Greetings in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! I began pastoral ministry in 2004 serving Oyler’s Chapel UMC as a lay supply pastor and licensed in 2005 as a local pastor. I graduated from Ferrum College with a BA in Religion and Business Administration and Eastern Mennonite Seminary with a Master of Divinity and Rehoboth UMC was added in 2011 to make a full-time appointment as a provisional elder. In 2015 I became an ordained elder in the UMC. July 2016 I was appointed to the Lynchburg district serving Bethesda UMC and Patmos UMC.
I was born in Kenton Ohio where I was baptized as an infant in a Methodist Church. We moved to Roanoke Virginia when I was five and we began attending a holiness church. I accepted Christ in my life at the age of sixteen when playing in a bluegrass gospel group and felt my call to preach at the age of seventeen. I call myself a modern day Jonah as I too ran from my call and went to sea via the United States Navy shortly after graduation. I made the navy my career path and retired in November 1998.
Our family moved back to Bedford Virginia and we began attending Emmaus UMC, becoming very involved in the ministries of the church. My call to preach came once again in late 2003, and although I wrestled with my call for several months I stepped out in faith, believing where God was leading, and resigned from my job with the postal service to become a minister.
I was stationed in Roanoke for 4 years and met my amazing wife, Marylee, who was also in the navy, and we were married at Emmaus UMC in 1993. It’s not easy being a pastor’s wife but she has stood by and supported me throughout this wonderful journey. I have 2 daughters from a prior marriage, and we have 1 daughter and 1 son together. We now have 8 grandchildren and 1
great grandson, meaning our house is full on holidays. They provide much needed encouragement that keeps me grounded and focused on the important things in life.
In 2019 I was put on medical leave due to a disease that developed while serving in the navy. It has caused multiple surgeries, leaving me with chronic pain and depression. I feel the depression is much better than in 2019 and when the opportunity to pastor Emmaus UMC was presented to me, I knew only God could bring my ministry career full circle. I look forward to this new chapter and serving our brothers and sisters in Christ at our home church.
Rev. Rick Barton