Asbury United Methodist Church in White Stone recently welcomed their new pastor, Rev. Brant K. Hays, and his wife, Barbara.
Rev. Hays has a Master’s in Divinity from Wesley Seminary and a bachelor’s in physical education from Old Dominion University. Barbara Hays has a master’s in music from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, as well as special education, from Old Dominion University.
Rev. Hays was ordained into ministry in 1983. During the next 31 years, he served on the Farmville, Staunton and Rappahannock River districts. In addition to ministering to the local churches, he also served at the conference level as chairman of the Religion and Race Committee, secretary of the Board of Church and Society, volunteer in missions work (including St. Croix for Hurricane Hugo cleanup), Emmaus Walk, Kairos, as well as summer youth missions and retreats.
He retired in 2014 and moved to the Northern Neck where he has been attending Fairfields UMC, serves as president of the Northumberland Ministerial Association and is a member of Christian Men United as well as the NAACP.
Barbara Hays is the music teacher at Chesapeake Academy, as well as music director at Fairfields UMC in Burgess and organist for Afton UMC in Ophelia. They have three grown children, Richard Henry, Nathan Hays and Bethany Hays-Bojorquez and have been blessed with 10 grandchildren.
Rev. Hays is serving part-time and preaches at Asbury at 9 a.m. and at Bluff Point UMC at 11 a.m. on first and third Sundays. He can be reached at 580-1598 or by calling Asbury lay leader Ted George, 480-0119.
