The White River Junction United Methodist Church (UMC) centers connection to God and our neighbors. We worship together Sundays at 10:30a.m.
Our worship space is accessible.
Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you ever can.
Attributed to John Wesley.
The White River Junction United Methodist Church is proud to be an engaged member of WRJ, the Upper Valley, and beyond.
In Hartford, we seek to follow the call to love our neighbors well. Once a month during worship, we invite representatives from community organizations to share about their mission and service in town and in the broader Upper Valley.
In New England, we are connected to all of the United Methodist Churches via the New England Annual Conference. The connected nature of The UMC allows us to better organize for service and justice.
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I was born and raised in the land of the Blues and the home of the King of Rock and Roll, Memphis, Tennessee. I received my BS in Agriculture from The University of Tennessee at Martin and my DVM from the University of Tennessee, College of Veterinary Medicine. From Veterinary School, I went on active duty as a United States Army Veterinarian, serving for 4 years active duty before transferring to the reserve forces. I was mobilized twice, once in support of Operation Desert Storm and once in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
I completed my Master of Divinity at Boston University School of Theology in 2007 and retired from the Army Reserve in the fall of that same year. My first appointment was to the Livermore/Livermore Falls Charge where we worked to provide a home and support to the Livermore Falls Food Cupboard, had a
youth puppet ministry that invited the community into our building twice each year. After the closing of the Livermore Church, and while still serving the Livermore Falls church, I was appointed to Wilton UMC where we provided space for the local Boy Scout Troop and participated in the annual Blueberry festival.
I was reappointed to the Boothbay Region United Methodist Cooperative Parish (BBRUMCP) in 2010 where I coordinated and led worship in the three churches that are members of that parish. We began a Halloween celebration for the children participating in the annual Halloween parade, supported numerous local mission projects and housed the local Free Clothing Cupboard behind the Boothbay Harbor 1 st UMC. While working with the cooperative parish, I was matched with Tiger, a Ministry Dog, trained by NEADS out of Princeton, MA.
From the Boothbay Region Tiger and I next traveled South, to South Portland’s Thornton Heights UMC, in July of 2016. We were actively engaged in many ministries, to include providing space for Building Blocks Learning Center (BBLC), a preschool and daycare open year around; God Time, a weekly engagement with the four year olds from (BBLC) as we taught them about God’s love for all people; Vacation Bible Camp, children four years old through sixth grade were invited to participate in a week long “Day Camp” as they learned about Jesus Christ; monthly Communion at the South Portland Nursing Home; Re-Run Shoes, a gathering of gently used shoes which were eventually shipped overseas to provide footwear for people unable to buy new ones; support for the local food pantry and a number of other ministries.
July 1, 2019, Tiger and I began our adventures in Vermont when we were appointed to Grace UMC in Bradford, VT. The pandemic came during our first year, forcing us into isolation along with the rest of the community. Despite that, we were able to talk with people as they walked along Main Street, and we sat on the front porch. Just as we began to emerge from the isolation of the pandemic, Tiger began experiencing symptoms consistent with a brain tumor and died in May of 2021. The end of the pandemic highlighted the losses that occurred during that time and not everyone was able to return to ministry at Grace UMC, but they continue to support the local Food Shelf, participate in the InterChurch Council, and provide space for multiple organizations in need of a space to work with people within the community. In March of 2023, I was matched with a new partner from NEADS, this time a service dog, Miles, who helps me pick up things I have dropped as well as helps me manage some of the symptoms of my PTS.
July 1, 2023, Miles and I had our appointment extended to include both Grace UMC, Bradford, VT and White River Junction UMC, White River Junction, VT. We were excited by the food pantry on the front of the church, that is available to people 24 hours per day, seven days a week, as well as the Secondhand Rose thrift shop open Wednesdays and Saturdays. I have to admit, there are times I’m not sure who is the more important part of our team, as Miles is often greeted first, but we have both been warmly welcomed by the White River Junction UMC parish and are looking forward to serving with them as we minister to the surrounding community together.