Mineral Wells Baptist Church, on West Virginia 14, will have Vacation Bible School, 6:15 to 8:15 p.m., July 27-31. This year the theme will be “Illumination Station: Jesus is the Light of the World.” There will be Bible classes, music, games, crafts and snacks. Classes will be available for pre-K through teens.

Family Fun Night will be Friday, July 31. Call the church for additional information, 304-489-2875.

Joy Story Vacation Bible School

Joy Story Vacation Bible School is a free event hosted by the NextGen Kids Ministry at First Baptist Church of Marietta from 6-8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3, through Thursday, Aug. 6. Children from 3 years old to fifth grade are invited to join Woody, Buzz and the gang to learn more about the life of Jesus through Bible stories, crafts, games and adventure. Each evening, kids will explore how God’s example of love can guide people in their everyday lives. Pre-registration is available online at tinyurl.com/4un8rw3r.

Kids’ Night Out

Kids’ Night Out is a free event hosted by the NextGen Kids Ministry at First Baptist Church of Marietta from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14. Children in the community from kindergarten through fifth grade are invited for an evening of crafts, games and snacks. Pre-registration is available online at tinyurl.com/bde4anyv

It never hurts to quote “Country Roads.”

Menjivar, who was installed as the 10th bishop of the diocese Thursday afternoon at Wheeling’s Cathedral of St. Joseph, weaved the iconic John Denver tune into his first homily from nearly the start.

“Today, West Virginia truly feels like almost heaven,” he told the packed church.

And, yes, he continued, country roads did bring him home, his new home of West Virginia where he will step into the role vacated by the retiring Most Rev. Mark Brennan. Menjivar told the congregation, visiting bishops and archbishops and community leaders of various faiths that he wanted to guide the diocese to help West Virginia be a place where everyone can say they belong.

“As our nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of its independence, may we renew our commitment to this … present in the DNA of the American people and embodied in the self-evident truth upon which this nation was founded,” he said, “that every human person is endowed by the Creator with an indisputable dignity and with rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

“My prayer is that we walk along together in ministry,” he continued, “not merely along the country roads, but along the way of the Gospel. May we continue making this local church, this diocese and West Virginia a place where everyone feels at home.”

Thursday’s installation began with Menjivar’s ceremonial three knocks upon the front door of the Cathedral of St. Joseph. From there, the Most Rev. William E. Lori, archbishop of Baltimore, greeted those in attendance. Menjivar comes to the Wheeling-Charleston diocese after serving as the auxiliary bishop of Washington.

“The bishop comes among us as a shepherd with a big heart,” Lori said, “with a heart that is loving and courageous, a heart that is brimmed with gifts of nature and grace.”

Following another welcome from Brennan to those in attendance, the Most Rev. Gabriele Giordano Caccia, the apostolic nuncio to the United States of America, read the apostolic letter of appointment from Pope Leo XIV, and Menjivar accepted the apostolic mandate as the diocese’s 10th bishop.

The installation’s readings and songs were performed in both English and Spanish. Menjivar also spoke both languages during his homily. Born in Chalatenango, El Salvador, in 1970, Menjivar migrated to the United States in 1990. He was working in construction and as a youth minister when Brennan, who was serving in the Maryland and Washington, D.C., areas, came upon him and opened the door for Menjivar into the priesthood. When he was made auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington in 2023, he became the first Salvadoran-born bishop in the country.

On Thursday, he told those in attendance that, for West Virginia to be a place where everyone feels they belong, the church must always listen. It must listen to young people trying to find their way in the world. It must listen to older neighbors, whose hard work and sacrifice paved the way for people enjoy today.

The church must support those struggling through hardship, whether economic, emotional or the struggle through addiction and mental health challenges. He said it must stand with workers as well as immigrants and “all who feel unseen, hurt or forgotten.”

“The church is at her best when she stands with those in the margins,” he said, “defending the dignity of every human person, working tirelessly for justice rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Menjivar said there is about one Catholic per square kilometer in West Virginia, so the diocese may not be as large as other congregations in the state. Yet that should not deter the diocese from spreading a message of love and compassion.

“I come before you as your brother and shepherd,” he said, “not with all the answers, but with a sincere desire to love you and to serve you the best I can.”

At Rainforest Falls, kids explore the nature of God, participate in memorable Bible-learning activities, sing catchy songs, play teamwork-building games, make and devour yummy treats, experience one-of-a-kind Bible adventures, collect Bible Memory Buddies, and test out fun science fun experiments. Kids will learn to look for evidence of God all around them through “God Sightings.” Each day concludes with a Canopy Closing intended tthat gets everyone involved in living what they’ve learned. Family members are encouraged to join in daily at 8:15 p.m.

