After 19 years of ministry, the pastor of the St. Thomas Reformed Church says he’s ready to say goodbye. Pastor Jeff Neevel spent nearly two decades leading the congregation through the traditional transitions of life and also guiding them into the ties that bind island dwellers together as a community.
Those who have lived and worked alongside him are holding a benefit concert on June 1. The concert will serve as a musical send-off for a man who once performed in the play Jesus Christ Superstar at the old Pistarckle Theater.
Pastor Jeff took a moment to share some memories with the Source, along with some of the things he’s looking forward to as he makes his way back home to Michigan. “There’s so many things we love about living here, but the hardest thing is being far away from family,” he said. “I have a granddaughter now who’s nine months old and kind of missing her growing up and would like to spend more time with her; both our parents are aging, so we’d like to be closer to them.”
St. Thomas Reformed Church began its life in the Danish West Indies as the Dutch Reformed Church in 1660. It became part of the Reformed Church in America in 1827 and has performed continuous worship services for the community for 365 years.
As he arrived on St. Thomas, the original plan was to cover the ministry for three months, then work with videographer Todd Hecht. But when the Reformed church pastor returned from sabbatical, he decided to take a new direction, and Neevel decided to continue his duties.
The ministry itself provided an opportunity to know his congregation through weddings, funerals, baptisms and other rites of passage. While serving as a pastor, he said he found himself invited into some of the most intimate moments of people and families seeking guidance, consolation and sometimes inspiration.
The church has also hosted graduation ceremonies for My Brother’s Workshop, a program created to help young people turn their lives around. “I love covering that graduation. I get a lot of hope from seeing those folks stepping up. Yeah, it’s a great program, and they’re expanding and expanding,” he said.
Collaborations with the workshop also provided one of Neevel’s most memorable moments. In the days after 2017 hurricanes Irma and Maria, students, instructors, church members and supporters set up feeding stations for thousands of displaced residents and for those living without water and electricity.
Neevel said he’s also looking forward to his final church service, where he expects to share the duty with an old friend. “I ended up staying here after I came to fill in for Jeff Gargano, who was the pastor before me. And he’s coming down to preach my last service, which I think is very special because we’ve kind of remained good friends over the years,” he said.
Now, with a major transition approaching and a new pastor ready to step in, Pastor Jeff says a planned departure in summer will help ease the shift back to cold Michigan winters. But warm memories of all the friends made in the Virgin Islands will help, too.
“I’ve grown to love this congregation … and I was told early on by a seminary professor that being a pastor of a church is pretty simple. You just love the people and they love you back. That’s what I’ve been told,” he said.
Pastor Nate Deeward was identified through a pastoral search that began in November; he is expected to serve as the new head of one of St. Thomas’ oldest houses of worship in the heart of Charlotte Amalie.
St. Croix Source
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