“The only way you can build a church up is to go beyond the walls,” said Valentine, 61. “We have to offer Bethel as a way for people to gain access to what God’s plan is for their life.”
Valentine, a native of Portsmouth, was appointed Bethel’s first-ever female pastor last month.
“It’s exciting to have a new pastor and change is always good,” said Jackie Phillips, a member of Bethel’s steward board. “It seems that she is a traditionalist and a teacher.
Valentine, who said she was called to preach at age 8, said her favorite Bible scripture is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The passage is one of empowerment, she said.
“Whatever we look to accomplish, if we are doing it through Christ, then we will be able to do it, because the Lord will provide us with the strength, courage and abilities to accomplish whatever he asks us to do,” she said.
Valentine said she and her husband, Richard, have been made to feel welcome.
“There does appear to be a close-knit relationship throughout the community and among the churches,” said Valentine, who previously has pastored three smaller churches in the Dayton District of the Southern Ohio Annual Conference, of which Bethel is a part.
Valentine said she looks at the challenges facing her as a female pastor as a blessing and an opportunity to educate, and that 30 percent of clergy are women.
Wanda Glover, a member of the stewardess board, said she is excited about Bethel’s first female pastor.
“She has a lot of class. It’s new and something innovative for us,” Glover said.
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