Pastor's faith has deep roots: ; Dunbar minister represents fifth generation of clergy

DAILY MAIL STAFF

Helping others is a gift you give yourself.

"Allow faith to give you that passion to help," said the Rev. E.Alphonso Heyliger, pastor of Ferguson Memorial Baptist Church inDunbar. "What we find in helping others is ultimately we are helpingourselves. We are toning the soul so to speak." Heyliger, 50, chosereaching out to others as a lifetime career. For the last 20 years,he has served as pastor of Ferguson Memorial but his call to theministry began long before that.

He was one of nine children born in British Guiana (now Guyana)to Carlton and Elaine Heyliger. His earliest memories include apassion for serving God.

"Mom gave me my spiritual roots," he said. "Dad provided mytheological consciousness. My father was a Nazarene missionary tothe United States and had an assignment in Rand. He immigrated tothe United States in 1960 and took the assignment in West Virginiain 1972. My father says from the time I was an infant he dedicatedme. It was his desire for me to be a minister."

Heyliger earned a degree in industrial relations and economicsfrom West Virginia Institute of Technology. He attended seminary atGuyana Theological Seminary in South America.

He has worked as an NAACP jobs program developer and has beendirector of Charleston Men's Emergency Shelter before coming to hiscurrent position.

"It was daunting and challenging," he said. "Most of the peoplewere much older."

However, he was accepted with open arms and the congregation grewtogether.

"We bring what I call a holistic gospel," Heyliger said. "I'mconcerned not only about the condition of the soul but theenvironment where a person lives."

The church reaches out to the community with everything fromtutoring to housing assistance.

The church's Harambee center serves children from schoolsthroughout the area with mentoring, tutoring and exposure tocomputers.

In 1993, the church co-founded Kanawha Institute for SocialResearch and Action with One Valley Bank. This umbrella organizationincludes Harambee as well as a home ownership program helping peoplework through formidable red tape. The Covenant, an agreement betweenCharleston Black Ministerial Alliance and One Valley Bank, assistsminorities with all facets of banking.

Heyliger, co-founder of The Covenant in 1995, was presented aMinority Small Business Advocate Award by the U.S. Small BusinessAdministration.

As an international speaker, Heyliger has taken his holisticgospel message to conferences in Canada, South America, Nigeria andGhana. After the Burundi Civil War, Heyliger was invited to Tanzaniawhere he ordained 20 ministers from both the Hutu and Tutsi tribes.

He has served on numerous local organizations in his quests forunity and empowering others.

Heyliger's current endeavor is the transformation of a former barinto an empowerment center that would offer assistance for peopleseeking help with everything from credit counseling and housing tosmall business loans and computer training. A couple years ago, thechurch bought the old Chew-Chat Inn.

"We think we will be able to do it," Heyliger said. "It will be aplace where lives can be changed. It's the holistic approach."

Heyliger sees helping others as a privilege.

"There is a guiding spirit that directs us and there is arestlessness in our failure to discover our purpose and mission inlife," he said. "So, when we help people we really are not doingthem any favor. They do us a service by permitting us to enter intothe sacred spaces of their lives."

Heyliger and his wife, Cicely, have three children and twograndchildren.

The next worship service at Ferguson Memorial Baptist Church, 124Marshall Ave. in Dunbar, is 10:40 a.m. Sunday. Heyliger's sermonbegins at noon.

Writer Charlotte Ferrell Smith can be reached at 348-1246 or by e-mail at charlotte@dailymail.com.