God’s timing is always right. Sharon Bell was working a secular job, living in Teays Valley, and looking for a call to a Presbyterian church in the area. She had been looking for quite some time and had just decided that with the Covid-19 pandemic going on, she would take her name off the list for a while. Before she did that, she decided to look at the online opportunity list one more time. That was when she saw the Ministry Information Form from Highlawn Church in Huntington. She was attracted to their open and affirming stance and to their love of mission, so she applied, and things went quickly from there. In July 2021, The Rev. Sharon Bell became the pastor of Highlawn Presbyterian Church in Huntington!
Sharon is enthusiastic about all of the good things going on at Highlawn. She says they have great music. Their choir has started singing again, and they have very talented and dedicated leaders in their organist and choir director. Sharon also has been impressed with the way the congregation cares for its members and the fact that they don’t expect their pastor to do everything.
Sharon grew up in Houston, TX, and received her B.A. in Religion from Baylor University in Waco. She received her M-Div. from Fuller Seminary in Los Angeles.
Sharon has been in West Virginia for a number of years now and previously served as Associate Pastor at Teays Valley Presbyterian Church. She admits that it has been an adjustment to move from major cities like Houston and L.A. to West Virginia. She misses the culture and entertainment options of the big cities and the greater diversity of people in those cities. However, she has found a home in West Virginia and is confident that she is where God has called her to be.
Another adjustment that Sharon has needed to make in this new call is in regards to supervising church staff. That has not been a part of her job description in past churches. While this is a new role for Sharon, she is quick to add that the Highlawn staff is very talented, motivated, and easy to work with. She says that she and the church are blessed to have such a great staff!
Some of the churches that Sharon served in the past were going through considerable conflict. While that conflict did not center on her, she was nevertheless stressed by it. In contrast, the Highlawn Church has had very little conflict for a number of years. The congregation is very healthy, and when someone is hurt, they are always willing to assume that the other person acted with good intentions. That has enabled everyone to focus on the ministry and mission of the church. Sharon is the first openly gay pastor to serve this congregation; that has required some adjustment of the congregation, but it has not been a problem. Sharon feels warmly welcomed, supported, and encouraged by the congregation.
Sharon enjoys traveling and binge watching her favorite TV shows. She has been known to be the loudest parent on the sidelines, cheering on her kids. She and her wife, Kim, have three grown daughters (Megan, Madison, and Morgan) and one young son, Grayson (8).
When asked about her dreams for ministry with the congregation, Sharon said that she wants to encourage their love of mission and find new ways to do effective and meaningful ministry. She also wants to encourage them to grow both spiritually and numerically. The church is at a good place for growth, and she is excited about exploring ways to make that happen. Sharon is passionate about creating authentic worship and genuine community.