By Maggie Beamguard
Insider Editor
When it comes to stories about “call,” one might first think of burning bushes, mountain peaks and neon signs. But they rarely manifest just so.
More often, these stories about spiritual calling emerge over lifetimes, through unexpected turns, in dark nights of the soul, after periods of waiting and in perfectly timed questions.
For Melissa Frey, the road to her calling as the new pastoral leader at Jackson Springs Presbyterian Church stretched from the mountains of western Maryland, through hospitals, seminary classrooms, family joys, heartbreaking loss and, in her own words — a “stubborn faith.”
“I’ve had quite the path to bring me to Jackson Springs,” she said.
Frey grew up attending her grandfather’s Southern Baptist church in Maryland. He baptized her when she was eight years old and offered words to her that day she has long remembered. “This is serious, Melissa,” he told her. “God has a plan for your life.”
She understood those words as a charge that she has sought to fulfill ever since she received it.
As her family explored their faith in different denominations including the Lutheran and United Methodist churches, Frey’s sense of calling deepened.
At 15, she confided to her pastor that she believed God was inviting her to a larger vocation. At the time, she wondered about becoming a nun. The pastor took her seriously and gave her a book about Christian ministry that introduced her to ordained pastoral service.
While her call remained persistent, life repeatedly redirected her path. Marriage, motherhood and years of infertility delayed seminary plans. Then came the birth of two daughters, including Abi, whose complex medical needs would shape much of Frey’s life.
She eventually did find her way into a seminary classroom, became a licensed local pastor in the United Methodist Church and accepted her first appointment. But in the midst of that work, her mother died and Abi became critically ill. Frey stepped away from ministry to care for her daughter.
She calls those years her “waiting period.” Rather than seeing them as detours, Frey understands that all the hills and valleys have contributed to God’s formation.
“I knew that God ordained my steps,” she said. “Having just enough light for the step that I’m on became ingrained in me.”
During those years she completed some clinical pastoral education (CPE), served briefly as a hospital chaplain, later as an assistant pastor while caring for her daughter during many surgeries and hospital stays. Following divorce, Frey left pastoral ministry to work various jobs.
Given Abi’s fragile medical health the pair isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frey persisted in her education and completed a degree in pastoral counseling.
After Abi’s 14th surgery and lifetime of perseverance, Abi entered hospice care and died peacefully at home.
“I know nothing is wasted,” Frey said. “I know Abi is healed and whole.”
Frey found herself asking what came next following decades as a primary care giver. She stayed with a friend for a time in the Outer Banks where she was surrounded with care and supported during what she describes as a “wilderness season.”
“I knew I was nearing the end of it when I started to see the benefits of being there,” she said. “The desert blooms when it’s been well-watered, and I knew that’s what God had done for me.”
As she prayed about the future, two desires kept bubbling forth: serving as a hospital chaplain and leading a small congregation where she could form deep relationships.
Both of her prayers were answered last year.
Frey came to Moore County to complete additional professional education through FirstHeath of the Carolinas. While there, she was introduced to Jackson Springs Presbyterian Church, which had been faithfully carrying on its ministry while searching for a pastor.
Driving into the community for the first time, Frey immediately felt at home. Turning onto N.C. 73, she even pulled over to take a photograph of the winding road because it reminded her so much of western Maryland.
“I’m a mountain girl through and through,” she said. “The scenery, the little creeks, it’s just a very beautiful place.”
The church itself reinforced her feelings. The carefully maintained grounds, historic sanctuary, stained-glass windows and the warm welcome from members convinced her she found where she belonged.
“They made it very clear that they wanted me to be their pastor,” she said. “That is a gift.”
Frey officially became Jackson Springs Presbyterian Church’s pastor on June 15 and preached her first Sunday in that role on June 21. She also serves as assistant director of Guest Services for FirstHealth.
The plan for Frey’s life may not have taken her down an easy path, but she believes her grandfather was right all those years ago when he told her God had a plan for her.
Her experiences of both sorrow and joy have shaped her identity as a pastor. “I have walked through the valley,” she said. “I have been held and comforted and carried out.”
Through it all, her “stubborn faith,” rooted in the conviction that God continues working even through life’s darkest moments, has enabled her to persist.
“I know that light grows when it is shared,” she said. “Even if you’re reduced to just a little ember, let me help fan the flames of your faith.”
She is guided by the prophet Habakkuk who declares that even though the fig tree does not blossom, and there are no grapes on the vines, through the crops fail and the sheep pens and cattle stalls are empty, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”
“It all works out in the end,” Frey said. “If it is not good, it’s not the end.”
She sees the same stubborn — and resilient — faith in the congregation she now serves.
“They are deeply rooted,” she said. “They truly are a family.”
Jackson Springs Presbyterian Church, 6244 NC Hwy 73, meets for worship Sundays at 11 a.m., with Sunday school for adults at 10 a.m. and children’s church during worship. Frey hopes the wider community will stop by and experience the congregation’s hospitality.”
“I would love for people to come visit Jackson Springs,” she said. “The congregation is warm and welcoming, and I would love for more people to experience the love of Christ there. All are welcome.”
Contact Maggie Beamguard at maggie@thepilot.com.
