Jim Earley was appointed to become the pastor of Walker Chapel on October 1, 2006. He has been the pastor of several United Methodist congregations since being sent to Good Hope UMC in Chesapeake, Virginia, in June 1974. Since that time, he has served pastorates in Tidewater, Southside Virginia, and northern Virginia in a wide array of settings, including rural, suburban, inner city, and small towns.
Pastor Earley is a native of Norfolk, Virginia, , and attended high school in Chesapeake. He attended Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk before moving to Atlanta, Georgia, in 1977 to attend Emory University. He was awarded a Doctor of Ministry in Evangelism by Wesley Theological Seminary in 1996. He and his “high school sweetheart,” Phyllis, were married in 1975. They have a daughter, Alacia, and a son, Nathan, both of whom were born in Portsmouth in the early 1980s. They also have a Golden Retriever, Goldie.
Jim's wife, the Rev. Phyllis R. Earley, recently was appointed Program Coordinator for the Alexandria District. She also has a baccalaureate degree from Virginia Wesleyan and a Master’s degree in Divinity from Wesley Theological Seminary. Phyllis has served as the pastor of several United Methodist congregations, including Plantersville in rural Fort Mitchell, Bruen Chapel in suburban Merrifield, nearby St. Mark’s, as well asTrinity in McLean, and Epworth in downtown Norfolk. In her new position, Phyllis works toward developing and strengthening ministries among the churches of the Alexandria District. She is available for preaching, leading retreats, counseling, weddings, and funerals. She and Jim are finding great pleasure being in northern Virginia again.
Jim's parents continue to live in Chesapeake, Virginia, and Phyllis' are in Hertford, North Carolina. Their daughter, Alacia, is the Program Director for the Arlington/Alexandria Districts' outdoor Christian formation center at Camp Highroad, and has recently begun to work on her Master's degree in Health and Human Services through Capella University. She is fluent in American Sign Language, and would like to work eventually among persons who are hearing impaired or deaf. Nathan recently completed his Bachelor's degree in Music at Christopher Newport University, in Newport News, Virginia, and has begun to work on a Master's degree in secondary education. He would like to become a high school band director, and loves “all things musical.”
Pastor Earley enjoys a wide variety of interests, including small woodworking projects, home repair, music and travel…both as a missionary and for personal enjoyment. He and Phyllis have been most often to southern Mexico, as well as to points in England and France, but their favorite places include the Outer Banks and mountain towns of western North Carolina. He also likes “CSI” on TV (trying to spot the bad guy in the first few minutes of the episode), Tom Clancy / Dan Brown novels, and live music concerts. Jim has played the autoharp since the early 1990s and likes to sing “for his own amazement.”
Jim Earley grew up in a small Presbyterian Church in Chesapeake, Virginia, and carries from those years a love of mission, strong faith in the life of the Body of Christ in the Church, and a great love for service of all God's people. He has served on UM Volunteer in Mission teams to central Mexico, eastern North Carolina, and Ghana (West Africa). He has also been a part of the diverse work of the Church in District and Conference ministries, though the local congregation is still his preference.
Should you need pastoral care, want to plan a wedding, or need to discuss a personal issue with him, please contact Rev. Earley at Walker Chapel UMC, and he will be glad to work out an appropriate time for meeting.