By: Michelle Jones, Follow South Jersey Salem Correspondent
SALEM, N.J. – Anyone who has spent any time at all in Salem City, they will very likely have run into Emerson Woodward and his wife Margot.
Together they make a dynamic ministry team dedicated to spreading the word of God, loving the community and Christian collaboration. One thing is for sure, this couple has made a huge difference in this city and that difference will be felt for years to come.
Pastor Woody, as he is affectionately known in Salem, and his wife Margot have been married for 16 years and have spent all of that time serving the Kingdom of God through pastoring, leading community prayer, taking part in the Salem Area Ministerium, and striving to build a more collaborative church that as one body in Christ would literally help in rebuilding city venues.
Many would be very surprised to know that Pastor Woody did not begin his work in ministry until he was in his early 50s. Prior to his calling by the Lord to ministry, Woodward worked as a maintenance supervisor in nuclear power plants. It was when he was sent to a plant in Tennessee that he heard the voice of God tell him to go to a specific church the following Sunday morning at 9 a.m.
It was there at Fenders United Methodist Church that he met his friend and mentor in ministry, evangelist Ric Wright. From his friend’s encouragement Pastor Woody found the determination to go to school for ministry. But he will be the first one to tell you that the Lord had a hand in that decision. By some fluke, the company he worked for offered him a severance package several times more than normal. This gift from God enabled him to pursue ministry full time, and that was exactly what he did.
After he finished his licensing degree at Drew University, Pastor Woody began pastoring at First Methodist Church and served there for fourteen years until he retired at 72. He spent another five years or so pastoring in Ewan with the Methodist church until once again God had other plans for his life.
Currently Woody serves at Community Collaborative for Christ Ministries, under Serving the Light Ministries, in the old Memorial Baptist Church building in downtown Salem. After separating from the United Methodist Church, Pastor Woody was offered the church building for $1.00. The only stipulation was that it would be used for ministry purposes. Woody said around that time he had a vision that a beacon of light was coming out from the top of that very building. And what a beacon of light it has become.
As many will recall, most churches were closed due to the Covid 19 pandemic. That did not only pose a problem for worshipers, but it posed a problem for families who had to bury loved ones with no church or funeral home to host their loved ones’ funeral service. Due to the size of the old Memorial Baptist Church, Pastor Woody and his congregation were able to welcome and socially distance a large funeral gathering. The church was able to host approximately 100 funerals and repass during the time of covid. At a time when people were unable to visit loved ones in the hospital or to say goodbye and mourn together as a family, that church building served as an oasis of sorts for families dealing with such tragedy.
This church continues to be a beacon to this day as it now collaborates with three different churches that use the facility as a shared collective ministry space. Pastor Woody’s desire has always been for churches to collaborate, share space, and go out into the community as one body. That desire continues to this day.
When asked what his favorite part of Salem is, he said it’s the people.
“Salem has the greatest people I have ever met,” he said.
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