Our Staff
Rev. Dr. Peter Vial (Pastor/Head of Staff) has served DMPC since September 2009. Peter was raised a Presbyterian by parents who were very active elders at Covenant Presbyterian in Huntsville, Alabama.
Peter’s undergraduate training was at Maryville College, a Presbyterian school in Maryville, Tennessee. He majored in psychology and minored in theater. He felt the call to the ordained ministry during his college years. He received his Masters in Divinity at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Later, he recieved his Doctorate of Ministry in Family and Marriage Counseling from Eastern Theological Seminary. He has served as an associate pastor, a college chaplain, a solo pastor and as church head of staff. Before coming to Davis Memorial Presbyterian on September 1, 2009, Peter served as Associate for Congregational Development for the Presbytery of WV while serving as pastor to a small congregation half-time.
Along the way, Peter has served churches and one college in the states of Tennessee, Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, and West Virginia. He has two grown daughters and four grandchildren.
Marsha Gardner(Church Secretary) began her professional career in 1978 with Tygarts Valley National Bank (now Huntington National Bank) where she was a bookkeeper, teller, receptionist, Personal Banker, Loan Officer, and Investment Representative. She was with the bank 34 years. Marsha then went to Davis Memorial Hospital where she worked for a short time as Cashier. She joined our staff in February 2014.
Marsha is a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts of the USA. She began as a Junior Scout at the Baptist Church with Eunice Teter as her leader. She became a leader herself in 1986 and has been with them ever since. She has been a leader at all age levels, a Day Camp Director, a Trainer, a Cookie Chair, a member of various committees at the Council level, and a Board Member. She has traveled with her girls to such places as Savannah, GA (the Girl Scout Birthplace) and London, England where they toured the headquarters for WAGGS(World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts).
Over the years, she has also been involved with the Mountain State Forrest Festival, Relay for Life, United Way, and Tygart Valley Muzzle Loaders Club.
Marsha is married to Barry Gardner who is retired from the Department of Highways. They have one daughter, Adrienne, who is married to Spanky Bell. They have three grandchildren, Lindsey, Emma, and Owen.
Dr. Melody Meadows (Music Director) has served for many years as Director of Music for Davis Memorial Presbyterian. She is Professor of Organ and Music Theory at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Melody has performed throughout the U.S., England, Scotland, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Seoul, Korea. In addition, she has appeared with Today’s Brass, the Toledo Symphony, The American Boychoir, Larry Groce of Mountain Stage, the West Virginia Symphony and the Larry Parsons Chorale. Her recording with Dr. Timothy DeWitt of Baroque trumpet and organ repertoire is often heard on West Virginia Public Radio. Dr. Meadows holds a DMA in Organ Performance from the University of Michigan.
Thanks to her association with West Virginia Wesleyan, those attending Sunday morning church services often are blessed by vocal and instrumental solos from student music interns as well as visiting professional musicians.
Dr. Larry Wing (Financial Secretary) is a native of Circleville, Ohio. He received BChE and a PhD in chemical engineering from The Ohio State University. He spent his entire career with DuPont in numerous locations, including three years in Germany. He is married to Keitha who is a native of Tucker County, WV. While her Dad was attending D&E, she lived in Elkins until she was ten years old. Larry & Keitha have two sons. One of Larry’s hobbies is genealogy, and he is a Board member and Treasurer of the national Wing Family of America genealogical organization. Larry is an elder, has served two terms on Session and has served as Treasurer of DMPC since 2006. Larry also serves on the Elkins Randolph County Regional Airport Authority.
