David Benjamin, Aberdeen United Methodist Church pastor and Aberdeen’s chief of police, gives his sermon on the morning of Sunday, March 27.
Aberdeen United Methodist Church has grown from eight members to around 80 since David Benjamin (also the Aberdeen Police Chief) became the church’s pastor nearly two years ago. Photo provided
ABERDEEN, Ohio — Less than two years ago, the Aberdeen United Methodist Church hardly had enough members to fill a single pew.
The church was struggling, to put it lightly, and was on the verge of closing. Only those who were the most dedicated to the church remained, and they needed a quick solution to a problem that many churches also face, lack of regular attendance.
In need of a pastor that the remaining members of the congregation felt could get more people into the church on Sunday mornings, they turned to the Aberdeen police chief.
David Benjamin has served in law enforcement for 29 years, starting his career fresh out of high school and working his way up to the ranks of a department chief, currently serving as the police chief for the Village of Aberdeen in Brown County, after serving as police chief in Winchester, Ohio.
In recent years, he has also performed minister duties, officiating weddings and giving sermons at local churches.
Benjamin said he started preaching in a little place called Jacktown.
“It was at a small church with about eight or 10 people there every Sunday,” Benjamin told of when he started preaching. “One of the women (church members) was my court clerk over in Winchester, so I reached out to her, and she said they always have guest speakers, because they didn’t have enough people to have a regular pastor. So, she asked me if I wanted to come over as a guest speaker.”
“I don’t have any formal training, I didn’t go to college or anything, I just love God, and that’s kind of where it led,” he said.
It was later that he was asked to speak at the Aberdeen United Methodist Church.
After giving a sermon at the Aberdeen United Methodist Church, he was asked by then church members if he would be the full-time pastor.
At first, Benjamin declined the offer, as he did not feel he would have the time to be a full-time pastor while also serving as the full-time police chief for the village.
“I have a full-time job, and I was thinking that I just don’t have the time to be a full-time pastor,” said Benjamin. “We talked about it a little bit more and we prayed about it a little bit more, and it felt right. It just felt like this is where I needed to be.”
Benjamin spoke it over with his wife, Michele, and decided to take on the duties as the church’s full-time pastor. That was just under two years ago, and at the time the church had only eight members.
Benjamin — along with help from his family, friends, and then members of the Aberdeen United Methodist Church — started spreading the word around Aberdeen and nearby villages, “Come to our church and pray with us.” And people listened.
It didn’t take long for the attendance at the church to double, then triple, then quadruple.
On Sunday, March 27, 2022, there were approximately 80 in attendance for the morning church service. Attendance was even higher the week prior at around 84, a service that included Benjamin baptizing a dozen people.
“We started off with (growing) the Sunday services, and then we started the youth group and growing the food pantry,” said Benjamin. “The church has been continuing to grow.”
The continued growth has let Benjamin know that he made the right decision in his choice to spread the faith as a full-time pastor.
“It makes me feel like I’m doing what God called me to do,” he said.
The doors at Aberdeen United Methodist Church are open to anyone who wants to come in and pray, and new attendees are made to feel welcome by the friendly members of the congregation.
Benjamin said it can sometimes be difficult balancing his duties as a police chief and a pastor in the same village.
“My work here at the church really helps me out there (as a police chief), but it’s so difficult to balance them because of some of the choices you have to make,” he explained.
Benjamin used the church’s food pantry as an example of how being a pastor and a police chief can sometimes be a challenge.
“Our food pantry has been phenomenal, but (sometimes) we have people pull up and I know they have a warrant. So, how do you deal with that as a pastor?” he said.
The Aberdeen United Methodist Church live streams its Sunday morning services on its Facebook page, so you don’t have to attend the Sunday service to hear Benjamin’s sermons.
As for long-time members of the church who kept their faith when it had only eight members, words can hardly describe how pleased they are to see such rapid growth in less than two years with Benjamin as pastor.
“It is so wonderful,” said Aberdeen United Methodist Church member Kay Marshall during the March 27 service. “When we were at the point of about closing, we prayed and prayed, (and now) to look out and see this place filled. It warms my heart to see everybody here this morning.”