The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG-Reverand Stan Hughes took the pulpit at the Waitsburg Presbyterian Church this month and says he is looking forward to helping the congregation evaluate the past and plan for the future. Hughes replaces Rev. Bret Moser who retired in February after 15 years in Waitsburg, to move to Idaho where he and his wife, Bethany, serve with Standing Stone Ministry.

Hughes said the transitional role, historically known as an interim pastor, tends to be seen as someone who keeps things glued together until a congregation has the time to perform a thorough search for a long-term pastor. But that is not his plan.

"I want to help the church really take a serious look at its ministry and community and evaluate what will be an effective service to the community. We are going to take a hard look at that," Hughes said.

Hughes and his wife Deana have lived on a small piece of land just west of College Place since 2010. The couple share five children between them and have seven grandchildren, all who live in the Seattle area. Deana leads LINC (Living in New Circumstances) classes at the Walla Walla YWCA for women who have survived domestic violence.

Hughes grew up in Kennewick but lived in the greater Seattle area for more than 40 years. He said he graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor's of Arts in sociology but didn't do much until the Lord "grabbed me by the nap of my neck," at which point he earned a degree in elementary education at Seattle Pacific University.

After substituting for a couple of years, Hughes spent seven years as principal and teacher at a Christian school in Maple Valley, Wash.

He then went on a short-term mission in Arab East Jerusalem where he taught at a mission school and later worked as a representative with the U.S. Center for World Missions, where he organized events and shared the ministry's vision of caring for cultural groups that don't have organized church support.

Hughes spent 17 years teaching public school in Highline and Kent prior to moving to College Place.

"I taught elementary grades, primarily, in Title 1 schools with a lot of ethnic diversity. We operated a neat program in Highline where we operated an after-school program in a low income apartment complex. We won a Golden Apple Award for that," he said.

After making the move to the west side (to be closer to his now-wife, Deana York Hughes), Hughes taught transitional studies at Walla Walla Community College.

Hughes had previously done volunteer work with conflict resolution, in which he had been trained. He contacted the Neutral Ground Dispute Resolution Center in College Place to see about volunteering. When he learned they had not been very active he "felt a tug" to take over leadership. Hughes served as director of that program for three years, during which time he felt a renewed call to vocational ministry. He then served as pastor of Ingle Chapel for two years.

Hughes assumed his role as Waitsburg Presbyterian Church pastor in April and said he has been warmly welcomed into the Waitsburg community.

"Folks are very gracious and welcoming and generous in every way. The congregation members seem very hopeful and open to growing and changing and moving into a preferred future," Hughes said.

Hughes said he is most looking forward to playing a role in that process and he's wasting no time getting started. Leaders participated in a retreat last Saturday to begin looking to the future.

"I look forward to helping the congregation have a clear idea of steps needed to go forward. I don't really know very deeply the weaknesses and strengths yet. We'll evaluate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges to see what they want the church to look like in five to 10 years and what steps will take it in that direction," Hughes said.

"Everyone is invited to come and check us out. The Christian without a church is welcome and non-Christians that want a cultural experience different than the usual Sunday morning are welcome," he added.