Kids at Rainforest Falls will join a missions effort to provide scholarships for children in a school in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

Parents and friends are invited to a special Sunday service for the Rainforest Falls VBS Ending Celebration at 9:30 a.m. Sunday July 12.

More information is available by contacting director Sue Denes at 740-525-6099.

* Joy Story Vacation Bible School is a free event hosted by the NextGen Kids Ministry at First Baptist Church of Marietta from 6-8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3, through Thursday, Aug. 6. Children from 3 years old to fifth grade are invited to join Woody, Buzz and the gang to learn more about the life of Jesus through Bible stories, crafts, games and adventure. Each evening, kids will explore how God’s example of love can guide people in their everyday lives. Pre-registration is available online at tinyurl.com/4un8rw3r.

* Kids’ Night Out is a free event hosted by the NextGen Kids Ministry at First Baptist Church of Marietta from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14. Children in the community from kindergarten through fifth grade are invited for an evening of crafts, games and snacks. Pre-registration is available online at tinyurl.com/bde4anyv

Book donations are accepted from 10:30-11:45 a.m. every Wednesday starting July 1 and ending Aug. 26.

Books can be brought to the red door near the alley behind the church at 430 Juliana St., Parkersburg.

According to the release, the Trinity Episcopal Used Book Sale will be held in October.

“The success of the annual sale starts with the people in our community,” said Lynn Fury, book sale chairperson. “Year after year, we have been able to rely on our local supporters to donate a bounty of books, from old favorites to just-read top sellers.”

Unsalable materials include musty, mildewed and tattered books, encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference books, magazines and pamphlets, small recipe books, books related to fast-changing topics like technology, health, business and finance, and cassette or VHS tapes.

Travel books published less than five years ago and nonfiction less than 10 years old are acceptable.

“Throughout our lives, we all have had books that entertained, educated or enlightened us,” said Fury. “Some filled our imaginations with bold adventures or broadened our understanding of our world. We are grateful to the people who share their books with us and help support projects in our community.”

Certain books qualify as “prized gems,” which includes West Virginia history, yearbooks, hardcover pictorial coffee-table books, or pre-1940 books.

Some genres that will be on display at the sale include children’s; Civil War; history; home care including improvements and gardening; science; sports and hobbies; Bibles and religion.

The book sales staff will accept records, DVDs and CDs, if the discs and covers are in good condition.

For more information visit Trinity Episcopal Church’s Facebook page www.facebook.com/TrinityEpiscopalChurchParkersburg/reels/

Tours will be given on Saturday, July 11, at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The tours will include the history of the stained glass windows and a special viewing of the stained glass dome from above, as well as the bell tower. For those with mobility problems, there is an elevator and a few steps to these areas.

Christmas ornaments featuring the church will be sold for $5. Light refreshments will be offered in the Fellowship Hall after each tour.

On Sunday, July 12, the church will open at 10 a.m. to welcome guests and the service will begin at 11 a.m. A light luncheon will be held after the service in the Fellowship Hall.

St. Paul’s was built on the corner of 11th and Market Streets in 1900 at a cost of $15,800. The stated seating capacity was 600-700 people, plus 300 more in the adjoining Sunday school classrooms.

On July 7, 1901, the Sunday morning dedication of the new church, all seats were filled and newspaper reports stated approximately 2,000 attended.

The need for additional space prompted the church in 1908, to purchase the neighboring property on 11th Street for $4,000. It had a small house on it that was used for classroom space.

In 1930, St. Paul’s membership was 650 with 400 enrolled in Sunday school. In 1940, membership was 850 with 300 in Sunday school. The need for expansion was critical for continued growth, according to a release from the church.

In 1953-54, a $200,000 building campaign was begun, and on May 8, 1955, the cornerstone was laid for the education building. The dedication was held on May 13, 1956. The building added 22 new classrooms plus a chapel, parlor, kitchenette, fellowship hall, stage and a full kitchen.

In early 1950, the bell tower and steeple were declared unsafe and were removed. In 1992, the church voted to restore the bell tower and build a new steeple. On Sept. 13, of that year, they were dedicated, and the bell rang again on Sunday mornings to beckon people to worship.

From its beginnings St. Paul’s has been known as “The Church with the Warm Heart,” a friendly and giving church with a mission, the release said. St. Paul’s mission is to Know God, Serve God and Share God. Through study, prayer, fellowship and outreach, the church works towards that goal.

