During my teen years Les Schwemer was the pastor of my home church, Emmanuel Baptist in rural Amherst County. He served small rural churches in Virginia his entire ministry. He retired from Sycamore Baptist in Woolwine. It was a great honor for me to speak at his funeral.
He cared deeply for people and was ahead of his time in ministry. He was a non-directive counselor before the books were written. While I was in the Army I read the Bible through. This first reading brought a period of great questioning in my life. While on leave I went to him for guidance. He said, “I do not know the answers to your questions but if you keep reading you will find the answers.” That led to my calling into the ministry.
He baptized me in Big Piney River. He ordained me. At the service he asked Ann, my wife, to come forward and kneel with me. He said, “We are going to lay hands on both of you because we are really ordaining both of you.”
Later I studied pastoral care with Wayne Oates and did clinical pastoral care at MCV, but my role model for being a pastor to this day is Les Schwemer.
Virginia Baptists owe a great debt to those faithful rural pastors who served and continue to serve with small salaries, often with little recognition. I feel very blessed to have had Les as a friend and mentor for most of my life.
Ray Allen, Blacksburg