The Smoky Mountain District of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church has 65 churches. Among those 65 churches, there is one black pastor. One might expect that distinction to come with a little bit of drama, but D’Andre Ash says he’s had no such problems.
Ash has more than a decade of experience as a pastor. He came to North Carolina from Atlanta to help his wife pursue her career, and in doing so, he had to leave his previous church behind. However, thanks to some help from his partners at the Foundation for Evangelism, he was able to find an interim position with Snow Hill United Methodist Church and Iotla United Methodist Church in 2020. He earned full-time status last year.
“I thought my pastoring career might be over,” Ash said. “But we found that there was still a place for me.”
Two-point charges are fairly common practice in the Methodist Church conference. There’s not always a pastor available for every church, especially in the first few weeks or months after a resignation when the application review process needs to be as thorough as possible. Managing pastoral duties for two separate locations can be challenging for Ash, especially since he and his family are still living in Atlanta during the week and driving up on the weekend. (The competitive housing market in Macon County has made it difficult for the family to find housing.)
Ash is happy to go where he’s needed. He sees the two-point charge as a chance to get to know more people and learn more about what’s important to churchgoers.
“It adds a little bit of complexity to it, but I think that’s part of the beauty of it,” Ash said.
Macon County’s population is more than 95% white and less than 2% black, and Ash started work in the same year that the murder of George Floyd ushered in a new racial reckoning in the United States. That context mattered to Ash because he saw an opportunity to promote unity and lead by example. He believes that love, respect and harmony between people who transcend racial boundaries is a key component of the gospel, and his experience with his congregation is evidence that such community is achievable.
“We’ve met some of the kindest people we’ve ever known here,” Ash said. “Our differences can be overcome.”
Ash, his wife and his four-year-old daughter will try to move to Macon County as soon as they can. In two years, they’ve come to love the area and they hope that they’ll be able to foster that love for many years to come.
“It’s a stark contrast from Atlanta between the culture and the traffic,” Ash said. “[In Macon County] I’m where I’m supposed to be with the people I’m supposed to be with.”