Perhaps Debbie Penn was predestined to be a Presbyterian preacher. One can certainly see the hand of God upon her from her earliest years. She was on the cradle roll of the First Presbyterian Church of Dunbar. Her father was an elder there, and her mother was a Sunday School teacher. Debbie’s grandparents were also active in that church, and her grandfather was an elder.
Debbie was active in Sunday School and youth group. She was a Bluestone kid, and that experience helped shape her Christian identity. She went every year and later served as a part-time counselor at the camp. Like many young people, Debbie drifted away from the church in her 20s, but she came back in her early 30s and was ordained an elder at 34.
Debbie taught Sunday School, served on the session, worked with the youth group, and taught VBS for several years at the Dunbar church. At one point, she decided to visit other churches with friends and discovered that while worship services were different, they all shared a common yearning to draw close to God and to serve Him.
Debbie began to feel a calling to preach when God reached out to her one day while she was at the hairdresser. The stylist and another client (former Presbytery of West Virginia Associate for Mission Barbara Chalfant) were talking about the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and how accepting the denomination is. Barbara mentioned the Presbytery’s upcoming Presby Prep program and encouraged Debbie to sign up. This was a God moment. She signed up for the classes, and just like that, Debbie was back full time in the Presbyterian Church.
The Presby Prep classes were challenging and required a lot of reading and homework. Yet, Debbie also found them wonderful. She and her classmates bonded during this time, and they encouraged and supported each other. Debbie confessed in one of the sessions that she didn’t feel worthy of raising her hands and giving the benediction. Others in the class felt the same way. The instructor that day, Kimberly Bracken Long, spoke these words of assurance: “You are worthy. You have been worthy and able to do this since your baptism!”
After completing the first two years of coursework, Debbie started doing pulpit supply and preached at several different churches, including Eleanor. She found that she loved preaching and leading worship. The experience at Eleanor was different from other churches including her home church. It was a smaller congregation with a much smaller sanctuary, yet Debbie felt instantly at home. She was drawn to the love and acceptance of the people and felt their need for a pastor.
Forrest Palmer, former Interim Executive Presbyter of PWV, is a member of the Dunbar church and the person who encouraged Debbie to go to Eleanor as pulpit supply. Both the Dunbar church and the Eleanor church were very supportive of Debbie in this process as has been her mentor, Todd Wright. She started her work as pastor of the Eleanor church in April 2022, just in time for Easter and the beloved Easter Son-Rise service.
On May 19, 2022, the Presbytery officially commissioned Debbie as the Pastor of the Eleanor Presbyterian Church. This was a huge day for Debbie and for the church.
When asked about the challenges of this call, Debbie related that it has been a change for her to not jump in with both feet. As a ruling elder and clerk of session in the Dunbar church, Debbie is not shy about sharing her opinion about what needs to be done. As Pastor at Eleanor, she reminds herself and the session members that the decisions of the session need to be about what they feel God is leading them to do. It has also been a challenge to work full-time for the State Board of Public Health, serve as clerk of session for the Dunbar church and work as pastor to the Eleanor church. However, she says that the people of the Eleanor church continue to step up in taking on the work of the church, and she feels blessed to be on the journey with them. She also stated that her stresses of the previous week evaporate each Sunday as they worship together.
For Debbie, what makes the Eleanor church great is that the congregation talks freely, and there is a lot of laughter. They are affirming, welcoming, and truly accepting of everyone. This springs from a deep faith and a willingness to share and care for each other. Personal opinions are respected. They may not agree on everything but do not feel pressured to change. “They are exceptionally good people.”
Debbie started preaching at Eleanor during the pandemic when, at times, there were only three or four people at the services. The church is growing, and now there are anywhere from 13 to 20 people in worship, bringing new life and energy to the congregation. A special blessing is the new families with children who come forward for a children’s time in worship.
Her dreams for shared ministry with the Eleanor church include to grow as God guides them; to reach out to people who are looking for a place where they will feel loved and accepted; to continue to interpret the Bible together; and to fellowship, worship, play, and embody community. Debbie especially loves the stained-glass windows behind the pulpit. “The church is beautiful on the inside when the light of God shines on us in our worship,” she noted. “The church is also beautiful on the outside when the light of God shines forth in mission work to the community.”
May God continue to bless the ministry of Debbie Penn and the Eleanor Presbyterian Church!