Appalachia Ministry

06/06/2026

My response to the recent proposal by a Ronda Town Commissioner to designate June as “Faith, Family, and Freedom Month” in opposition to Pride Month:

As Senior Interfaith Minister of Appalachia Ministry, I have reflected deeply on this proposal.

At Appalachia Ministry, we believe that faith, family, and freedom are not values that belong to one group of people. They are gifts meant for all people.

Faith calls us to love our neighbors, welcome the stranger, and recognize the sacred worth of every human being. Family is not defined solely by tradition, but by love, commitment, care, and belonging. Freedom means that every person should be able to live authentically, safely, and with dignity.

As a person of faith, I do not see Pride Month as a threat to faith, family, or freedom. Rather, I see it as an opportunity to recognize the journeys, struggles, resilience, and contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals and families, many of whom have been excluded, judged, or made to feel unwelcome in religious spaces.

We can celebrate faith without condemning others.

We can honor families without excluding LGBTQ+ families.

We can cherish freedom while defending the rights and dignity of all people.

The Appalachian region has always been strongest when neighbors cared for one another despite their differences. Our communities face many challenges, and now more than ever we need compassion, understanding, and unity rather than division.

At Appalachia Ministry, we remain committed to building bridges, fostering dialogue, and creating spaces where people of all faiths, backgrounds, identities, and orientations are welcomed and valued.

As we observe Pride Month, we pray for a world where every person knows they are loved, every family is respected, and every individual can live freely and authentically.

May we choose love over fear, understanding over judgment, and community over division.

Rev. Brandon Anderson (He/Him)
Appalachia Ministry | AppMinistry.org

“Many Faiths. One Spirit. One Appalachia.”

A town commissioner in Wilkes County plans to introduce a resolution in response after Governor Josh Stein declared June to be LGBTQ+ Pride Month.

Read the full story at the link in the comments below.

06/01/2026

At Appalachia Ministry, we support Pride Month because we believe every person is sacred, worthy, and beloved.

Pride Month is not simply a celebration—it is a reminder that many LGBTQ+ people have spent generations being told they were not enough, that they did not belong, or that they were somehow outside the embrace of the Divine. We reject that message.

We believe that love is a gift. We believe that diversity is part of the beauty of creation. Just as the mountains are made up of countless trees, streams, flowers, and living creatures, humanity is enriched by the many identities, experiences, and stories that make us who we are.

Our faith teaches us to love our neighbors, welcome the stranger, and honor the inherent dignity of every person. Pride Month gives us an opportunity to do just that—to stand with our LGBTQ+ siblings and proclaim that they are not merely tolerated, but celebrated.

As an interfaith ministry, we recognize that the Holy is bigger than our fears, wider than our divisions, and more compassionate than our prejudices. We believe that nothing can separate us from the love of the Higher Power—not our race, gender, sexuality, identity, doubts, questions, or journey.

This Pride Month, may we continue building a world where everyone is free to live authentically, love openly, and know without question that they belong.

Amen.

05/28/2026

There’s something holy about going to the landfill.

Some folks see a dump full of broken boards, rusted metal, worn-out furniture, and things people no longer want. But I see a reminder that life was never meant to stay cluttered with what no longer serves us.

Sometimes the Higher Power calls us to clean house — not just in our homes, but in our hearts, minds, and spirits.

Why do we hold onto broken things so tightly? Old pain. Old guilt. Old bitterness. Old versions of ourselves that no longer fit who we are becoming. We carry spiritual junk for years, afraid to let it go because it once meant something to us.

But creation itself teaches us the sacred rhythm of release and renewal.

At the landfill, old materials are separated, recycled, discarded, and transformed to make room for something new. And maybe that’s what the Spirit is trying to do within us too.

Not everything old is meant to be carried into the future.

Sometimes healing begins the moment we finally say: “I don’t need this anymore.”

The mountains teach us this. Seasons teach us this. Even the trees let go of their leaves when it’s time.

The Higher Power cannot always fill our hands with new blessings when we refuse to release what is broken, dead, or weighing us down.

So every trip to the dump reminds me: letting go is not failure.
It is preparation for renewal.

And sometimes the holiest thing we can do is clean out the old to make room for the future waiting ahead.

Rev. Brandon Anderson
Appalachia Ministry |AppMinistry.org

05/25/2026

Today, we pause to remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation. 🇺🇸

May we never forget their sacrifice, their courage, and the freedoms they helped protect.

From the mountains of Appalachia, we honor and remember.

— Appalachia Ministry
Rev. Brandon Anderson

05/24/2026

Today we remember the sacred fire of Pentecost — the moment the Spirit moved among ordinary people and filled the world with hope, courage, wisdom, and unity.

Across the mountains of Appalachia and beyond, may that same Spirit stir within us today:
✨ bringing peace where there is division,
✨ compassion where there is suffering,
✨ and light where hearts have grown weary.

Like the wind through the Blue Ridge trees and the warmth of a front porch gathering, may we be reminded that the Spirit still moves among the people — through kindness, community, justice, and love.

No matter your faith tradition or spiritual path, may this Pentecost inspire us to care for one another and walk together in peace.

🔥 Many Faiths. One Spirit. One Appalachia.
🕊️ All are welcome. All are loved.

— Appalachia Ministry
Rev. Brandon Anderson

05/17/2026

Today, may we walk gently, love deeply, and care for one another with grace. 🤲🏽✨

05/17/2026

Love knows no boundaries — and neither does Appalachia Ministry. ⛰️💍

Rev. Anderson will even hike the mountain trails to perform your wedding ceremony surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Congratulations to this gorgeous couple, Mr. & Mrs. Bo Strickland! 🤍

May the journey you begin together today be guided by kindness, compassion, understanding, and enduring love. 🤲🏽✨

Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness, beautiful memories, and many years of love together.

05/10/2026

Today we give thanks for the mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, foster mothers, spiritual mothers, and all the women whose love has nurtured generations through the hills and hollers of Appalachia.

We honor the women who taught us how to pray, how to work hard, how to care for our neighbors, and how to keep going through every season of life. Their strength lives on in our homes, our churches, our gardens, our kitchens, and around every family table.

We also hold close in prayer those who are grieving their mothers today, longing to become mothers, or carrying complicated memories. May you feel surrounded by peace, comfort, and love.

May God bless every mother and mothering soul today with rest, joy, and the reminder that your love has made this world a better place. 💐

— Appalachia Ministry
Rev. Brandon Anderson

05/03/2026

Today we pause and pray for a hurting world.