Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Lay Pastor Ed McBride sits in the Colfax United Methodist Church hall.
COLFAX - Ed McBride has been in a position he never planned to be in, yet experiences for almost 50 years have prepared him for it.
McBride grew up in Potlatch, Idaho, where he met a girl named Connie in the first-grade who later became his wife. They moved to Colfax in 1972 and became members of the United Methodist Church.
Unexpectedly, McBride is now the lay pastor of the church, a role that is helping to fill the void created by the loss of Connie almost a year ago.
A lay pastor is someone who is not a seminary graduate. McBride has long been a lay servant, filling in for the congregation's pastor when they've been out of town. He has taught Sunday school for adults and youth, led Bible study groups and gone on retreats for lay servants.
The previous pastor left at the end of June. Given the size of the congregation, a half-time pastor is all that is needed. McBride was asked by the church's district superintendent if he would be willing to take the role.
"I prayed about it a lot and thought about it," McBride said.
He consulted other pastors, constituents and congregation members who were encouraging.
"I felt very welcome in doing this and very supported by the congregation," he said.
The work has helped distract him from the mourning and grieving the loss of his life-long companion.
"It was a nice thing to fill the void," he said.
Not only has the appointment been unexpected, but the environment in which McBride is serving has been far from traditional. Although he has been lay pastor for four months, he has never conducted a sermon from the pulpit with the congregation seated in the church.
At the beginning of his service, McBride had to email the week's service to the congregation. The emails included prayer requests, announcements, scripture reading and sermon. Staying in touch with the congregation has been the hardest part, but it has also been a blessing as everyone is more concerned with checking on each other.
How much the church can open is determined by a bishop in Seattle. In September, Colfax United Methodist Church was given the go-ahead to do "parking lot worship." Cars park in the lot next to the church and McBride conducts the service over a short-range radio on 88.3 FM. McBride usually stands in the parking lot while giving the service. When Sunday temperatures were 14 degrees, he stood in the kitchen at the window so he could see the parked congregation while broadcasting. McBride said the parking lot has been pretty close to full for their new worship style.
Much of the church activities are stalled, including the monthly community dinners and fundraisers for the chaplaincy the women's group was hosting. Some ministries can still be conducted, such as Operation Christmas Child. Boxes for boys or girls in various age groups are filled and sent overseas. The Colfax congregation has annually contributed 100 to 120 boxes in past years.
"That's been a big ministry for our church," McBride said.
"We feel like we're a pretty active church for as small as we are," he said.
It is unknown when or if another pastor will be assigned to the Colfax church, especially given the smaller size. McBride is adding to his years of experience and work serving the church to further his current position. He has started a Certified Lay Minister program on-line. He is prepared to serve as long as needed in his current role.
Things have been a little easier for him with the recent hiring of Sharon Moser as secretary. Moser has lived in Colfax for six year. She is a retired school teacher originally from Iowa and also taught in Missouri.
"She's been fantastic," McBride said.
The United Methodist Church started meeting in Colfax in 1876 in a wooden building. The stone building seen today was built in 1929 and the rest of the current church built and dedicated in the 60s. Congregation members come mostly from Colfax, but also surrounding towns.
Jana Mathia is a reporter at the Whitman County Gazette.
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