MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — A series of ‘Front Porch Ministry’ is connecting with the community through artists at the West Virginia University Presbyterian Center in Morgantown.
On Wednesday, the center hosted WVU President, E. Gordon Gee, while musician and WVU Professor, Chris Haddox who fill the porch with Appalachian tunes for those in attendance to enjoy. The series of ‘Front Porch Ministry’ ran every Wednesday from June with the last installment of the series being showcased August 10.
“The Front porch Ministry is designed to bring artists of different kinds of music and lectures to come and sit here on the front porch, share their talents with those who want to come.” Rev. D.D. Meighen, interim WVU Presbyterian Campus Minister. “This goes back to an Appalachian tradition of sitting on the porch and sharing your culture. And part of the reason for doing that is that our campus ministry center is located on a busy road here in Morgantown.”
Rev. Meighen said that nine rocking chairs were donated by individuals in Marion, Monongahela, and Preston counties to represent the history of the family’s lives. Those attending the series could sit in the chairs and enjoy rocking them to the tunes and relaxing.
“So many people really want to be engaged back in, in a spiritual way,” Gee said. “I think the Z generation of which we are now educating. So, you know, so the millennial generation just graduated and they’re the kind that 25- to 35-year-olds. But this Z generation is coming in is much more serious, they have a much stronger spiritual sense about them, they may not be necessarily engaged in organized religion, but they are engaged in trying to figure out their place in the world.”
If you would like to learn more about what the WVU Presbyterian Center has to offer or any of their upcoming events, you can call them at 304-292-4061.