Welcome to Beattyville

St Thomas Welcomes a New Priest In Charge

St. Thomas Episcopal Church of Beattyville sits ever mindful on the hill that overlooks a city twice burned.

She is resilient as are the people of Beattyville to never succumb to the challenges of this small mining and lumber town. She and her people have a story; a story of past, of hope, and of the love that has brought them into yet another century.

Built in 1896, St Thomas Beattyville is steeped in history that dates back to the beginning of the community when the valley was flooded with coal and lumber companies tapping into the natural resources of the region.

According to St Thomas historian and church member, Helen McGuire,” this was the first church under roof in Beattyville”.

In the years that have followed both Episcopal tradition and a sense of community have continued to inspire the legacy of St. Thomas, which is now an historical landmark.

St. Thomas is a small church but has the support of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington. In 2007, The Right Rev. Stacy Sauls, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington, saw a need to create an outreach to the small Episcopal churches in Eastern Kentucky.

He developed and implemented a plan, now termed the Small Church Ministry Consortium, to place priests in small Eastern Kentucky churches that normally could not afford the expense of a full time priest.

For Beattyville that means Father  Duane Smith a bi-vocational priest and Religion professor. Smith lives in Berea and travels to Beattyville twice a week to commune with members and give the Sunday service.

Smith was reared in Iowa as the son of a Quaker minister and professor at William Penn College. He received his BA (summa cum laude) from William Penn College and his Ph.D.I n 1994 from Harvard University, in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations.

As a professor of religion, his journey of falling in love with the land and the people of
Eastern Kentucky began in 1995 when he joined the staff at Berea College.

His job entailed teaching Introductions to the Old and New Testament, Cultural Anthropology and the Old Testament, Introduction to Hebrew, Readings in Biblia Hebraica, The prophets, Contemporary Christian Thought, Islam, and Western Traditions.

But, Smith’s approach to modern education on ancient biblical texts goes beyond the transference of information.

Often students expecting rhetorical lecturing are pleasantly surprised by the freedom of cognitive development Dr. Smith employs and encourages.

Using anything from modern cinema to post impressionist art Dr. Smith challenges his students to discover truth for themselves as it relates to their education and own spirituality.

This forward thinking no doubt lead to his appointment as the Acting Associate Dean for General Studies, Berea College from 1999 to 2000.

“Dig deeper”, is his motto, and with no pun intended that is what he does both in and outside of the classroom.

As a lover of archeology  Smith has traveled to work on digs with the Ashkelon Archaeological Excavations to Israel numerous times.

Considering that Dr. Smith was reared as a Quaker and served as a United Church of Christ pastor from 1984 until 1994. one might wonder what transpired for him to became an Episcopal priest involved with the Small Church Consortium.

He explains. “Given that the number of UCC churches in Central Kentucky were few I branched out to find a new church home”.

Smith reminisces that he had attended a Shrove Tuesday service at an Episcopal Church in Massachusetts in 1991.

“That is where I fell in love with the Episcopal Church, both its liturgy and the Book of Common Prayer. Then when I moved to Kentucky, I began attending St. Hubert’s Episcopal Church in nearby Clark County”, he concludes.

Considering the hurdles and time involved in becoming an Episcopal priest why would Smith entertain the idea?

When asked how he knew he was being called to the priesthood, Smith simply smiles and divulges, “I knew I could do no other”.

With that said, and knowing his journey would be as long and tiresome as the historic crossing of the Cumberland Gap, the journey to his priesthood began.

Retrospectively,  Smith never fails to give thanks and praise to God and to his friend and mentor Bishop Stacy Sauls.

“He provided such support and encouragement through the long process“, he remembers.

“Everyone needs that key person who has traveled the same road to make you aware of the trials and pitfalls, while reminding you of the joy and fulfillment of reaching the other side”, Smith concedes.

Through Hospice of the Bluegrass he received his Clinical Pastoral Education.

Challenges and growth further took him to St Gregory’s Abbey, an Episcopal Benedictine monastery in Three Rivers, Michigan. His weeks there were spent absorbing the core ideas of Anglican spirituality.

In January of 09, nearly five years into the process, he was ordained as an Episcopal deacon by Bishop Sauls, at Christ Church Cathedral in Lexington.

In August of 09, his dream, his journey and calling to became a priest was seen to fulfillment.

Father Dr. Duane Smith was ordained at St. Thomas Beattyville among family, friends, and colleagues in a candle light service.

“Given it was such a length yet worthy process it was especially sweet to have the people who had supported me most at my ordination.  I had no way of knowing Bishop Sauls would choose St.Thomas as the church where I would be ordained.  But, considering that I fell in love with St.Thomas and it’s people at first sight it seemed a perfect choice for me”.

St. Thomas became elemental to Smith who was greatly pleased to be named the priest-in-charge at the church where he was ordained.

Father Duane Smith has not let the moss grow under his feet since his ordination. He continues to challenge himself and his church with the same vitality that brought him through his journey.

Recently, at the 114th Annual Convention of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington, both Father Smith and life long St. Thomas member, David Jennings, were elected to the Executive Council of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington.

Given the voice of the Small Church Consortium within the Lexington Diocese, Smith is exuberant of the impact the Episcopal Church can have within the Eastern Kentucky area, both communally and spiritually.

” Every pastor desires to increase his churches membership ,but, we at St. Thomas desire for the church to create an outreach to the community, we want to find ways to continue to share the love of Christ with the people of Beattyville through the St Thomas, its members and the Diocese of Lexington”.

Judy Jennings, head teacher for the Lee County Alternative School and St. Thomas member, believes that Smith’s bi-vocational experience and education are an invaluable asset to both St. Thomas and Beattyville.

” With a background in education Father Smith can help nurture the self-esteem and curiosity of the students  I teach, and likewise help in spiritual healing in areas they need growth, such as life skill challenges”.

Recently, Father Smith made his weekly trip to Beattville to visit St.Thomas members and former members.  The roads winding one long ribbon among the mountains, feathered in lost autumn leaves and fragranced with sweet wood from chimneys build a century ago.

Keeping his hands firmly on the wheel, Father Smith concluedes,  “Why am I so enamoured of this area?  Possibly because the commonality of God and community has sustained Beattyville for over a hundred and fifty years, and that is a testament of the enduring courage and heart of this mountain community“.

Katherine Van Hook