Rev. Jack D. Richardson completes thirteen years of ministry at West Barre UMC on July 1, 2009. He served previously at the Countyline, Quaker Road and North Ridge United Methodist Churches of the Western New York Conference. A native of Buffalo and graduate of Roberts Wesleyan College in North Chili, he is an ordained elder (retired) in the Free Methodist Church and a graduate of Colgate Rochester Divinity School. He pursued further studies at New York Theological Seminary in Manhattan, NY; Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC; Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, Pittsburgh,PA; and Asbury Theological Seminary, Wilmore, KY.

During four years as a Journalist in the United States Coast Guard, Pastor Richardson served voluntarily as a Chaplain’s Assistant and as Director of a 40-voice male choir. The Richardsons lived for 5 years in Harrisburg, PA, during which time Jack was Associate General Secretary of the Pennsylvania State Sunday School Association. He served Free Methodist Churches in Charleroi and Williamsport, PA, and in Omaha, NE. In earlier years, he served United Methodist Churches in the Western PA and New York East Conferences.

His wife Wilma, from Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, has been a public school teacher. She taught elementary school for 36 years, before retiring in June, 2005 from Chestnut Ridge Elementary School (Churchville-Chili Central Schools), where she taught First Grade. Since that time she has been reemployed by the Churchville-Chili Central School district (half time) as a Volunteer Coordinator, training parents and community members to help students in elementary classrooms with Literacy activities.

During the winter of 2007-08, Wilma celebrated her 70th birthday, Jack his 75th, as well as their 50th wedding anniversary. Joining them for these occasions were their four daughters, with their husbands, and 17 grandchildren.