New Methodist minister is young and has a huge sense of community

Rev. Jarrett Wells, wife Andrea and their three children Evan, age 9, Anna, age 6, and Nicholas, age 2 bring to the First United Methodist Church of Du Quoin their youth and a deep sense of community.

Rev. Wells was recently appointed by the Methodist Bishop to fill the vacancy created by the transfer of Rev. Scott Baird to the Methodist Church in Flora, Ill.

Wells is 33 and attended Marshall, Ill. High School, home of the Lions. His father passed away four years ago and his mother continues to live in Marshall. He has two younger sisters, Sarah of Columbus, Ohio ad Mary of Charleston, Ill.

Rev. Wells attended Eastern Illinois University, majoring in sociology and was graduated from EIU in 2002. He and wife Andrea were married in 2003, then moved to Wilmore, Ky. where he attended Asbury Seminary for a year.

The couple later moved to the Georgetown, Illinois area and Rev. Wells later enrolled in the Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, Ind. in 2008. He would serve five churches in the Georgetown area and later the Farmington Methodist Church near Peoria and Athens and Cantrall churches near Springfield.

He was ordained by the Methodist bishop of the Springfield conference in 2010 and was recently assigned to the First United Methodist Church of Du Quoin. In the Methodist Church, the bishop makes the assignments rather than a pastor being placed on a call list.

"The church exists for the community," says Rev. Wells and it is the same for the churches in Du Quoin. "We're excited about this and we hope to become an active part of the community," he said.

Rev. Wells began his work here last week and the couple resides in the Methodist Church parsonage at the corner of East Main & South Line streets.