The church serves the community by housing the Parkersburg Urban Ministry, Tuesday’s Breadline, a children’s closet, fourth Saturday breakfasts, second and third Sunday community meals and local missions.

St. Paul’s is a member of the Reconciling Ministries Network and welcomes all people to participate fully in lay worship and service.

I don’t write often about my faith. I usually use my platforms to talk about other things, mostly boxing, but sometimes about other sports (often my thoughts on the various Pittsburgh sports teams) or about reaching another milestone in “The Treadmill Diaries.” That’s because these are fun subjects to write about and they don’t produce much controversy. In other words, they are safe.

For whatever reason, however, expressing one’s faith is not a safe thing to do in this world, and that’s because it forces people to think about serious, existential subjects that address (and potentially threaten) one’s worldview. It’s not easy, especially if one has doubts about their place in the potential afterlife, and, because of that, most prefer to move on to other, more pleasant subjects. It’s completely understandable.

The reason why I answered Ms. Flair’s question the way I did is because my faith shapes how I see the world and how I interact with it. That has been the case for many decades. I attended Zion Methodist Church in my youth, and I was baptized on May 18, 1975, at age 10. Since then, I have experienced many things that can’t be explained other than by divine influence, and those episodes have served to strengthen my Christian faith.

Like everyone else, I stumble and fall in a spiritual sense. I’m not one of those Christians who portray themselves as perfect, ultra-sanctified or superior to everyone else. Those that do and then subsequently fall not only hurt their own witness but also harm the reputation of Christianity in general, and understandably so. “Who would want to join a bunch of stuffy, self- righteous, sanctimonious hypocrites?” some would rightly ask. “I’m doing just fine, thank you.”

But while I fall, I’m very thankful that I have Someone to help pick me up and to help me begin again. I thank Him for helping me through another day. I thank Him for all the many blessings in my life and pray for the people who are on my long-term prayer list. I pray for wisdom, guidance and strength as well as the ability to achieve the goals I set for myself each day. I acknowledge my mistakes, but thank Him that His Son has already paid the price for my sins. That applies to past, present and future, but I also hope that my violations are as few as possible.

Mistakes are inevitable – we are only human after all – but all we can do is the best that we can each day and hope that the deeds meet the standards that are demanded. Colossians 3:23-24 states that “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Although I knew about that verse in my heart, I admit that I had to use a search engine to pinpoint the exact verse.

That is what I’m trying to do with this article: My small part in serving the Lord. I have come to know many people in my 61 years on this earth, and one of my fondest wishes is that every one of them can be in Heaven with me in the next life. One sincere prayer can make that happen, and that prayer can be done at any time while one is alive.

I am no theologian, and I don’t have the answers to all of the deepest questions we all ask. All I know is that becoming a Christian was the very best decision I have ever made. It was true when I was a child, and it is true now!

Yes, there are challenges. Yes, there are losses and tragedies. Yes, there are setbacks. But it is a source of great comfort to me that He is there with me to help me through all of the bumps and bruises life provides. I wouldn’t know how to handle them without Him, and I’m so happy that I don’t have to know.

We all have the power to determine our ultimate destiny because we all have been granted the gift of free will. I’m trying my best to do my part by expressing the message, but it is up to each of us to make the ultimate decision one way or the other.

I am a firm believer that there is a season and a time for everything, and only in retrospect can one confirm that timing, as well as the wisdom of it. I hope that this has at least provided food for thought, and hopefully a reason to act.

To those who have made it to the end, I thank you for your time and indulgence. To those who haven’t, I understand. Until next time, all the best!

***

Lee Groves is a former copy editor at The Parkersburg News and Sentinel and a Friendly resident.

In an amicus brief filed Monday with the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, attorneys for the Governor’s Office argued that the Equal Protection for Religion Act allows for religious exemptions for school vaccine mandates despite the exemption itself not being part of state code.

“West Virginia law protects religious freedom, and that law must be followed,” Morrisey said in a statement Monday morning. “Parents should not be forced to choose between their sincere religious beliefs and their child’s right to an education. The Equal Protection for Religion Act is clear, and my administration will continue fighting to ensure that religious liberty is respected across state government.”

The brief also argues that the state Board of Education acted unlawfully by directing schools to ignore Morrisey’s Jan. 14 executive order.

“The order directed officials at the Department of Health to establish a process for seeking a religious exemption to the vaccination requirement,” wrote Holly Wilson, principal deputy solicitor general for the state Attorney General’s Office. “The Department complied, and it began issuing religious exemption letters to a small group of families. Children enrolled and attended for the Spring 2025 semester.

