Church Lady: Storyteller and Assistant Pastor

Name: Virginia Wesley
Job Title: Storyteller/Assistant Pastor
Where: Indianapolis, IN
Years of Experience: A lifetime
Salary: My average wage ranges from volunteer to $300+ per 45 minutes
Employer: Self

Church Lady: Storyteller and Assistant Pastor

Virginia Wesley, a refined and passionate church lady with storytelling power to boot, is unique. From working as an assistant pastor to telling stories to kids and performing short true stories on discrimination for adults, Virginia is always coming up with solo performance ideas. Her favorite is becoming a living Harriet Tubman biography for kids. Her wage can range from working as a volunteer to an average wage of a few hundred dollars for less than an hour.

In addition to storytelling, she performs assistant pastor duties at her church. This is a volunteer position - which, as we all know, has no average wage. In fact, there is no wage at all. But, her assistant pastor job duties are truly a labor of love; wages are the last thought on her mind. Whether preaching or performing her version of a Harriet Tubman biography, her performance ideas are creative and inspiring. So toss away your preconceptions about storytelling or pastors - Virginia broke the mold.

Assistant Pastor Duties:

Preaching, teaching the bible, visiting adults and kids who are sick; I also marry and bury people at church.

What is your work background?

I quit high school in the 11th grade because my mother was ill and needed help. The Vice Principal encouraged me to stay in school, but my mind was made up; I was going to work. The Assistant Principal told me about a job opening in the library at the high school; my wage rate was $16 dollars a month. At the end of the day, I would help my mother out with work at home.

At age 19, I worked at the Indiana State House as a clerk and keypunch operator. I owe the beginning of my professional career to my mother for allowing me to leave high school when she heard about the job opening. My mother had only gone as far the 7th grade in school; she did cleaning and day work.

Her employer wanted her to apply for that job opening, but my mother said to give the job to her daughter, me. A big part of the job was using a Remington Rand key punch. I never had seen one in my life, but I got the job. Afterwards I asked the interviewer to show me what a keypunch was and how to work it! That job paid me a better wage rate than the high school library position.

For 35 years I worked at Ft. Benjamin Harrison Finance Center as a keypunch operator, an accounting clerk, peripheral operator... whenever they had a job opening, I was interested. I finally retired as a computer operator. When I retired, I thought I would just work at home, but the Lord had other ideas!

How did you become an Assistant Pastor?

The Bishop of a local church encouraged me to get a degree and took me to see Central Baptist Theological Seminary in 1971. I said I didn’t have the money to go and the Lord had not told me to go to school, but my church ended up paying for half of the tuition. It took me 10 years to graduate because I was also working and had to take off a year to recuperate from surgery. I got my Bachelors Degree in Religious Education in 1981; I learned a lot about the bible in those ten years.

Of all your Pastor job duties in the church, which ones do you love?

Ever since I was a child I loved reading the bible and church. I just love people in general. If someone is down I try to encourage him or her. I love being able to assist in whatever area is needed. I love to help. I like to help others understand the bible.

As a storyteller, how do you come up with solo performance ideas?

First, I work at home, I learn the part and come up with original ideas to portray the period of history. That's how I get my solo performance ideas. Then for the peformance, I dress the part and use music. I love sharing with people of all ages; from kids to 100-year-olds. Tales give people an opportunity to escape from the drudgery of life. Some people have some repressed emotions and storytelling helps them.

How did you get into storytelling?

The first time I told a story was at church for my niece Connie. Khabir, a storyteller, became my mentor. As a volunteer, I created the characters of Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth for Ft. Harrison in 1995 and for Ameritech too.

While I was a volunteer at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, I met Jill Meisenheimer. She convinced me to share a story or two with the kids in the Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Center. My daughter Annamaria sang spirituals as I told story after story. I was nervous about telling stories to strangers, but the kids said that I made history come alive. The kids learn from short true stories on discrimination and overcoming it.

What do you love about telling a story?

I love telling stories to kids and watching them be attentive. It’s exciting to make Harriet Tubman come alive for kids. I create a Harriet Tubman biography for kids. I take on her character and I am no longer Virginia. I dress like her.  I rehearse and try and copy her mannerisms and speech. I do the rehearsal work at home and then go and perform. I give the kids important information about Harriet Tubman, so that if their teacher asks them, "What states did Harriet Tubman travel through?" They will know!

What is your wage rate for storytelling, when you're not a volunteer?

When our show is not volunteer, our wage rate is more than $300 for 45 minutes of performances. It’s awesome working with my daughter Annamaria. She is such a dynamic singer and puts so much feeling into what she does.

