PARKERSBURG - The Liberty Street of God will celebrate the 30th anniversary of its pastor's service in the ministry with a public reception from 1-4 p.m. Oct. 28 at the church, 13th and Liberty streets.
The Rev. Brian Harrell graduated in Bible college in 1982 and came to Parkersburg in 1988 and has remained since.
"This is a good place," Harrell said of the church and the community. "The people here have been great."
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A reception will be held from 1-4 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Liberty Street Church of God, 13th and Liberty streets, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Rev. Brian Harrell’s service in the ministry. Harrell is the pastor at the Liberty Street Church of God.
Harrell graduated from the Gulf Coast Bible College in 1982 and became a minister at the West Side First Church of God in Columbia, S.C. He was there for six years before becoming the pastor at the Liberty Street Church of God.
Among the first initiatives Harrell undertook when he came to Parkersburg was the creation of the Coalition for Decency, an anti-pornography group. Harrell is the chaplain of the police department, has coached Little League baseball and was on the board of directors of the Women's Care Center.
He is on the board of the Family Crisis Intervention Center and is an organizer of the annual Day of Prayer.
The reception is open to the public and residents are encouraged to attend, his wife, Nancy Harrell, said. Light refreshments will be served.
The reception will be held in the fellowship hall of the church and will include a DVD presentation of greetings, she said.
"We'd like the public to come and show their appreciation," she said.
A life in the ministry isn't easy, Harrell said.
Harrell said he recently learned of a statistic, that nine of 10 people who enter the ministry leave the service.
"It can be a pretty rough life at times," he said.
Harrell is proud to have been in the ministry for 30 years.
"I feel pretty good about that," he said.
The Harrells have three children: Julie Harrell, Zack Harrell and Laura Harrell. His mother, Barbara Harrell, also lives in Parkersburg and attends the church.
