PLATTSBURGH — After 31 years of ministry, the Rev. Norman Mesel embarks on a new chapter of his pastoral life as the new minister at Turnpike Wesleyan Church in Plattsburgh.

A native of Jamestown, Mesel was familiar with the area through his attendance at Wesleyan camps held here and his long friendship with his predecessor, the Rev. Ralph Chapman.

"Ralph and I served on a lot of district boards and committees together," said Mesel, 53. "Every year, I was in the West Chazy area because that's where we held our district camp. The winters are going to be different. I'm going to have to brace for the winters. After two years of being in Arkansas, my blood got very thin."

He and his wife, Penny, and their four children — Clairees, Jedediah, Jennette and Caroline — relocated from Rogers, Ark. Turnpike Wesleyan contacted him there.

"Their pastor, Ralph Chapman, had retired. He had been 35 years here at the church."

Mesel was selected as a pastoral candidate.

"If they are not overly excited, they can move on to another candidate," he said. "The process is unique. You come and candidate. If they feel it's a good fit between pastor and congregation, they go forward."

CHRISTIAN CAMP
Mesel began his ministry right after graduating from Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville, Okla. Through a series of events, he attended college there.

"A very close friend of mine had gone to Denver, Colo., and started to attend a Wesleyan church out there. He came home on a quick break, and I got connected with the church. They encouraged me to go to their Wesleyan university in Oklahoma."

He was called to the ministry when he was 17 because of ...

"The way the Lord was working in my life. The way he was beginning to set things in place for me. I had a chance to attend a Christian camp at the age of 10 in Bemus Point, N.Y. At that camp, they started to teach leadership skills, sermonizing, teaching us how to prepare to serve God. It was in and through that connection with the camp that the Lord was pulling on my heart and preparing me for ministry."

He and Turnpike Wesleyan Church leadership have crafted a direct mission statement: Love Jesus deeply and express him vividly.

"We want our congregation to grow in Christ so that their life reflects him in every part of their daily life."

To accomplish its mission, the church's vision statement is: WWW (Worship, Word, Work).

"Through our worship, that which expresses Christ. Through being students of God's word, we want our congregation to get into the word, to read the word and to live by the word. To be involved in God's work, and that is touching community. Not just coming together and worshipping on Sunday. What are we doing to help community and what part can we play in reaching community?"

MISSION OUTREACH
The church's congregation numbers 150.

"We're doing a lot of things right now we hope will bring people in and lock them in the life of the church and start the process of growing."

Local and global missions include supporting missionaries in Australia, the Czech Republic and Vietnam.

"We also support mission outreach in the state of Georgia. We're sending a group of our teens this April to Washington, D.C., to work in a soup kitchen."

Two months in, the church atmosphere has been great for Mesel.

"They're eager to get onboard. We're doing a challenge, 'Each One Reach One.' We're encouraging our people to get out in the community and invite family, friends and neighbors to come to the church and to have the experience of what church is like and come with a personal invitation."

The challenge concludes with a special 10 a.m. service Nov. 22.

"We're going to have puppets, drama, special music and object lessons," Mesel said. "Following the special service, there will be a complete Thanksgiving dinner for those that attend."

E-mail Robin Caudell at: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com