Hailing from the mountains of Southwestern Virginia, the Rev. Rebecca Rumburg comes to Central United Methodist Church, Mathews, to begin her 21st year of ministry in the United Methodist Church.

As a cradle United Methodist, she became a preacher’s child at the age of three. Raised in the United Methodist Church, she never anticipated that she would be called by God to serve as a pastor, a release stated.

Before arriving in Mathews in late June, she served as pastor of The Prospect Charge, in the then Farmville District. She began ministry among the three churches of the Charge—Prospect, Smyrna and Olive Branch United Methodist churches—while she concluded seminary studies at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

She then served at Annandale United Methodist Church, in the then Alexandria District, as the associate pastor for two years following her ordination as an elder in the summer of 2008. After leaving that appointment, for the next three years she was the pa...