Published: September 18, 2009 11:16 pm      

Part-time pastor: Retired preacher does double duty at area churches

If you’ve met the Rev. John Weaver, you can be almost 100 percent sure he’ll never forget who you are.

Weaver is pastor of Summit Chapel United Methodist Church, William Penn Avenue, East Taylor Township, and Mineral Point United Methodist Church, Front Street. He is 75 years old.

“I want people to know that I know them and am concerned about them,” he said the other day from his office at Summit Chapel church.

“I want to call each and every person by his or her first name,” he said.

“It makes a person feel good to know their pastor knows their name,” he emphasized.

That has been the cornerstone of Weaver’s philosophy ever since he was ordained into the Methodist ministry 38 years ago in Johnstown.

He served as pastor of five churches throughout western and central Pennsylvania from 1964 until retiring in 1996. His last pastorate during that time was with First United Methodist Church in South Fork.

But his retirement was short-lived.

He was pastor of Ferndale United Methodist Church from December 1996 until June 1997.

Then – from 2001-2006 – he served as pastor of Hastings United Methodist Church and Bakerton United Methodist Church. Then in 2008, the bishop of the Western Pennsylvania United Methodist Conference came to Weaver again, this time asking him to pastor the Summit Chapel and Mineral Point churches.

Because he is retired, he can only serve as a part-time pastor.

With Weaver, the term “part-time” is in name only.

“I am on call 24/7,” he said.

When he came to the Summit Chapel and Mineral Point churches, it was with the understanding he only would be serving as pastor until July 1 of this year. But the membership of both churches wanted Weaver to stay, and he agreed.

Knowing that his parishoners wanted him to stay made him feel great, he said.

He has taken to riding a motor scooter for short trips.

He said he had ridden bicycles all his life and that the motor scooter came naturally to him. But before going out on the road, he took a safety course on riding motor scooters at Portage Area High School.

“I like to drive it, and I like feeling the breeze,” Weaver said. “And I get 85 miles to the gallon.”

Debbie Hall, Summit Chapel secretary, said Weaver is very interested in the church. She said much of the remodeling done recently at the church has been Weaver’s work.

He transformed part of a large classroom in the church’s educational wing into an office and conference room and moved Hall out of a small space to a much larger room.

Another goal Weaver has is to provide an interesting and relevant sermon each Sunday.

“I want to preach sermons people can relate to,” he said.

Church member Reed Mardis said Weaver does just that.

“It is good to hear the inspirational sermons he gives,” Mardis said.

He added that membership has been on the rise and attributed that to Weaver.

Summit Chapel membership stands at 353 while Mineral Point has 76 members.

Sunday services are at 9:30 a.m. at Summit Chapel and 11:30 a.m. at Mineral Point.

Weaver said he relates to his parishioners in positive ways and treats them with respect.

“I treat them as individuals,” he said.

Weaver is pleased with the way the sales of gobs, cake rolls and cupcakes have been going as a fundraiser for a new church roof and steeple. The church has started a roof-steeple fund with a goal of $90,000. Hopes are to have the roof installed next summer.

The sales of the baked goods are just one part of the overall fund campaign, Weaver noted.

For a time after his retirement in 1996, Weaver worked for McCall Motors Inc. in Ebensburg. He was a “jack of all trades,” he said. He also drove school buses for a company operated by McCall’s.

Weaver is a native of Gray in Somerset County. His family moved to Ferndale in 1942. He graduated in 1953 from what then was Ferndale High School.

He served four years in the Air Force, getting out in 1957 with the rank of airman first class.

He graduated in 1961 from Albright College in Reading with a bachelor of arts degree.

He majored in social studies and was a pre-theological student. He received his theological degree from United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio.

Weaver and his first wife, the late Alyce Coleman of Sidman, were married for 39 years.

There is a son, Ronald, who is a Summerhill resident.

In 2007, Weaver married the former Dorothy Jewett of Hastings. She has a daughter, Dottie, and a son, Gary.

Weaver has been a member of South Fork Lions Club since 1993, and serves as secretary.

He is chaplain and membership chairman for Lions District 14-J, which takes in six counties. His wife is president of the Northern Cambria Area Lions Club.