Why a Methodist chaplain is hiking the Appalachian Trail - The Tennessean

[WhiteBlaze]

The Tennessean

Why a Methodist chaplain is hiking the Appalachian Trail The Tennessean When Matt Hall — this year's Appalachian Trail chaplain for the United Methodist Church — travels the mammoth foot path that slices through the eastern part of the United States, fellow thru-hikers will call him "Trigger." It's the name of Roy Rogers ...

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[Rain Man]

Nice article.

[Rex Clifton]

Hopefully, he can convert some of the sinners he'll find along the trail.

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[4eyedbuzzard]

Hopefully, he can convert some of the sinners he'll find along the trail.

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Sinners need converting? Doesn't Christianity consider all people sinners, even current believers - as they all fall short?

I hope he just has a good healthy hike and meets a lot of nice people without trying to push anything on them they didn't request.

[cmoulder]

Might convert a few people to tarps.

[Starchild]

Sinners need converting? Doesn't Christianity consider all people sinners, even current believers - as they all fall short?

...

It's complicated and would depend on the denomination, But a basic take is without God as our Father (parent), and us as the child, we fall short of God, thus are incomplete and in sin(sin = missing the mark, as we were never meant to do this on our own but be part of a larger and interconnected family of God of one spirit (Holy Spirit)). Jesus gave us the right to become children of God, and stop our rebellion as something separate from God, and to call God father as He has, and receive the same spirit as Jesus, which is the Spirit of God the Father, thus we are part of God and thus not sinful, as the Father has the ability to 1: correct our errors into perfection, 2: discipline His child to form their heart in His image.

Some will go to the point that once you came back to God through Jesus you never really left thus was always sinless as you're coming back was part of the Father's plan for you.

Thus the differentiation of sinner and saint, where saint can be defined as those who have God as their Father in the Christian tradition.

[nsherry61]

Hopefully, he can convert some of the sinners he'll find along the trail. . .

He's a Methodist, not a Baptist. As is suggested in the article, his focus will likely be helping people, more than "saving" them.

As an old rebellious, heathen, atheist, anarchist, who is the great grandchild of a Methodist minister, the child of a Christian Education Director, and the spouse of a Unitarian Universalist Minister, I'd suggest this guy will probably be a really cool guy dedicated to being outside non-judgementallly being there to help AT hikers with whatever spiritual, emotional or physical needs they have that he might be able to help out with.

The fact that this guy is a professional minister who's ministry (sponsored by his area Methodist churches) is hikers on the Appalachian Trail makes me want to become a Methodist minister . . . except all the God and Jesus and church hierarchy stuff.

I wonder if I could get sponsorship to develop a heathen AT ministry?

I am an ordained minister after all. You can become one too, and it's free at www.ulc.org . . . but, the real question is, does writing in this White Blaze forum count as "published"? Because, when I became ordained in 2002, if you published something that referenced the ULC, you could receive a Doctor of Divinity Degree from the ULC for doing so, and I really want a second doctor's degree. . . even better, if I can get twelve other people to become ordained ULC ministers (which I surely have by now but haven't kept track), I can receive a certificate of sainthood. And, I've always thought it would be cool to be a saint. Maybe I could be Saint Daniel of the outdoor enthusiasts?

[4eyedbuzzard]

He's a Methodist, not a Baptist. As is suggested in the article, his focus will likely be helping people, more than "saving" them.

As an old rebellious, heathen, atheist, anarchist, who is the great grandchild of a Methodist minister, the child of a Christian Education Director, and the spouse of a Unitarian Universalist Minister, I'd suggest this guy will probably be a really cool guy dedicated to being outside non-judgementallly being there to help AT hikers with whatever spiritual, emotional or physical needs they have that he might be able to help out with.

The fact that this guy is a professional minister who's ministry (sponsored by his area Methodist churches) is hikers on the Appalachian Trail makes me want to become a Methodist minister . . . except all the God and Jesus and church hierarchy stuff.

I wonder if I could get sponsorship to develop a heathen AT ministry?

I am an ordained minister after all. You can become one too, and it's free at www.ulc.org . . . but, the real question is, does writing in this White Blaze forum count as "published"? Because, when I became ordained in 2002, if you published something that referenced the ULC, you could receive a Doctor of Divinity Degree from the ULC for doing so, and I really want a second doctor's degree. . . even better, if I can get twelve other people to become ordained ULC ministers (which I surely have by now but haven't kept track), I can receive a certificate of sainthood. And, I've always thought it would be cool to be a saint. Maybe I could be Saint Daniel of the outdoor enthusiasts?

I'd still rather laugh with the sinners. But thinking about it, what we really need are some saints we can laugh, rather than cry, with. I'm hoping this guy has a really good hike and connects with people from all the various beliefs and worldviews out there. Most hikers already share a common natural "religion". Perhaps it's the rest of society that needs to be converted.

[ScareBear]

I am an ordained Minister as well. The Church of the FSM, to be exact.

The Methodist Minister is a recovering addict who will be wearing his sobriety tokens proudly out front. That, of course, will go over BIGLY at EVERY shelter he goes to. There is NOTHING that some/many AT thru's love more than a former addict in their midst while they try to party. And a G-d Squad Addict(tm) at that....

Now, I don't drink, but I also am not going to be harshing anyone's buzz on the trail...unless they keep me awake partying...or proselytizing...

