Potomac Highlands District UMC

04/02/2026

Save the Date! The Bishop's Chalice Challenge is returning this year. This golf tournament raises funds for the Endowment for Religious and Spiritual Life at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Mark your calendars and join us on June 29th at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club in Hurricane, West Virginia. Be on the lookout for more information regarding registration and sponsorship opportunities! ⛳

04/02/2026

Three Preview Webinars Planned to Prepare for 2026 Annual Conference

The West Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church will host three online preview webinars to help attendees prepare for the 2026 Annual Conference, taking place June 10–13 at West Virginia Wesleyan College.

These sessions will provide helpful information, offer opportunities for questions, and ensure participants are well-prepared for this year’s gathering centered on the theme Rooted in Love.

Learn more at https://www.wvumc.org/news-detail/register-now-for-annual-conference-preview-sessions-19670235

03/27/2026

UPDATED Hymn Sing Information for May 16th. Please note the change in locations in Petersburg to Mt. Hebron UMC. There will not be a spaghetti dinner fundraiser at that location, however, there will continue to be light refreshments at all three locations afterwards. All other information remains the same. May God bless you!

Mt. Hebron UMC (2837 Ridge Road Maysville, WV 26833)

Wesley UMC (107 W High Street Kingwood, WV 26537)

Calvary UMC (267 S Mineral St. Keyser, WV 26726)

03/16/2026

The Potomac Highlands District LEAD Team is excited to announce our first Hymn Sing that will take place on May 16th at 5:00 p.m.!!! We are asking all district churches to consider bringing your choir to one of the three locations and prepare 1-2 songs to sing. If your church doesn't have a choir but has been considering the possibility, this could be a great time to organize one. In addition, please feel free to reach out to neighboring UM churches to form a choir as well. Our goal is to praise God through song while bringing parish churches together. No offering will be taken during the Hymn Sing but ask you to consider bringing a canned food item to donate to a local food pantry. Light refreshments will be served after the Hymn Sing at all three locations. In addition, Grove Street UMC in Petersburg will be hosting a Spaghetti dinner afterwards to help raise funds for Burlington United Methodist Family Services. Thanks for ALL that you do...God Bless!!!

03/02/2026

Registration for the 2026 West Virginia Annual Conference is now open. Visit https://www.wvumc.org/2026-annual-conference to register online.

Be sure to follow the instructions in your confirmation email to also sign up for the service and learning opportunities on Wednesday afternoon.

02/18/2026

Kim Matthews, the Annual Conference Director of Lay Servant Ministries, is offering a Conference Certified Lay Ministry Course in 2026. The purpose of this course is to provide a guided and shared experience of the Certified Lay Ministry curriculum that is enhanced with training from Conference "experts" in the fields of study in the course. You can learn more about Certified Lay Ministry and Certified Lay Servant ministry as a whole through the Portico course called Lay Servant Ministry: The Why, the What, and The How. To view the video course, you'll need to be registered for Portico classes. In short, consider becoming a CLM if you are called to serve in a particular ministry long term.

The course will be offered as an online opportunity. The first, introductory session will be held via Zoom on Monday, March 23 at 7:00 p.m. Registration information is in the first comment for this post. Those who are interested in the course are invited to attend this introductory session without commitment to learn more about the course and its requirements.

02/18/2026

In the Wesleyan tradition, repentance is never about shame for shame’s sake. It is about grace. John Wesley taught that God’s grace goes before us, awakens us, forgives us, and continues shaping us into Christ’s likeness. Ash Wednesday invites us into that transforming journey.

When ashes are placed upon our foreheads in the sign of the cross, mortality and mercy meet. We confess our sin, not alone, but within the community of faith, trusting that God’s mercy endures forever. The One who formed us from dust is the One who redeems us through love.

Lent is not about earning God’s favor. It is about responding to grace already given through self-examination and repentance, by prayer, fasting, and self-denial, and by reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word.

This is how we make a new beginning. Not through self-reliance, but through surrender.

As we begin these forty days, may we remember:
We are mortal.
We are forgiven.
We are being made new.

