By Peter Vankevich

First impressions mean a lot.

With the arrival of the new pastor in July of the United Methodist Church, School, Road, Richard Bryant, that impression can be quite varied. It would depend on whether one attended his first service at the Ocracoke United Methodist Church, looked at his blog, “Richard’s Food for Thought,” (http://richardsfoodforthought.com), saw him recite his poetry at an August poetry reading decked out in a newsboy cap and madras pants, or had a chance to listen to him recently on Ocracoke’s community radio station WOVV.

Intertwined in the radio interview was a play list he brought  along that included spiritual  songs Grandma’s Hand by Bill Withers and  Softly and Tenderly by Garrison Keillor and the Hopeful Gospel Quartet. But wait, in the mix was Just a Friend, a rap piece by Biz Markie, Waiting for the Great Leap Forward by the Phil Ochs of the U.K., protest singer Billy Bragg, a French song by Joe Dassin and even Kalinka by the Red Army Chorus.

Bryant, ordained in 2007 and recently turned 40, grew up in North Carolina. He arrived this summer with his wife Mary and his three daughters Mackenzie, Caroline and Jordan, who all are enrolled in the Ocracoke School to replace Pastor Laura Stern, who relocated to Raleigh to become the Associate Pastor at Millbrook United Methodist Church in Raleigh.

He and his family spent the last two years in Northern Ireland in a village outside of the city of Londonderry and along the border of the Republic of Ireland where he ministered to two United Methodist churches in a predominantly Catholic enclave. Although life in Ireland is much better today than 20 years ago, there are still signs of the conflict that have not entirely gone away. “There are lots of things that are just below the surface that could erupt again,” he said. “Pipe bombs and armed caches are still being found there that don’t make the press.” In Northern Ireland, the police, unlike the Bobbies in England, are heavily armed, he said.

“When your children get used to seeing men with machine guns walking down the street we thought maybe it was time to come home,” he said.Part of his ministry there focused on reconciliation, including inviting Protestants and Catholics to share meals together.

“We had a wonderful time in Ireland and made many friends there, but it was a different environment as you can imagine with different challenges placed upon us in ministry,” he continued. “It is nice to come here where it is so peaceful and tranquil.” He writes on his blog about doing church activities in a smarter, simpler way that goes beyond the clichés of contemporary, emergent, evangelical, high-church, low-church, progressive, conservative and other labels.

“I am about Methodist practice, Quaker ethics, and Mennonite living,” he says about his methods.  “I am about making church as easy to use and as important to people as an iPhone 5.”

Bryant is a prolific poet, much of which can be seen on his blog. His themes are as eclectic as the musical play list he brought into the radio station, covering spirituality, reflectiveness, daily life and humor as evident in The Wal-Mart Blues poem he read at the poetry night.

Well-rounded in education, he holds degrees in history, Russian studies and theology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Duke University. He also undertook additional post-graduate work in post-Soviet Studies at the University of Leeds.Over his career, he spent two years in Russia, worked for a summer on an archaeological dig in Israel and a shortened Peace Corps stint in French-speaking Africa (Togo).

A person attending his weekly 6:30 a.m. Bible study group at the church rec hall will observe that in addition to providing detailed observations on the New Testament, Bryant can expound on the Koran and the history of Islam sharing insights on the current state of radical Islam that is gripping much of the world these days.

Bryant says he is looking forward to meeting all of his Ocracoke neighbors.So, the next time you see a guy wearing long madras pants on the island, feel free to introduce yourself.The odds are high that it will the new UMC pastor.

Sunday services are at 11 a.m. and rebroadcast at 5 p.m. Sundays on WOVV (90.1 FM on the island and online at wovv.org).

By Megan M. Spencer

It’s commonly said that it takes a village to raise a child; certainly twins. Two of Ocracoke’s newest residents will attest to that. Cora Ann and Samuel David Walters were born 12 weeks premature on September 11, 2013, to parents Jeffrey Walters and Jessica Caldwell, who live along Back Road.  Cora came first, weighing two pounds, five ounces, and Sam followed a minute later at a weight of one pound, nine ounces.

The new family spent the remainder of the fall, the winter and much of the early spring at the Children’s Hospital of the Kings Daughters (CHKD) in Norfolk, Va., as doctors helped the twins develop and grow.  Cora “graduated” in late November and was able to leave the hospital. Due to care needs and the strains of the long trip home, she was unable to come to the island right away. She stayed with both of her parents in an apartment near the hospital to be close to her little brother, as well as her doctors. She did make the trip to meet her new friend Victor McNally, son of Ocracoke residents Sarah Batchelor and Scott McNally. Victor was born shortly after Cora was released from the hospital.
“She came to the island for New Year’s,” said Jessica.

By January, the family had lived in their temporary Norfolk home for three months. Jessica and Jeffrey were hopeful that Sam would be able to come home in a few weeks. So, they began preparations to come back to Ocracoke, but Sam still needed medical care. Little did the family know, it would be another three months before he would be able to leave the hospital.  Jessica stayed mostly in Norfolk and Jeffrey returned home to go back to work with the National Park Service.
“It was tough to keep Cora in Ocracoke and travel to be with Sam,” said Jessica. Meanwhile, back on the island, the community poured out support as soon as the twins were born.

“You wouldn’t believe it,” said Jessica about the goodwill.  From community fish fries, to household help and loads of food, blankets, clothes and even sunglasses, the list of good deeds done for the family’s sake is endless. “We definitely couldn’t have gotten through that time without community support,” she continued.

Along with the small favors and monetary assistance, the island people wove a fabric of prayer for the babies. Jessica kept everyone informed on the website caringbridge.org (and with printouts of the progress posted in the post office), updating with medical explanations for the surgeries and procedures the twins had to undergo. On April 4, Sam “graduated” from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the CHKD.  After a total of 204 days in the hospital, he was able to come home and not only join his sister, parents and canine siblings Bella and Dixie, but to meet the islanders that had been pulling for him so long. Needless to say, he received a very warm welcome.

Nearly one year later, the duo is healthy and happy. Sam still has a feeding tube and it’s undetermined how long he’ll need it. But Jessica said it doesn’t hinder him much.  He does have a little difficulty crawling, but mom said Cora is picking up the slack.  She crawls and pulls up and Jessica said it won’t be long before she’s walking. They both say “Mama,” and “Hi,” which they practice from their front porch along Back Road. Truly little islanders, Jessica said they enjoy the beach, daily strolls and even getting their feet wet in the ocean. They’re quite the socialites, too. Not only do they say “Hi” to countless friends and cousins, they make sure to check out the scene at Ocracoke Coffee Company almost daily.

Sam and Cora’s first birthday party will from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at “Aunt Leslie” Lanier’s place—Books to be Red along School Road. All are invited to celebrate the twins’ journey as they experience the strength found in islanders and the community.