The Shiloh Church of Tioga has undergone several new changes since it disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church.
The decision to disaffiliate came after the United Methodist Church changed its doctrine regarding same-sex marriage, which did not align with the views of some of the congregation's members.
“We approached the United Methodist conference and said we'd like to go our separate way,” church council chairperson Paul Rodarmer said.
The process of separation was not easy, he said, and in the nearly 25 years that Rodarmer has been part of Shiloh, he has witnessed both the highs and lows.
After separating from the denomination, a beloved member who was set to serve as pastor, Mead Mc-Gee, unexpectedly passed away, leaving the church without one.
“We got some loaners along the way, and somehow or another, we became aware of the Global Methodist Church, and First Frisco is a large Global Methodist Church in Frisco, Texas,” Rodarmer said. “… They said, ‘Hey, we'd be happy to help you out and fill your pulpit while you're trying to find out which way to go.’” One of the interims was Harry Whitsell, a Bible teacher at First Frisco.
As he kept returning to Shiloh, the congregation felt they had found their next pastor and offered him the position, but for Whitsell, the choice wasn’t easy.
“This is probably the second time that I had gotten really close to the pulpit,” Whitsell said. “And the first time, I ran from it, didn't want to do it, absolutely not. It was not in the cards for me. But it's just one of those things that just continues to gnaw at you.”
Instead of running away from it, he accepted the position and has been the official pastor for nearly a year.
Whitsell did not grow up in the church.
It was through his wife, Emily, and speaking with her father, a Bible teacher, that he began his faith journey.
“I don't have the perfect story,” Whitsell said. “I don't have the perfect ministry, but there's definitely a population of people that will connect with me because we kind of have the same starting point.”
Now he is attending a Bible seminary to receive the proper training to become a minister for the Global Methodist Church.
He added that joining the Global Methodist Church offers more structure and support for the congregation.
“When the churches depart, and they're either independent or searching for a larger church community, I think it was important for all of them to find a denomination or another group of churches that believe in interpreting the Bible the same way, and that is what we have found with the Global Methodist Church,” Whitsell said.
The Shiloh Church has made other modifications over the last several years, including new windows and siding to maintain the historic church's traditional look, but despite all the changes, the message remains.
“We just want the people in the community to know that we are a Bible-based church—nothing fancy,” Whitsell said. “We're just about good worship, good praise, good community. And we welcome all walks of life, all people.”
