Hello from Washington

Good day from Washington D.C. and Wesley Theological Seminary!

This year is my final year of classes for my Doctor in Ministry Degree. This means that throughout this year I will begin work on my dissertation and project. I bring this up because part of that work is to identify a condition within Glen Dale that I believe can and should be addressed as a faith community. While digging around statistics about who we are as a town, and what problems or challenges we may be facing, something fairly unique bubbled up, our average age.

The state of West Virginia has about 20% of its population over the age of 60 which ranks in the top 3 of the nation. Glen Dale West Virginia has 40% of its population over the age of 60. This creates an environment with both blessings and challenges. From God’s perspective the elders in our midst are deserving of honor and respect. The Bible also holds that elders are incredible sources of wisdom, experience, and intergenerational life. The Apostle Paul believes that all members of the community are equally important to the Body of Christ and so Elders have a special purpose that only they can achieve in the community of faith and the world.
But what challenges do they face? Loneliness in particular comes to mind for many as it is a modern-day epidemic that the Covid-19 pandemic only magnified. Up to 75% of those over the age of 60 have reported poor to fair mental health. This deep loneliness could  be brought about by many factors such as lack transportation, distance from family, loss of spouse/friends, inability to engage with the ever increased digital modes of connection and others, and more. How might we honor our neighbors, reignite a sense of purpose they hold within our community, and create bridges that can overcome some of the stumbling blocks they face?

I’d invite you to pray and dream with God and each other about what it might look like if loved our neighbors that might be impacted by loneliness as much as Jesus loves us?