“If there is a story with which this organization can identify, it’s definitely Jesus’ miracle of feeding the 5,000.”
That’s how the Rev. Cliff Schell, West Virginia Conference mission liaison, described the Tyrand Cooperative Ministries’ 60 years in service to their neighbors.
From the beginning, just when it didn’t look like they would be able to survive or find money or goods to help somebody, he said, the funds, the clothes, the toys or the food miraculously came through the door, and still does.
As he addressed the more than 50 individuals in attendance at the 60th Anniversary Celebration, on the Tyrand campus in Mill Creek on September 10, 2022, he talked about the development of the organization and shared how, throughout the years, this mission project with “the smallest of budgets” has been able to help countless individuals in the Tygart Valley region of Randolph County.
“God certainly provides, and we always have ended up with something from nothing, from our first project to even today,” echoes Belinda Toms, current executive director of the organization, who in 1998 became the ninth director — and first layperson and woman — to hold the position.
A Celebration of Tradition
Toms led the celebration event, introducing special music by Linda Wagner and Gary Coffman, recognizing volunteers and supporters, and introducing a variety of speakers, including Rick Swearengin, the W.Va. Conference superintendent serving the Greenbrier Wesleyan District; Rev. Thomas Malcolm, the only other living director of Tyrand, who served from 1981-1988; Gayle Lesure, Global Ministries mission coordinator; and, of course, Rev. Schell.
She also read a letter from our resident bishop Sandra Steiner Ball, and introduced Lynn Phillips, regional representative for the West Virginia Governor’s office, who read a letter from Gov. Jim Justice. Both thanked and commended the ministry for their years of service to the community.
Grounded in a primary mission to provide essential services to meet the emergency needs of the less fortunate, Tyrand also provides advocacy for social changes to better address their community’s needs and to provide opportunities in ecumenical nurture, growth and worship for its member churches.
Its history defines and tells the story of that mission.
A History of Service
During the gathering, Toms, Schell, Malcolm and Lesure all outlined specific milestones in the history of the organization, and a written chronology was provided with the celebration’s welcoming package.
Started in 1962, operating out of the current Mill Creek United Methodist Church, the Upper Tygart Valley Parish, as it was originally known, began serving the community as a clothing store. In 1965, the people of the area coined the name “Tyrand Parish,” as an acronym of the first syllables of “Tygart” and “Randolph.”
Also in 1965, according to the organization’s fact sheet, the West Virginia Annual Conference finalized the purchase of approximately 300 acres of land near Mill Creek, which was designed to “offer self-assistance to the less fortunate in the area.” Management and labor was provided by Tyrand staff and volunteers, but the main benefit of the program was to provide opportunities for local families to actively participate in their own livelihood.
The fruits and vegetables which were cultivated on the land directly benefited the families who worked the land by giving them fresh produce. Some of the crops were sold to local markets, and the profits were split between the families who participated. A herd of dairy cows was also added to the land at one point.
Outreach comes and goes in response to the needs of the area, and in 1973, the difficult decision was made to sell the farm and land. Five acres of land was retained, which is where the present mission site was relocated in 1977, but the rest was sold.
A Future of Collaboration
Tyrand continued to move forward in the 1970s and 80s. In 1975, its ecumenical growth began when St. John’s Catholic Church began supporting Tyrand through its Rural Life & Retreat Center near Huttonsville. They provided support for Tyrand’s yearly volunteer appreciation dinner and participated in joint Thanksgiving and Passover services. The Center also offered lodging, dining and meeting space to summer workers and other Tyrand activities. Over the years, the Nazarene, Presbyterian, and Baptist churches have joined the outreach of Tyrand.
In February and August of 1984, respectively, another two milestones were reached with their incorporation as a non-profit — Tyrand Cooperative Ministries, Inc. — and the dedication of their new Service Center, a culmination of more than 23 years of hard work by a variety of individuals and organizations.
A Ministry Moving Forward
Since then, the ministry has continued changing with the times and expanding its reach and its scope to better serve the needs of the region.
With current projects such as a back-to-school store, Christmas food basket distribution, day camps for children, ecumenical worship services, a clothing store, a work camp/home repair program, emergency services and sheltering during natural disasters, and emergency assistance for medications, rent, food, utilities, and goods, the ministry survives and continues today due to a rich history and the dedication of those who trusted in God and were faithful in their call to, and support for, those around them who were in need.
As the brochure of the mission project states, “It is only through our faith that we can attempt to make a difference. Tyrand is indebted to many for their unselfish work, and we will always give God the glory and honor…for allowing us to do His work.”
If you would like to learn how you can support this much needed mission project of the W.Va. Conference, please visit their website at www.tyrandcoop.org or email them at tcm@frontiernet.net.