02/13/2026

We had a wonderful clergy gathering today at a snowy Amboy UMC!!! Many thanks to Jack Keim for leading us in a devotional…to Debbie Seldomridge for reminding us of the importance of Global Ministries…and the great people of the Aurora charge for such hospitality. God is good and you guys are awesome!!!

01/25/2026

The West Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church has announced a leadership transition in the Northern District, marking the retirement of Rev. Neil Leftwich and the appointment of Rev. Greg Markins as the next District Superintendent.

Rev. Neil Leftwich will retire following faithful service as Northern District Superintendent, a role he has held since 2021. Known for his gracious spirit, hospitality, and deep pastoral care, Leftwich has brought steady leadership to the district while walking alongside clergy and congregations through seasons of ministry, discernment, and transition.

Throughout his ministry, Leftwich has served the Church with compassion and dedication. In addition to his years in the West Virginia Conference, he has also served as a pastor and District Superintendent in the Western Pennsylvania Conference. His leadership and pastoral presence have left a lasting impact on the Northern District and the broader connection.

The Conference has announced that Rev. Greg Markins will be appointed as the next Northern District Superintendent.

Ordained as an elder in 2011, Markins has served in several West Virginia Conference churches as both an associate pastor and lead pastor. He currently serves at Steele Memorial United Methodist Church in Barboursville. Markins brings a strong commitment to the local church, a collaborative leadership style, and a deep care for clergy and congregational vitality.

In addition to his pastoral ministry, Markins has been actively involved in Conference leadership. He previously served with the Conference Camping and Outdoor Ministry and currently serves on the Board of Ordained Ministry. He holds an undergraduate degree from Marshall University and earned his Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School.

“This transition reflects both our gratitude for faithful leadership and our confidence in the future God is shaping among us,” said Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett. “We give thanks for Rev. Neil Leftwich’s ministry and celebrate the gifts Rev. Greg Markins brings as he prepares to serve the Northern District.”

The West Virginia Conference invites prayers of thanksgiving for Rev. Neil Leftwich as he enters retirement and prayers of support for Rev. Greg Markins and the Northern District as they begin this new chapter together.

01/04/2026

We are grateful to share in the joy of Rev. Sharmune Burgess serving as the next Superintendent!!!

Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett Announces Appointment of New District Superintendent for the Potomac Highlands District

Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett of the West Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church is pleased to announce the appointment of Rev. Sharmune Burgess as the new District Superintendent of the Potomac Highlands District, effective July 1, 2026. Rev. Burgess will succeed Rev. Scott Ferguson, who has served faithfully as the District Superintendent for the past eight years.

Across the United Methodist connection, Rev. Burgess has been in ministry for over 15 years, beginning first as a Certified Lay Minister, then Licensed Local Pastor and, most recently, ordained an elder in full connection in the West Virginia Conference in 2021. She currently serves as the pastor of First United Methodist Church Romney and Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church in the Potomac Highlands District.

“We are grateful for Rev. Scott Ferguson’s dedicated leadership and service to the Potomac Highlands District and the entire West Virginia Conference,” Bishop Wallace-Padgett said. “Rev. Burgess’ contributions to the West Virginia Conference is rich and meaningful, having served on a variety of local, district and conference-wide teams and committees and as a leader within the Board of Ordained Ministry.”

A native of the Caribbean Island of St. Kitts/Nevis, Rev. Burgess spent many years in the United Kingdom. She holds degrees from South Bank University in London and a Master of Divinity from Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She is a mother of an adult daughter, Mikki-Lee, who is a mental health therapist in New Jersey.

“I am honored to serve, grow, and learn in faith with the pastors and congregations in the Potomac Highland District, Rev. Burgess said. “I am excited to see God’s ongoing handiwork in and through God’s people, to reflect his love in our communities and beyond.”

12/14/2025

We had a wonderful time at the PHD clergy and family Christmas gathering! Thank you Rev. Tom Nolan for sharing from your book “Stuck between a rock and a holy place”! In addition, we are grateful to Antioch UMC for hosting us today in their new fellowship hall. God is good!

12/09/2025

Way to go Potomac Highlands District!!! You are a blessing!!!