WALTER STYLES

In early 2010 a called Congregational Meeting of members of Black Mountain Presbyterian Church unanimously voted to name the Reverend Walter Styles as its second Pastor Emeritus, following in the footsteps of Dr. Richard Shelor, who had been named Pastor Emeritus in 1988 after his retirement from twenty-two years of ministry in Black Mountain.

While Walter Styles served as the pastor for five years, from 1945-1950, he has proved to be a “pastor” to many people in our community since returning to Black Mountain to retire in 1985.  He has preached over 900 times in these “retirement” years.    In a truly extraordinary way he has ministered to sick and homebound members of this church during these years.  Most recently, during the long interim period between pastors, he was most helpful to the Interim Pastor, preaching, visiting, and conducting funeral services.  He made almost daily visits to the church to encourage the staff and volunteers.  He served on the Centennial committee and was invaluable because of his keen memory of historical facts that the writer of the history needed.

Walter and Myrtis Styles came to BMPC fresh from Columbia Seminary in 1945.  He actually was called as pastor before he finished his work at Columbia and preached once a month from January until he moved to Black Mountain upon his graduation in May.  The Black Mountain Presbyterian Church ordained him.

There were many accomplishments during his pastorate here.  A Men of the Church group was organized.  The Church nursery was started.  Two candidates for ministry were approved by the session:  John Neville, Jr. and Robert Freeman.  And the Bible in the Schools program was begun.   In addition to these accomplishments, the membership of the church grew from 125 to about 200 during those five years.  In 1948 an addition to the church in the form of a two-story Education building was built.

Reverend Styles was the only church staff person during those years.  He typed his own church bulletins on a borrowed typewriter and ran them off on a borrowed mimeograph machine because there was no church secretary.  And he did all this on a salary of $2400 a year.

Walter was an active participant in the life of the town.  He pitched on a local softball team.  They managed to get lights for the softball field at the primary school, and the churches used it for their softball teams.  Walter was the first president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce when it was organized.  The church held Vacation Bible Schools each summer.  He organized a Saturday Night Live ministry for the Cherry Street grocery store employees.  All in all there was a good relationship between the church and the community.  Walter wrote a weekly column entitled “Food for Thought” in the Black Mountain News.

So, on Sunday, January 10, 2010, this official recommendation was made to the congregation, who wholeheartedly approved it:

That we, the congregation of Black Mountain Presbyterian Church, bestow the honorary title of Pastor Emeritus upon Rev. Walter Styles in thanksgiving for his years of service as Pastor of Black Mountain, as well as his continued faithfulness to his call in his retirement. 

This is part of the prayer of thanksgiving offered by the pastor, Shannon Johnson Kershner, after the congregational vote: 

 “Good and gracious God, you call each of us to service in very particular ways.  On this day, at this moment, we thank you for the call you have given to your beloved son, Walter.  We thank you for his patience, his good humor, his obvious love of you and for your church.  We thank you for the way he lets us all reside in his heart.  We also thank you for the marriage that he and Myrtis share and the way that partnership has enriched their ministry.  We pray your continued blessings upon them and thank you for giving them to us as gifts from your hand.  In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.”

Walter Styles is much beloved by the whole Black Mountain Presbyterian congregation and they are proud to have him as their Pastor Emeritus.