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 History
Normal Text Presented
to the congregation on October 25, 1998, the 11th anniversary of the
first service by Patricia Olmosk. Sharon Mullins contributed later
history and editing.
In June 1987, three couples, which had been members of Unity in other
states, decided to start a Unity Center in Charleston, West Virginia.
These couples were John and Janet Mani, Sharon Mayes and Charlie Ware,
and Kurt and Patricia Olmosk. Each couple invited others they thought
might be interested. They formed a Steering Committee, which included
John and Jan Mani, Sharon Mayes and Charlie Ware, Carmen and Rigo Vega,
Patricia and Kurt Olmosk, Rich and Karen Hopkins, Faye McComas and Joan
and Jack Moss. This committee met once a week, formed sub-committees and
began the process of forming a church. The Association of Unity
Churches’ first requirement was for the Steering Committee to affiliate
with an established Unity church that would serve as sponsor. Unity of
Roanoke Valley in Roanoke, Virginia and its minister Alan Rowbotham
became UKV’s sponsor.
The steering committee compiled a mailing list and opened a checking
account after locating a rental site for services—the YMCA on Quarrier
Street in downtown Charleston. In order to have Unity ministers present
at Sunday services, the committee scheduled them at 7:30 p.m. Sunday
evenings. This allowed ministers from Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and
Kentucky to perform their own morning service, and then drive to
Charleston for the evening service.
On Sunday, October 23, 1987, UKV’s first service was held. Eighty-five
people attended the service that featured Unity of Roanoke Valley’s
co-ministers, Reverends Kathryn and Alan Rowbotham as speakers.
By December 1987, a ministerial fund was started and in July 1988, the
first minister, Greg Wissman, was hired, just after he had graduated
from Unity’s ministerial school. With the employment of the minister,
church by-laws were established and members were admitted officially to
Unity of Kanawha Valley. The first Membership Meeting and installation
of officers was held on the first birthday of the church, October
23,1988.
 Charter members of Unity of Kanawha Valley include: Helen Bates, Becky
Bush, Gary Bush, Gerry Colyard, Ruth Davis, Mary Ellen Davidson,
Charlotte Flanagan, Leuwanna Foster, Lorna Hope, Peg Garrett, Karen
Hopkins, Rich Hopkins, Jan Mani, John Mani, Sharon Mayes, Fay McComas,
Charlie McComas, Darlene Milam, Bill Milam, Sharon Mullins, Jack Moss,
Joan Moss, June Ann Moss, Kurt Olmosk, Patricia Olmosk, Cleo Pence,
Cynthia Rinaldi, Yvonne Sheesley, Sandy Sowell, Maxine Summers, Sandra Swadley, Ida Trimble, Carmen Vega, Rigo Vega, Charlie Ware, Billie Wiant,
Jonnie Williams, Joan Wysong, and Susan Yancey.
Services continued to be held at the YMCA, but the time of the service
was changed to 11 a.m. Later, an office building was rented in South
Charleston to provide offices for the minister and secretary and rooms
for classes. Rev. Wissman left in July 1989. When the YMCA no longer
wished to rent the space, the office in South Charleston was closed and
the congregation looked for another facility in which to consolidate the
services, bookstore and classrooms. In August 1990, the church moved to
1030 Bridge Road and remained there for four years.
The group arranged for weekly speakers for a year and a half until the
second minister, Rev. Ted Lane was hired. Rev. Lane stayed with the
group until April 1993. Rev. Lois Webb was invited to the church as
interim minister and served for approximately one year. During her
ministry, the landlord requested that the church vacate the building so
she might use it for a new business. Rev. Webb shepherded the group and
the Board of Trustees through the process of locating suitable property
and purchasing it. Members of the Unitarian Universal church built the
building at 3102 Blaine Boulevard. The Unitarians moved to a new
location on Kanawha Boulevard and put the Blaine Boulevard property up
for sale. They arranged for UKV to purchase the building that was valued
at $60,000 for the sum of $48,000, the amount left on their loan. The
Boards of Trustees of both organizations signed the deed of transfer in
August 1994.
Rev. Webb departed after a year as interim minister and the search for a
new minister began. After interviewing several graduates of the
Association of Unity Church’s ministerial school, Rev. Forrest “Woody”
Hawley was chosen in July 1995. Rev. Hawley, his wife Pam and son Doug
arrived in August and he held his first service on August 15, 1995. The
Hawley’s had been living in Erie, PA prior to his attendance at
ministerial school.
Rev. Hawley engaged Ron Sowell, singer and songwriter, as Music
Director. He also interviewed and hired 14 year-old-pianist Michael
Pettry, who stayed with the church until 1999 when he graduated from
high school. Michael went on to study music at Shepherd College. Along
with some members of the congregation, Rev. Hawley used his skills as a
carpenter to remodel the interior of the church.
In 1999, Ron Sowell and Gail Lehman created the Coffee House/Open Stage,
a monthly Friday night presentation of live music by singer/songwriters,
held in the church. Congregation members provided the set up, coffee and
desserts. The Board of Trustees was increased from 6 to 8 members at the
annual meeting. UKV member Marty McCoy received her Licensed Unity
Teacher certification in November.
