Reverend William “Todd” Gess grew up in Gerrardstown, West Virginia. He graduated from Musselman High School in 1990. Rev. Gess was a member of the Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church (UMC) before entering ministry in the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. He became involved in ministry in 1998 as the first male teacher at Pine Grove UMC’s Vacation Bible School (VBS). Pine Grove UMC was part of a two-point charge with Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, the Wesley-Pine Grove Charge. From this example many other fathers and male members of the congregation were inspired to be more involved in the annual VBS program. In a span of three years there was as many male teachers and assistants at the VBS as women. Male participation made an everlasting impact on the lives of the children attending the classes and activities of the VBS and the spiritual development of the youth.

In 1999 he began serving as Lay Leader and Sunday School Superintendent at Wesley Chapel UMC located in northern Frederick County near Reynold’s Store, Virginia. He served in these positions until the end of 2006. In addition, he became a Licensed Lay Speaker in the Winchester District and traveled throughout the northern Shenandoah Valley speaking at various churches. As time passed, a call to become a pastor grew deeper and stronger. The Holy Spirit would not let go. Ultimately, it led him to decide entering the Candidacy for Ministry process in the United Methodist Church in the Spring of 2006.

In December of 2006, Todd was called to be a Lay Supply Pastor of the Francis Asbury Charge; a three-point charge in Frederick County, Virginia by the Winchester District Superintendent Rev. David Forrest. One of these three churches had resolved to leave the United Methodist Church, a decision made prior to his assignment as Lay Supply Pastor. He served this church as well as the other two churches faithfully. As he continued to serve at Chestnut Grove UMC and Howard’s Chapel UMC, the churches experienced spiritual renewal and growth which led to them doubling attendance and membership over his five years as their pastor.

During the first year of serving on the Francis Asbury Charge on the Winchester District, Todd obtained a license as a Local Pastor in The Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church in June of 2007 upon completion of The United Methodist Church licensing school in May at Virginia Wesleyan University. Upon completing licensing school, he attended Course of Studies for Pastoral Leadership program at Duke Divinity School from the Fall of 2008 to Spring of 2012. He would go on to complete his studies in the Summer of 2013; receiving a Certificate of Course of Studies of The United Methodist Church from Duke Divinity School.

In 2012, he was appointed to a full-time position serving a four-point charge in Cumberland, VA on the Farmville District of the Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church. Serving Antioch UMC, Centenary UMC, Hobson Chapel UMC, and Payne Memorial UMC the congregation grew spiritually, and new members joined the churches. Church attendance doubled at three of the four churches. Rev. Todd Gess served on the charge until January 2015.

Rev. Gess would take some time away from pastoring churches during 2015. He reentered the construction field which he had twenty-two years’ experience as a Drafter, Coordinator, and Project Manager, and Estimator, and would later be a Pre-Construction Manager. However, he would continue to speak as a Lay Speaker several times throughout 2015 at various denominations and independent churches in the local area where he resided. In 2016, he was invited to St. Paul’s Reformed Church in Clear Springs, Maryland to deliver the message at their Morning Worship Service. Upon delivering the message he was invited to continue as their Interim Pastor until the church was able to search and acquire the service of a full-time pastor.

During this time, Rev, Gess decided to pursue a Master of Divinity Degree whereby he obtained admission to the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in the fall of 2016. As Rev. Gess attended class, he would balance school, pastoring, and working as estimator until taking his current appoint at Woodstock UMC.

After 2017 once the position at St. Paul’s was filled, he gained further opportunities to speak at several churches throughout the Winchester, Virginia and Martinsburg, West Virginia areas. In addition, he volunteered at the Hope Center, a rescue mission located in Hagerstown, Maryland and delivered devotional messages at Martinsburg Rescue Mission in West Virginia.

In October 2018, Rev. Gess was called again to serve as pastor at Mt. Zion UMC in Strasburg, Virginia. And then call again in February of 2019 to pastor at Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Woodstock, Virginia, reforming the Shenandoah Valley Charge on the Harrisonburg District of the Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church. He continued to serve as their pastor until being appointed to Woodstock UMC.

He graduated from Samuel Dewitt Proctor School of Theology with a Master of Divinity Degree on May 11, 2019. He is honored and blessed to serve at Woodstock UMC. Hel looks forward pastoring a renewed and strengthened spiritual identity to grow our discipleship in the Woodstock community.