Wied

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Trinity Episcopal Church installed its new rector, Rev. Gethin Wied, into the pulpit with a ceremony on Saturday evening.

Officiated by the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia’s bishop, Mathhew Cowden, the ceremony drew attendees from both within the church and the community, who have come to view Trinity Episcopal Church’s leadership as important members of the community, thanks to the legacy of the church’s previous rector, Rev. G.T. Schramm. Schramm retired from the position on Jan. 15, after leading one final service at the church.

“Trinity, Shepherdstown, marked the retirement of their longtime rector, G.T. Schramm, who served them faithfully for more than 40 years. We give thanks for G.T.’s dedicated service to Trinity and to the broader Shepherdstown community and wish him well in his retirement,” announced the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia on Facebook, on Jan. 16.

Responses to the news of his retirement were bittersweet.

“Blessings for your next chapter! Your ministry touched so many lives and hearts,” said Diane Burns Cormack, of Fairmont.

Cowden

The Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia Deacon Marti Steiner Unger wholeheartedly agreed with her.

“G.T. is a blessing to all who know him,” Unger, who lives in Martinsburg, said. “Thank you for helping form me as clergy and enjoy your retirement!”

During the installation service, Cowden said he was appointed to his current position in 2022, immediately after which he began working with Schramm, the church’s search committee, assistant clergy members and others to find the right rector to fill Schramm’s shoes.

“It is a joy to have been walking with you in this process,” Cowden said. “Congratulations on being called into this new relationship together, which we celebrate tonight in what we call an ‘installation’ or an ‘institution’ of a new rector.

“‘Rector’ in the Episcopal language is a little like tenure in the college community. It is an ongoing relationship, one that is not broken up — very much like a marriage, in some ways. There are all kinds of things that you are going to learn about one another over the next two years, four years, 10 years,” Cowden said. “It’s like a wedding, and then there’s a honeymoon period. And then about year three or four, you look around and go, ‘Wait a minute, he called you?’ and then he looks at the congregation and goes, ‘I came to serve you?’ After the honeymoon, there’s a dissolution period and I hope by year five or six, as in any longterm, committed relationship, you’re like, ‘Okay, we’ve gotten through our troubles — now the real work begins.’ About year six or seven, and we are [doing just that]. And that’s normal!”

According to Cowden, Wied and his wife, Meredith, were serving in California, prior to Wied’s appointment to this position.

“This is a very special and wonderful occasion, for Meredith and myself and for all of us,” Wied said. “Everyone has worked so hard to make this a wonderful, celebratory night!”

A potluck dinner in the church’s fellowship hall followed the service.