COVID-19. A link to the Town Hall can be found here: https://fb.watch/no95CK-Yil/.

The Government Concerns Program Unit had a remarkable year. We did one last try to get the extended Child Tax Credit included in year-end legislation, but, alas, no luck. However, today there is hope that an extended Child Tax Credit provision might pass Congress. The Council was also active in supporting the Farm Bill, sending a delegation, including Rev. Brad Davis, WVCC Government Concerns Co-Chair, and Mark Phillips, President and CEO of Catholic Charities, West Virginia, to visit Senator Joe Manchin.

Compassion Calls Us Day at the Legislature was held on February 8, 2024, at the Small Rotunda, near the West Virginia Attorney General’s office. The event focused on preserving Medicaid (Rev. Kristi Rexrode Wolfe), stopping death penalty bills, the work of the Council’s Dismantling Racism Task Force, criminal justice reform, and faith and labor. We had speakers from the Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, African Methodist Episcopal, Roman Catholic, and the United Methodist traditions. A healthy contingent of United Methodists were present. The event was organized by Government Concerns Chair Rev. Brad Davis and the Chair of the WVCC Prison Ministry Corrections Program Unit, Ms. Lida Shepherd.

The Council worked with Catholics for a Sustainable Economy to hold a roundtable to discuss what a just transition in Appalachia looks like from various sectors, such as labor and environment, and to learn about the opportunities for West Virginia regarding recent federal legislation. Later, after meeting with labor leaders in West Virginia, Catholics for a Sustainable Economy and the Council worked to create a Faith and Labor Statement regarding the funds coming into West Virginia from the Federal legislation that was passed last year. That statement can be found on the Council’s website at www.wvcc.org.

The Council has also begun a dialogue with the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) looking to see where we can work together. The dialogue has born some fruit.

Through a number of mini-grants, the Prison Ministry/Corrections Program Unit has advanced a number of projects including:

• A Rapid Reentry program with The REACH Initiative,

• Peer emotional support: Dr. Jeri Kirby, Associate Director of Criminal Justice at Fairmont State College, led an effort to create a program to provide peer emotional support for person leaving the criminal justice system. The lack of emotional support is a major challenge for persons leaving the criminal justice system and this effort is one, if not the first, program to address this issue in West Virginia.

• Housing issues: The Council awarded The Religious Coalition for Community Renewal (RCCR) a grant to help persons leaving the criminal justice system to find housing. RCCR is also looking at the Harden Gilmore House as a potential site for reentry housing.

• Helping to sponsor a Re-Entry Conference and a Restorative Justice seminar with The REACH Initiative.

• Holding a press conference this to highlight the challenges faced by our criminal justice system in West Virginia.

The West Virginia Council of Churches continues to work with WV IPL and National Religious Partnership for the Environment on the In Praise and Care of Creation project, which awards mini-grants to youth projects related to climate change and the environment. In the spring of 2023, the collaborative awarded $500 climate change grants to Simpson United Methodist Church in Charleston, Christ United Methodist Church in Parkersburg, the Lutheran Campus Ministry at West Virginia University, and to the Mountaineer Challenge Academy.

The Council began consulting with the Civil Society Initiative working with Common Defense, a veterans’ group, to support microgrid projects. To that end, we held a webinar on the possibilities for solar power for local congregations and nonprofits. Another part of our project is looking at how civil society is perceived in West Virginia.

Last year’s Annual Assembly was held on October 30, 2023, and was one of the largest Annual Assemblies in recent years. The 142nd Annual Assembly featured Rev. Dr. Sky Kershner speaking on “Clergy Wellness and Ministry in a Post-Pandemic World.” Reflection sessions on “Where is My Church?” “Why is My Church?” and “What’s Next for My Church” followed Dr. Kershner’s presentation. A special session on “The Synodical Listening Process: Lessons Learned” was led by Bishop Mark Brennan and Mr. Tim Bishop, both from the Wheeling-Charleston Roman Catholic Diocese.

We were very pleased this year to honor Rev. D.D. Meighen with the Mary Virginia De Roo Award for his Ecumenical work, particularly with the Fairmont Council of Churches.

Thank you for all your support of the West Virginia Council of Churches!