Parkersburg District Grows Together

Story by Liz Bailey

Three years ago, when Miguel Bernedo, pastor of the Ripley and Spencer churches and the Parkersburg Spanish church plant, was invited to have dinner with some community folks in Parkersburg, W.Va., he never imagined where it would lead. While there, he met a woman who invited him to a small Bible study group in her home. He began to attend several times a month, and the group grew from three to five members to about a dozen.

One evening, the hostess asked him if he would be willing to preach in their Methodist church, as the pastor was sick and unable. Bernedo happily agreed. After the sermon that Sunday, Bernedo met Steve Kimes and his wife. Kimes thanked him for the sermon and stated that it really encouraged him. Finding out that Bernedo liked to sing, Kimes began texting and asking him to sing at church while Kimes played the piano. At their practice sessions, Kimes would ask Bible questions, and they would have informal Bible studies afterward.

Many Sabbaths, Kimes would call and ask Bernedo, “Where are you going today?” Having three churches, it would always be a different location. Kimes started attending the Spencer and Ripley churches.

When Stewart Pepper, pastor of the Parkersburg (English) church and conference evangelist, held evangelistic meetings at his church, Kimes attended nearly every meeting. Still having more questions, Kimes continued impromptu studies after the series, searching the scriptures with church members at Ripley and Spencer after fellowship meals. He was especially blessed by studying with member Ed Lawaty every Thursday morning.

“One day,” states Bernedo, “I got a call from Steve, and he said he had good news. He wanted to be baptized and become a Seventh-day Adventist.” In late spring, Kimes was baptized into the Parkersburg church. Members from all three churches and the Spanish church plant came to celebrate with one they had all come to love.

Kimes is so excited about his newfound truths that he constantly shares his story with others. He has also been sharing his beautiful piano music, playing for camp meeting, church services and local nursing home residents. He is now teaching music classes every Wednesday in the four classrooms at Parkersburg Academy for grades pre-K through eighth grade.

Bernedo states that his three churches are all fine examples of Mountain View Conference’s “Let’s Grow Together” initiative, often traveling the one-to-two-hour distance to help another church with landscaping, work bees and fellowship meals.