CONTACT
Serving Ascension Episcopal are:
Nancy Martin
nancyofmadamscreek@gmail.comHere is my life, so far, in a nutshell! Born and grew up in small town in Michigan →Daughter of the small town doctor who made house calls in the middle of the night → Big Ten university education →worked as a printer/graphic artist →came to West Virginia as a back-to-the-land hippie →lived with husband Darrell on Freezeland Mountain, as hermits → slowly rejoined society (still working on that part!) →had kids →came back into the church →owned local print shop →became LPN →worked as RN for 20 years →served as deacon →ordained January 6, 2023 as priest, and blessed to be serving Ascension!
My favorite image from church is two-year-old Kaiser swinging from the communion rail during the sermon. And church went on!
My favorite feeling from church is that ‘peace that passes understanding’ that sometimes comes over us when the spirit is present and makes us one!
Bill Sigler
rev.bsigler@gmail.comI was born and raised in beautiful Kanawha County, WV. I'm happily married to my wonderful wife, and together we share our lives with four beloved fur babies.
My journey through life has been as exhilarating and unpredictable as white-water rafting the full 26 miles of the Gauley River each fall. After graduating from Riverside High School in 2002, I initially pursued an Education major at West Virginia State College, but soon felt a pull towards Broadcasting, ultimately earning an Associate's degree in Information Technology from West Virginia Junior College in 2014.
In 2019, I felt a profound call to the priesthood. I became a Deacon in 2023, and was ordained to the priesthood in 2024. I now serve the Church of the Good Shepherd in Hansford, WV, and minister to the New River Episcopal Ministries Cluster. My calling is to serve the smaller churches of the Diocese, though I remain open to wherever the Holy Spirit may lead me, even if that means serving a larger congregation in the future.
An important part of my ministry is to reach out to those who have felt hurt or abandoned by the church. As someone who has been one of those lost sheep, I am committed to extending compassion and understanding to those in need.
I look forward to what lies ahead and the connections we may make along the way.
Maggie Blanchard
maggieblanch@aol.comI came to the priesthood late in life after being a school teacher and then a lawyer for 34 years. I was completely burned out when I decided not to practice law anymore but I wanted to do something that I thought would help people. I went to seminary with no thought of going into ordained ministry. I thought I would go back to teaching.
That didn't quite pan out. I moved from Michigan back to West Virginia, started going to St. Andrew's and after two years in the pews decided maybe I was supposed to do something else. I met with Fathers Roy Crist and Stan Holmes, and that's when it all clicked.
Since my ordination, my most memorable church moment was when one little guy in the congregation decided to take off all his clothes before taking communion!
What inspires me changes day to day. I would say praying an Anglican rosary inspires me the most. It helps me center down and focus each morning before I pray.