Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church

A visit to Bishop's Chapel UMC

May 18, 2011

This past Saturday, May 14, I drove to Galax, Va., for my Sunday preaching engagements at the Bishop’s Chapel United Methodist Church.

It was an overcast day with some wind and mixed rain, from sprinkles to thunderstorms. I stopped on the way, in Glade Spring, Va., to view some of the damage from the tornado that swept through the area on April 27-28 ... I stopped to pray as I sat along the roadside off Highway 11. The devastation was evident. I watched as people continued to do some repairs while others, like me, just sat and looked or took pictures.

It was a very sobering scene. I remembered all the times I had passed through this area on my way to Southwest Virginia. I had stopped several times at the truck stop to get gas or to eat. And all I could do at that moment was to grieve for the losses and pray for the survivors -- that somehow, they could put the pieces back together and start over again.

I then drove on to Galax to spend the night before preaching at Bishop’s Chapel at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. the next day. (See photo.)

Meg Taylor, the Wytheville District Superintendent, picked me up at the hotel on Sunday morning at about 10:30 a.m. We traveled the short distance to Bishop’s Chapel, where the Rev. Jimmy Harmon serves as part-time local pastor. (See photo.)

Meg and I were greeted warmly by Barbara Burcham, the widow of Glenn Burcham, one of our deceased pastors, and by Truman, a leader in the church. Truman was the official greeter, and they could not have picked a more gifted person. He made feel right at home. 

It was a wonderful day of worshipping and preaching to the people of Bishop’s Chapel and their guests. It was the opening of a revival that would continue through Wednesday. One thing that stood out for me was this congregation's warmth and joy. They both wanted and welcomed visitors and went out of their way to make everyone feel that way. There was an excitement in the place and a vision for growth. It was contagious. (See photo.)

That evening after I retired to the hotel, I thought about Glade Spring and Bishop’s Chapel in contrast. I was struck by the fact that in both places, God was present if we could but see God’s hands. Somehow in the midst of the devastation at Glade Spring, people were picking up the pieces and trusting God to help them begin again. At Bishop’s Chapel they were excited about Jesus -- not because they had a great number of people but because they had been touched by Jesus.

And I said to myself, revival is in both places.

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