MEEKER | In March 2023, members of Meeker’s second-oldest church agreed to disagree. By a vote, the majority of the congregation decided to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church denomination and become an independent Methodist church.
This vote occurred as the Mountain Sky Conference and General Conference of the United Methodists took positions that LGBTQ individuals may be ordained as pastors and that LGBTQ marriages could be held in their church. A majority of members signed a ballot indicating they disagreed with that stance and desired to disaffiliate from the denomination.
Those choosing to disaffiliate would stay in the existing church building as the independent White River Methodist Church, leaving those who wanted to stay with the United Methodist organization without a church home.
An agreement was made with St. James’ Episcopal Church — Meeker’s oldest church — and for the last year, almost 40 United Methodists have worshiped, worked alongside, ministered and fellowshipped with Meeker’s Episcopalians in the same space, much like a blended family.
Recently the group has collaborated on an agreement with the United Methodist Church in Rifle to share a new pastor, and on July 14, the United Methodists will begin having their own Sunday services at 8:30 a.m. at St. James with the Rev. Kelly Murdock-Billy officiating. Mary K. Krueger is serving as the music director and will be offering familiar hymns and music for the service.
At 10 a.m. the Episcopalians will worship as usual, and the two congregations will join together for coffee hour afterward.
The Rev. Kelly Murdock-Billy hails from Montana, where she served three congregations. She’s excited to move to Western Colorado to provide Rifle and Meeker congregations’ services and pastoral support.
She was called into ministry in 1987. She has served in many different roles competently, first as a children’s minister, then associate pastor and then full-time lead pastor. She has served as a case manager for the Salvation Army, mental health paraprofessional and campus minister.
Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in radio/television/film with a minor in social services/religious studies. She holds a master’s degree in American history. She has completed 48 hours of graduate credit at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri, and completed the Course of Study for United Methodist Local Pastors.
Kelly and her husband Charley are also very creative people. Her husband is a professional Native American artist. When she isn’t busy serving the people of her congregation and communities, she makes jewelry, sews, crochets, designs beadwork, does woodworking and metal-smithing, preserves foods, cooks and bakes.
The church members are thrilled she has accepted this position and look forward to working with her to sustain their ministry in the community. She has shared that her intentions are: to be unfailingly kind, inspire hope, respect and befriend people overwhelmed by their circumstances, be just, joyful and generous, to offer help without discrimination, serve with patience, persistence and forgiveness, not regarding anyone’s current life situation as evidence of failure and to create an environment in which people are empowered to help themselves.