“Yet the State Board of Education decided it knew better,” Wilson continued. “It refused to honor exemption letters, and it issued a statewide directive instructing every county school board to disregard them. It declared that religious exemptions were categorically impermissible. In doing so, the Board ignored EPRA, the Governor’s order, and the harm inflicted on religious students and families.”

State code requires children to be vaccinated against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and hepatitis B unless they have been granted a medical exemption. Morrisey cited EPRA – created by House Bill 2042 in 2023 to prohibit excessive government limitations on the exercise of religious faith – as allowing him to use his executive order authority to create a religious vaccine exemption.

Despite the West Virginia Legislature not passing a bill to codify a religious vaccine exemption in 2025, Morrisey said his executive order allowing religious exemptions was still in effect and his office provided additional guidance to the Department of Health and to the public on how to request a religious exemption. But the state Board of Education issued guidance through the Department of Education to county school systems to continue to abide by existing state code and not honor religious vaccine exemptions.

Raleigh County parent Miranda Guzman and other families with children in Raleigh County Schools filed suit against local and state education officials in June 2025 asking 14th Judicial Circuit Judge Michael Froble to grant a preliminary and permanent injunction against education officials to require them to accept the granted exemptions. Morrisey attended a press conference announcing the lawsuit and expressed his support.

Froble granted both the preliminary injunction that summer and a permanent injunction in November, as well as certifying the Guzman case as a class action that applied to families with religious vaccine exemptions statewide except those with pending cases before other circuit court judges. The state Board of Education and the Raleigh County Board of Education appealed these rulings to the state Supreme Court.

In the amicus brief filed Monday, the Governor’s Office argues that EPRA supersedes conflicting statutes and that the government entities fail strict scrutiny by denying religious accommodations while allowing medical ones. The brief also argues that Morrisey exercised valid constitutional authority when he ordered the Department of Health to develop an exemption process.

“Three years ago, the West Virginia Legislature enacted the Equal Protection for Religion Act,” Wilson wrote. “That statute commands that no government action may substantially burden sincere religious exercise without satisfying the most demanding scrutiny the law allows or ‘[t]reat religious conduct more restrictively than any conduct of reasonably comparable risk.’ EPRA is not aspirational, and it is not a policy preference. It is the law of West Virginia, duly enacted and binding on every state actor.”

Attorneys for the state and local education officials are seeking oral arguments before the state Supreme Court, asking the justices to reverse Froble’s permanent injunction ruling and order Froble to enter a judgement in their favor, or vacate Froble’s ruling and remand the case to the lower court for appropriate evidentiary development.

Attorneys representing the Guzman plaintiffs have until the end of the day Monday to file their brief in the case, with education officials’ attorneys having until June 1 to reply.

“This case is not about whether vaccines are effective or whether families may choose them,” Morrisey said. “It is about whether the government can ignore a law designed to protect sincere religious exercise. West Virginia must be a state where families of faith are not pushed out of the classroom because they exercised rights protected by law.”

Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com.

More than 80 people at Bicentennial Park in downtown Parkersburg listened to pastors and public officials deliver prayers and speak on the importance of faith to them.

Greg Nangle, youth pastor at The Rock Church in Parkersburg, drew a comparison between the city and Nazareth, where Jesus grew up, citing a verse in the Bible where someone said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Nangle, a former Parkersburg Police officer, admitted he had spoken negatively of the city in the past but said he wanted to repent of that and bless the city on Thursday.

“It is very easy to get down on the city you live in,” he said. “This is God’s city, and He loves the people in it, from the least to the greatest.”

Nangle prayed for the gospel of Christ to be preached in Parkersburg and for positive things to happen here.

“Whether it’s Republican, Democrat or independent, let them bend their knee to you,” he said.

Jamie Williams, a member of Downtown Bethel Church in Parkersburg who works in recovery, offered prayer for people battling addiction.

“On this National Day of Prayer, we lift up every soul bound by addiction,” she said. “You (God) are not intimidated by addiction. You are not surprised by relapse.”

Isaiah Kennedy, a member of The Rock Church, spoke affirmatively about the things for which he was praying.

“I thank you that Parkersburg would not be known for its drug problem and would not be known for its poverty,” he said.

His wife, Kayleigh, expressed thanks in her prayer that people have the freedom to gather and proclaim their faith.

“Lord, we will not take it for granted,” she said.

In Marietta, community members gathered on the Armory lawn for their own Day of Prayer celebration.

