How did Reverend Melody Smith find herself reaching people that no one else was across multiple campuses? It started when she was attending Homeland Community Wesleyan Church in Parkersburg, West Virginia. At the time, there was no children’s programming on Wednesdays, and she felt the Lord prompting her to do something about it. Within a year, she had become the children’s pastor with 40 children in regular attendance. She also started working toward becoming a licensed pastor in The Wesleyan Church.
As she ministered to the children, she found herself becoming “an adult pastor” also, because the children’s parents were unchurched. Known as “the church lady,” Rev. Smith’s ministry continued to grow.
In 2018, Homeland planted The Gathering (TG). Rev. Smith was TG’s campus leader when Homeland’s pastor retired. Suddenly, she was faced with a difficult decision. “I felt like the people would really miss out if the campus did not survive,” said Rev. Smith. So, she took leadership of Homeland and changed its name to The Gathering as well. This merger led to another merger, which led to another merger in places like Bellaire, Ohio, and Charleston, West Virginia. Suddenly, The Gathering spanned across four campuses, each of which were Wesleyan churches in neighborhoods similar to the original Gathering campus location. Rev. Smith marvels, “One of the cool things about TG is that I never really set out to plant a church, and they have accidentally planted three of them.”
All TG campuses are missional with intentional ministries for those deeply impacted by poverty and addiction. Some campuses have a morning worship service while others meet only in the evening. Rev. Smith, as the only ordained person, has raised up lay leaders and various licensed lay ministers to serve each campus’ needs. According to Rev. Smith, the ministry model “feels very ‘John Wesley,’ in that we are modern day circuit riders.”
Shenandoah District Superintendent (DS) Janet Guthrie recognizes that TG’s leadership base continues to get larger and larger. She is excited about what the next few years can be.
Another key component to The Gathering’s ministry model is doing life every day at the church. Since much of what they do is oriented towards the community’s needs, TG provides meals Monday through Friday. Their feeding program started out providing lunch for children during summer breaks. Soon, a few adults came, wondering if they could eat also. The small group making and serving the meals welcomed them all to the table. As more and more came, the need for help grew. This provided a prime opportunity for many in the congregation to step out and serve in a meaningful way.
Another campus functions as a day shelter, serving 50-60 currently homeless people. This congregation has incorporated them into the church through the dignity of conversation and relationship building. “To bring all the homeless into the community was a wonderful opportunity, because they had to become part of the church,” stated Rev. Smith. “It created opportunities to have many conversations about crisis and the gospel and for us to demonstrate Jesus’ love to them.”
The daily rhythm of being with people is inherent to TG’s DNA. “I basically live with the people I work with,” reflected Rev. Smith. “It is very much like the church in Acts. We break bread and fellowship together daily.”
When asked how all the feeding programs, shelters, upkeep and building maintenance costs, and church services get funded, Rev. Smith is quick to point to her source of provision: “Jesus. I have no idea how, but it just happens.” TG has been feeding a substantial group of people for years. Despite having no budget money allotted for food, there is always something to feed others. Businesses, private individuals and other churches will donate food. One day in November 2024, there was a larger than normal number of people to feed. All the food for that day and the next was used up. They didn’t know how TG would provide meals the following day. Suddenly, multiple trucks arrived, loaded with resources to restock their kitchen.
Rev. Smith’s team is dedicated. Monthly they plan and schedule who will be where and doing what. She acknowledges that, “People are either all in, or we never see them again.” With their dedicated team, The Gathering is able to make a big kingdom impact in their “Jerusalem.”
Between all of TG’s campuses, they run about 130-150 in attendance. They baptized 22 in the 2024-2025 conference year and saw 38 give their life to Jesus.
“When I think about Melody, there are always people that are gathering around her,” shared DS Guthrie. “They flock to her to support and help her.” She believes Rev. Smith approaches ministry the right way: “With hands open, asking God what he wants them to do.”
Rev. Jacob Gibson is the senior pastor at LifeSpring Wesleyan Church, Richmond, Indiana, and graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University and Wesley Seminary, Marion, Indiana.