Virginia's salary increased greatly when she found her calling, what would your dream job pay? Find out with our free salary survey.

• Assistant Pastor Job Description
• Harriet Tubman Biography - PBS.org
• Solo Performance Ideas - Elements of Good Storytelling

Comments

[rosemary massey]

i am 44 years old the lord save age 21 and i been loveing the every since not saying i have fell since i been save then i would be lier i am asst to the pastor and i just needsome do's and don't comeing from a season person that has been there and tell me how get there and what to do when i get there your's in chirst rosemary

[Charles]

Creating a Harriet Tubman biography for kids is a great idea. It's much easier for children to learn history when it is presented in an engaging way.

[pastor mike aregbe]

i want a volunteer job in ireland as a preacher and teacher of the word i have post graduate diploma in theology with 10 years experience and so many other leadership certificate.

[a 65yrs old lady. I am a]

My name is Mrs.Rose Kamadi a 65yrs old lady. I am a
cancer
patient and a nationality of Kuwait. I am married to
Mr.
John kamadi who worked with Kuwait embassy in
SWITZERLAND
for nine years before he died in an automobile crash
in
December 1999. We were married for eleven years
without a
child.Before his death we were devoted Christians.
When my late husband was alive we protected our assets
of
$USD2 Million through the purchase of a life insurance

policy (Swiss variable
annuities) from a Swiss life insurance company. I was
irrevocably designates as beneficiaries of the policy.

The purpose of this investment was to safe our
principal
capital and make use of accrues income from the
annuities
for our upkeep since the principal fund and the
accrued
interest are exempt from Swiss taxes under Swiss
law.But
unfortunately he dies.Recently, my Doctor told me that
I
would not last long due to my cancer problem. Though
what
disturbs me most is my stroke.

I developed this sickness as a result of the sudden
shock
and hearth attack I had when the breaking news came to
me
on that faithful day that my husband was involved in
an auto
crash and died at the spot in the city of Zurich in
December
1999.

Having known my condition I decided to liquidate these

assets and donate this fund with all the accrued
interests
to church or better still a Christian individual that
will
utilize this money the way I am going to instruct here
in.
I want an individual that will use this fund to
churches,
Orphanages,Research centers and widows, propagating
the word
of God and to ensure that the house of God is
maintained.

I took this bold decision because I don't have any
child
that will inherit this money and my husband's
relatives are
of questionable characters and are not Christians.
They have
been persuasive and inquisitive to know where we have
invested our funds but I cannot reveal this to them.
And I
don't want my hard earned money to be misused by
unbelievers
and I would dislike a situation where this money will
be
used in an ungodly manner.

Hence the reasons for taking this bold decision.
Because of
their selfish threat I have ordered the Swiss
insurance
company to transfer my fund to the security vault of
its
subsidiary company in Netherland pending when I will
find a
good Christian believer whom I shall entrust the fund
unto
to help me carried out my wishes.

I am not afraid of death hence I know where I am going
and
everyone is entitling to death. I know that I am going
to be
in the bosom of the Lord. Exodus. I need to make
heaven, I
don’t want to perish in hell fire.
As my level of Christianity was increasing, I
understood
that the wealth of sinners are acquired for the just.
God
opened my eyes to the book of Ecclesiastes 6,verses 1
& 2.
Read this scripture and you will understand that there
are
people in this world that God gave the grace to
acquire
wealth yet God did not give them the grace to enjoy
the
wealth. I happened to fall into the same category now
it is
the wish of God. When God revealed to me to use my
wealth to
do His work, I understood that God was testing me like
He
tested Abraham and other men of God. Abraham needed
children and God asked him to use his only son for
sacrifice, Abraham was faithful. He obeyed and God
made him
father of many nations.
I have decided to sow this total sum into your
ministry/organisation.

14 VS 14 says that the lord will fight my case and I
shall
hold my peace.I don't need any telephone communication
in
this regard because of my health and for the presence
of my
late Husband relatives around me always. I don't want
them
to know about this development.
With God all things are possible.
I have briefed my attorney about this development. As
soon
as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact
of my
attorney in HARROW, UK to issue you my power of
authority
and other documents that would enable you to lay claim
of
the fund from the security company in Netherland.I
want you
and the church to always pray for me. My happiness is
that I
lived a life of a worthy Christian. Whoever that wants
to
serve the Lord must serve him in spirit and truth.
Please
always be prayerful all through your life. Any delay
in your
reply will give me room in sourcing for other people
for
this same purpose.

Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I
stated
here.

Expecting to hearing from you.

Remain blessed in the name of the Lord.

Yours in Christ,

Mrs.Rose Kamadi
Email rosek44@canada.com