I wish the MethodistMinister good luck and G-dspeed. But, I also wonder....what could he be doing with his ordination that would benefit mankind more? IMHO, just about anything would benefit mankind more. Run a food pantry. Run a homeless shelter. Clothe the needy. Feed the needy. Make a physical, rather than metaphysical difference in the quality of man's life on this planet and man is better off for it. By serving man, aren't you really serving your Lord?

YMMV, especially if you are a TB...just sayin...

[nsherry61]

I am an ordained Minister as well. The Church of the FSM, to be exact. . .

Awesome! That's even better than the ULC. . . by that I mean more irreverent. But, I don't see how I can get ordained into the church of the FSM without having buy a certificate? Grrr.

ULC ordinations are completely free and they don't even fill my email box with junk!

When I was ordained by the ULC I had to electronically sign a belief statement that "I believe people believe what they believe". I thought that was pretty good. Also, I was ordained about 6 months after the founder of the ULC died, and they hadn't updated their web site yet, so my ordination certificate was signed by a man that had died six months earlier. I thought that was pretty awesome also!

To the promotion of ordained backpacking ministers!!

[egilbe]

I enjoy all you weirdos that hike the AT. It makes me more accepting of other's differences and sometimes you people make some awesome memories and stories. I dont care if you are a dope smoking deadlock wearing minister of the flying speghetti monster waving sobriety medals at everyone to scare the evil spirits away while not shaving or bathing and wearing shoes held together with duck tape while carrying an old pair of heavy leather boots and the ashes of your dear departed relative, munching on dry ramen noodles and drinking water from a mud puddle that a moose pissed in. As long as you make a good story, Im in.

[Elaikases]

Sinners need converting? Doesn't Christianity consider all people sinners, even current believers - as they all fall short?

I hope he just has a good healthy hike and meets a lot of nice people without trying to push anything on them they didn't request.

From the article his goal is just to be supportive. Note that he is the fifth chaplain in this position so far, so it isn't as if this is something new.

Quote:

"Hall is the denomination's fifth Appalachian Trail chaplain, a position that began experimentally in 2013. It was born out of a ministry to thru-hikers — those attempting to trek the entire trail — that two United Methodist churches in Bland County, Va., began 16 years ago, said the Rev. Alan Ashworth, who leads both churches.


The churches' ministry started with a trash can for hikers to empty their packs and it grew as they better understood how to serve those traveling the entire length of the trail, Ashworth said. Since they're located about a quarter of the way up the trail, the ministry discovered they were at a low point where many thru-hikers needed encouragement to keep going, he said."

[ScareBear]

I enjoy all you weirdos that hike the AT. It makes me more accepting of other's differences and sometimes you people make some awesome memories and stories. I dont care if you are a dope smoking deadlock wearing minister of the flying speghetti monster waving sobriety medals at everyone to scare the evil spirits away while not shaving or bathing and wearing shoes held together with duck tape while carrying an old pair of heavy leather boots and the ashes of your dear departed relative, munching on dry ramen noodles and drinking water from a mud puddle that a moose pissed in. As long as you make a good story, Im in.

Don't smoke dope. Don't have DREADLOCKS. Don't have/need sobriety medals. Am a Church of the Flying SPAGHETTI Monster Minister. Wear boots, don't carry boots. Do shave. Do bathe. Don't wear shoes held together with DUCT tape. Dear departed's all interred or scattered, Don't eat Ramen on trail, Do drink from moose-piss mud puddles after purifying. Don't make a good story.

[egilbe]

Spaghetti was a typo. Duck tape is how it can be spelled, or duct tape. Either or works. You may think you make a poor story, but others may think differently. You may be the scary guy that sits in corner of the shelter and mumbles to himself, afraid to make eye contact.

See...a story!

[Feral Bill]

...and the spouse of a Unitarian Universalist Minister...

Perhaps said spouse would be right for the job. Who's more HYOH than the UUs?

[Slo-go'en]

I still don't get the point of this. If the goal is to minister [by being supportive?] to thru hikers, it seems to me starting in June when 99.9% of thru hikers are long gone doesn't make much sense. He would meet other hikers, but they will all be weekenders or section hikers. But even starting at a busier time, your more or less with the same group all the time.

[nsherry61]

I still don't get the point of this. If the goal is to minister [by being supportive?] to thru hikers, it seems to me starting in June when 99.9% of thru hikers are long gone doesn't make much sense. . .

He's heading SOBO. That way he'll be passing almost everyone. I hate backpacking against the flow on heavily used trails because you pass everyone instead of hiking along and only seeing the few people that are in your immediate vicinity.

[Busky2]

He's heading SOBO. That way he'll be passing almost everyone. I hate backpacking against the flow on heavily used trails because you pass everyone instead of hiking along and only seeing the few people that are in your immediate vicinity.

I hike against the flow till I hit a bubble and then hop north a few hundred and sobo again. It is funny sometimes when I meet the same folks on the trail and I know them and don't have a clue who I am. It's fun to screw with them a bit.

[Slo-go'en]

I've done a few SOBO LASHer hikes. In one way it's fun to meet everyone heading north, but you only get to interact with them for a few minutes, maybe a hour or two at a shelter. So, it's much more of a solo hike, since your less likely to hook up with another hiker or group which you get to know for awhile and form a shared experience bond with.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Yeah. How long do you interact with hikers going the opposite direction? Maybe an evening at a shelter with a small number. But most you just meet for a minute and often even less, just a quick hello and maybe trade trail condition/water info when passing the other way.