A cool breeze and a cloudless sky welcomed community leaders, students, business owners and passerbys to worship, pray, and share a space to gather and give thanks based on their respective religion.

Freedom Gate Church Pastor Rodney Lord led the celebration, which included worship, prayer and remarks from elected officials and local pastors.

The theme for this year’s celebration was “Glorify God Among the Nations – Seeking Him in All Generations.”

About 15 speakers provided prayers and remarks for specific areas of life, including local government, students, upcoming generations and civic leaders.

Ron Heidebrecht with Freedom Gate Church discussed the history of the nation as it celebrates 250 years this summer and the role faith and prayer has played.

“Because of the Great Awakening, prayer played a significant role in the Continental Congress,” he said.

Heidebrecht read through various historical prayers and proclamations, including a prayer from Thomas Jefferson in the 1800s.

Elected officials spoke and proclaimed how faith guides their judgements. Washington County Commissioner Charlie Schilling said it’s easy to see the blessings of the county.

“Those blessings in our lives are because of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” he said. “That’s where it all comes from.”

Schilling spoke about how having faith better serves the community as well as family and friends. He said it’s all about what everyone is doing to serve their community and build a positive environment.

Washington County Chief Deputy Bryan Lockhart spoke on behalf of Sheriff Mark Warden about the importance of service in the community.

“The National Day of Prayer actually falls on an important week for the sheriff’s office,” he said. “It’s National Correctional Officers and Employees Week.”

He said to thank those front-line officers for their service in the community.

The celebration continued throughout the early afternoon with worship and remarks from speakers. First-graders from St. Mary Catholic School stopped by for prayer as the up-and-coming generation.

Speakers at each event primarily focused on Christian prayer, though proclamations read by Mayor Josh Schlicher in Marietta and Mayor Tom Joyce in Parkersburg invited people to pray in accordance with their own faith and consciences.

Amber Phipps can be reached at aphipps@newsandsentinel.com

Diocesan officials in Wheeling announced Bransfield’s death via email, with the following statement attached: “As it is the tradition in our Church to pray for the dead as well as for the living, we pray for the repose of his soul, asking God’s mercy upon him. His funeral and burial will not take place in West Virginia, but we invite all the faithful to pray at this time for his family, friends, and caregivers.”

Bransfield, a Philadelphia native who moved back to his family property after resigning from the church in West Virginia, served as bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston from 2005-18. Among the projects completed during his watch was the addition of Tower 5 at Wheeling Hospital, which at that time was Diocesan property.

The former bishop had a sordid tenure as head of West Virginia’s Catholic churches. Allegations of abuse, lavish spending, harassment and more followed him for years, all of which were detailed in the 60-page “Bransfield Report” commissioned by Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore.

The report found “credible” evidence that Bransfield had engaged in inappropriate behavior. As for his spending, the report indicated he used diocesan funds for alcohol purchases, at about $1,000 per month; nearly $200,000 for fresh flowers daily to the chancery offices in Wheeling; about $4.6 million to renovate his church residence in Wheeling; church funds for a personal chef and chauffeur; and nearly $2.5 million for corporate jet, limo services and hotel stays.

Also during Bransfield’s tenure as bishop, the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston spent $187 million more than it took in, causing the former bishop to draw from the diocese’s endowment and mineral rights account to make up the deficit, according to the report.

Following his resignation, Bransfield offered a short apology in 2020 for his actions.

“I’m sorry if I offended anyone,” he wrote. “I am writing to apologize for any scandal or wonderment caused by words or actions attributed to me during my tenure as bishop of the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese.”

The theme of this year’s event is “Glorify God Among the Nations – Seeking Him in All Generations,” based on the New American Standard Bible translation of 1 Chronicles 16:24, according to nationaldayofprayer.org. The website is run by the National Day of Prayer Task Force, a nonprofit group that promotes a Judeo-Christian expression of the day.

The National Day of Prayer was established in 1952 by a joint resolution of Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

The City of Vienna will mark the day with its traditional 8:30 a.m. gathering at the flagpole in front of the city building at 609 29th St.

In Parkersburg, people will gather at Bicentennial Park, Market and Juliana streets, at noon.

Marietta’s observance will take place at noon at the Armory on Front Street.

The Vienna Ministerial Association will have a Day of Prayer service at 6:30 p.m. at Spencer’s Landing.

In addition, the Warehouse Church is planning an observance at 7 p.m. Thursday at the church, 2501 Garfield Ave., Parkersburg. An organizer said people from all area churches are invited to the event, which will include multiple pastors.