At some point we all leave home. We begin our own lives, chart our own paths, and develop our own thoughts that more times than not differ greatly from those who raised us. Still, no matter how far we go, there remains the fact that you can always go home. But what if while away, your home were to leave you? This is the question third year student Greg Griffey seeks to answer as he considers the theological future of Appalachia.
Born and raised in the southwestern corner of Virginia, Greg grew up in the Independent Baptist tradition which he refers to as “bluegrass gospel” remembering that in these appalachian churches, “a call to ministry was a call to preach.” So when at the age of 20 during a Wednesday evening prayer meeting Greg made his calling into vocational ministry public, his pastor immediately asked him to preach the next Sunday. By the age of 25 Greg had already secured a very successful career in Appalachian baptist life. He had been a pastor, youth pastor, and even hosted a weekly radio program showcasing his preaching titled “Forever Settled.” While anyone meeting Greg today understands just how appropriate such a title is, at the age of 25, Greg was becoming more and more unsettled.
While on the radio, Greg was also serving as a youth pastor at a Southern Baptist Church. Always concerned for justice, Greg began to write opinionated responses to the local newspaper dealing with a wide range of social issues. When his prophetic boldness led him to the topic of homosexuality, Greg not only found himself out of a job but “the baptist who saw and affirmed my call were now telling me not to come back.”
So Greg left, came to Wake Div, and began to discern just what he wanted out of life. Today Greg is on path to become a hospice chaplain and is in process of becoming ordained by the United Church of Christ. While away however, Greg has begun to discern the special place he has in his heart for Appalachia and has considered a return to his roots but fears that perhaps the region has changed. Greg notes that historically the geography of appalachia has shaped its theology but with the rise of strip mining, technology, and corporate commercialism, the land and theology he loves might be slipping away. Ironically, Greg longs to save the same small churches and theology that rejected him years earlier and has even devoted his third year project to exploring such themes. He is tentatively titling his work Faith to Move Mountains: How Geography Shapes Theology in Appalachia and claims as home changes “I’m called to change with it but I still grieve the loss.”
We all leave home for a reason but what do we do when home begins to leave us? Greg Griffey is “forever settled” on finding out.
For more on Greg and to read his thoughts, check out his blog at religiomusings.wordpress.com
Image of Chatham Hill Church, Southwestern Virginia, Greg Griffey
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