Abingdon Confirmands
Abingdon United Methodist Church welcomes 13 confirmands (plus nine of their parents) into membership on a recent Sunday. (Photo Courtesy of Holston Conference)
The Call, Holston Annual Conference | Feb. 28, 2025
ABINGDON, Va. -- What’s happening at Abingdon United Methodist Church? In the last two years, the congregation has welcomed about 100 people into membership.
A pinnacle moment happened on a Sunday morning in December, when the church celebrated the confirmation of 13 young people, including two who were baptized. After the last hymn, the Rev. Paul Seay invited nine parents of the confirmands to come up and also take their membership vows.
“There was a gasp,” Seay says, remembering how worshipers reacted when the group streamed to the front of the sanctuary. A month later, three more confirmands and two more parents joined the church.
The pastor believes a strong lay leadership and “an organic, invitation kind of culture” are two reasons why the church now has more in average worship attendance (over 200) than it did prior to the COVID pandemic. Many churches in Holston Conference lost worshipers during the pandemic, which began in March 2020.
“We have a good, dedicated leadership that loves the church and is willing to do old things in new ways,” Seay said.
The church currently has about 700 in membership. At Christmas or Easter, worship attendance swells to about 400.
An influx of families with children, who know and invite each other to church, is driving some of the growth. Children’s Ministry Director Lindsey Blackwell and Youth Ministry Director Moises Martinez shepherd the young people in Sunday school and Sunday-night groups, as well as other activities such as mission work and the Resurrection winter youth retreat.
When a group of youth were interested and ready to participate in confirmation classes this year, church leaders decided on a seven-week fall series (instead of spring), which worked better for the families’ schedules. The confirmation classes were included in the congregation’s Sunday evening activities, which include dinner, worship, communion, and small groups.
Church leaders are intentional about making practical schedule decisions, Seay said. “We’re trying not to wear ourselves out. We’re working hard and doing good, but we’re being conscientious. We don’t want to be just a busy place but more focused.”
During the pandemic, for instance, church leaders began asking a lot of “why?” questions. Such as: “If we’re going to do a meal on Wednesday nights, why are we doing that?” Seay said.
Wednesdays without Walls Meal
Abingdon UMC welcomes the neighborhood to "Wednesday Without Walls" dinners. (Photo Courtesy of The Call/Holston Conference)
That question led the church to decide not to host weekly meals just for themselves, but to do a monthly “Wednesday Without Walls” meal outside where the community could see the action and be invited to join in. The gatherings included a cookout with live music in the summer and a chili supper with kids’ costume party in the fall.
Other ministries that helped Abingdon United Methodist Church feel connected and primed for growth include:
- Sunday school classes where participants can “go deep” in their faith. (Two retired pastors are among the Sunday school teachers: the Rev. David St. Clair and the Rev. Dwight Kilbourne.)
- Mission opportunities at Hunt Memorial United Methodist Church’s homeless ministry and Abingdon’s “Faith in Action” Christian outreach.
- Active United Women in Faith circles that "have their finger on the pulse of how to support the church and the missional needs of the community."
“I don’t think we’re doing anything particularly innovative,” Seay said. “We were fortunate that we did not have a big debate on whether or not to leave the UMC.”
While other United Methodist churches suffered through conflict around disaffiliation in the last few years, the leaders of Abingdon UMC were already clear they planned to stay in the denomination when Seay was appointed there in 2021, he said.
About 15 of Abingdon United Methodist Church’s newer members are persons who came from churches that left the denomination.
His congregation will begin planning a new confirmation class in the next year or two. A new group of kids are coming up behind this latest class who are ready for the next step, he said.
In addition to Abingdon UMC, Seay serves as pastor of Charles Wesley United Methodist Church. Both his churches are located on Main Street, less than a half mile apart.
Charles Wesley UMC is an historically African American congregation, "recognized as a pillar of the Abingdon community," Seay said. In January, Charles Wesley UMC hosted a Friday-night event highlighting traditional spirituals as part of the town's annual Martin Luther King celebration. Charles Wesley also offers several community outreach events throughout the year, especially for children and families.
Seay leads three worship services each Sunday: 8:45 a.m. at Abingdon, 9:45 a.m. at Charles Wesley, and 11 a.m. at Abingdon. His wife Kathleen and daughter Elizabeth are active in both churches.
"Some Sundays I feel like a circuit rider, even though I don’t have very far to travel. My family and I love worshiping and serving with both churches. It’s exciting to be a part of what God is doing on Main Street.”
Holston Conference includes United Methodist churches in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and North Georgia, with main offices in Alcoa, Tennessee.
Annette Spence is editor of The Call, the Holston Conference source of news and stories.