The vision of the West Virginia Council of Churches is to renew, to strengthen and to expand our covenant together.

The West Virginia Council of Churches makes more visible the unity of Christ's church, provides a Christian witness on public issues, and engages in cooperative mission and service for all West Virginians.

Preparing for its 130 Anniversary Celebration in 2010, the West Virginia Council of Churches is one of the oldest institutions in the state of West Virginia. We can trace our origins to 1880 and our roots to the 1820s.

In 1880, the West Virginia Sunday School Association was legally organized. This offshoot of the International Sunday School Association marks our historic beginning.

In the time between 1880 and the present, the work of a few volunteers has blossomed into a common Christian mission. The West Virginia Council of Churches currently includes 14 denominations in the state, whose membership rolls approach 600,000. Church Women United has long been a participating partner. Respecting the traditions of each denomination - while uniting to speak with one voice and to act with united hands - we carry the message of Christ's church into the public arena.

Over the years, the West Virginia Council of Churches has been active in areas of social justice, health and economic issues, legislative issues and disaster response.

For many years, our offices were located in the headquarters of the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia, but in 2001 we moved into our own quarters, a lovely red brick house on Charleston's East End, a gift of a generous donor. You can find us today at 2207 Washington Street, East, two and one half blocks east of West Virginia's magnificent gold domed Capitol.

With six Council of Churches Annual Assemblies and West Virginia Legislative Sessions behind him, in 2008 Dennis was recognized by the National Association of Social Workers, West Virginia Chapter as the 2008 Public Citizen of the year and by the Citizens Action Group (CAG) of Charleston with the Thomas A. Knight Excalibur Award and West Virginia Lawyers for Justice with its President's Award.

 

Dennis moved to West Virginia from Columbus, Ohio, where he served as director of ecumenical issues for the Ohio Council of Churches and as interim pastor of the Karl Road Christian Church. In addition to serving nine permanent or interim pastorates in Ohio and Illinois, he has worked as regional community relations manager, North Central Region, Hallmark Television Network (Odyssey); executive director, Akron Association of Churches; interim campus minister, Ohio University, Athens; and as a community organizer executive director of Human Action Community Organization, in the Chicago area.

 

Dennis graduated from Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia, and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Texas Christian University (BriteDivinity School). He is an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ. He also has served as interim pastor for congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is currently serving as interim pastor with the First Christian Church in Ravenswood, West Virginia.

 

Dennis and Rebecca (Griffith) Sparks, married for 37 years, have two grown sons. Rebecca, who comes from "a strong Methodist family", has served in her career as a geriatric social worker. The couple has a farm in Monroe County, Ohio.

Committed to reconciliation and transformation ministry, Dennis says, "I am a creative strategist on deciphering the best vehicle for meeting a need. Relationship building is primary for me."