Rev. Hawley was diagnosed with lung cancer in October 1999. He continued
to serve the church even after attending the last Board of Trustees
meeting in February 21st, 2000. Marty McCoy gave many Sunday talks while
he was healing. In April, with Rev. Hawley in Hospice care at his home,
he and his wife Pam called for help from the Association of Unity
Churches. UKV’s Board of Trustees hired Rev. Dona Unfried as temporary
minister at a special meeting held on April 24. The Association provided
financial assistance during Rev. Dona’s six-month contract. Rev. Hawley
died on May 13, 2000 and Rev. Dona led a music- and memory-filled
memorial service at the Good Shepherd Mortuary in South Charleston on
May 17.
During Rev. Dona’s ministry, a new computer and Peachtree software
program for accounting were purchased. Rev. JoAnn Landreth,
vice-president of the Association of Unity Churches, visited and gave
the Sunday talk. The front garden was dedicated in memory of William
Garrett, Peg’s late husband, and church liability insurance was
purchased. Rev. Unfried led the Board in preparations for hiring the
full time minister. In December 2000, Ron Sowell established the “Woody
Hawley Artists Series” of concerts to be held at UKV.
Rev. Brenda Windell, ministerial candidate, gave a workshop and spoke at
UKV on November 12, 2000. She was invited to speak again in December.
The church paid off the mortgage on the building in December. The Board
of Trustees offered Rev. Brenda the job of minister at the December 18th
meeting. Rev. Brenda’s contract began on January 14, 2001. She and her
husband, Rev. Sam Windell moved to Charleston from Indiana. Rev. Sam was
hired as administrative assistant to Rev. Brenda and served as bookstore
coordinator until June 2002. The newsletter was changed to a monthly
format. A new group, Unity of Huntington, WV, began in the spring with
leadership from Rev. Brenda and Rev. Sam who met with them twice a
month. A memorial service was held in Parkersburg on January 27, 2002
for Marty McCoy, leader of the Parkersburg Unity group.
In a special membership meeting held in September 2002, the number of
members of the Board of Trustees was reduced from 8 to 6 members. Rev.
Brenda conducted a church retreat for the congregation from June 7-8 at
John 23rd retreat center. Rev. Brenda served the church until June 1,
2003. A peacemaking seminar was conducted by Rev. Stephanie Seigh, an
interfaith minister who leads the congregation of Interfaith Fellowship
in New York City.
Since, then, Unity of Kanawha Valley has been without a minister and has
been scheduling speakers for the Sunday service from the community. A
spiritual book club has been meeting monthly and the Coffee House open
stage continues. “Woody” Hawley memorial concerts have continued with
Tim Bays of Nashville, who appeared in concert on March 13 and provided
music for the service the next day. In May 2004, the Board of Trustees
sent a packet of information to the Association of Unity Churches,
indicating interest in hiring a minister. Spring graduates and
established ministers are encouraged to review the materials and apply
for open positions.
Updates to Our History
August, 2004
UKV is pleased to announce our new Pastoral Leader — Sky Kershner.
The Board of Trustees updated the congregation on the Minister
Search at our Annual Membership Meeting on June 13, 2004, announcing that they
had chosen Rev. Dr. Sky Kershner to be our new Pastoral Leader.
The
congregation unanimously approved this selection. Sky has appeared as a
guest speaker several times during the past year, and the response has
always been positive. Sky currently serves as the Executive Director of
the Kanawha Pastoral Counseling Center in Charleston, and he will
continue in that function. He, like most students of Truth, has a varied
religious background, having been raised in the Episcopal Church and
studied many different religions. Sky will begin his new duties here at
UKV on Sunday, July 4. A welcoming celebration is being planned
for Sunday, July 18, immediately after church. Details about the
celebration are attached in a separate letter accompanying the
July newsletter.
Following is a message from Sky,
our new Pastoral Leader:
Dear
Friends --
Thank you all so much for inviting me to join you in ministry as your
"Pastoral Leader." I am excited about the possibilities and also humbled
by your invitation. Being relatively new to Unity, I can use as much
help from each of you as you are willing to give. Over the next few
months I am looking forward to getting to know each of individually and
finding out more about Unity through you. I am also asking for your help
by joining me in a collaborative process of our developing the Sunday
lessons together. The first meeting of our 'theological think tank' will
be July 11. Your feedback and ideas at these meetings will be most
appreciated!
With much gratitude!
Sky
 Photo:
Craig Cunningham
Sky Kershner
Sky Kershner, Executive Director of
the Kanawha Pastoral Counseling Center, has taken on the
additional role of Pastoral Leader at Unity of Kanawha Valley. In the
background of the sanctuary
are Gerie Ann Selbe, president of the Board of Trustees at the church,
and Elizabeth Harter,
president of the Kanawha Pastoral Counseling Center.
Read an article written by Charlotte Ferrell Smith for the Charleston
Daily Mail on Monday July 12, 2004. more...
UKV's
Board and Pastoral Leadership
.jpg)
UKV
Board, December 2004
Back Row: Gabby
Williamson, Gerie Ann Selbe, Mary Caldwell, Bob Neel
Front Row: Sky Kershner,
Judy Hamilton, Mindy Allenger, Peggy Gunter
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