The West Virginia Council of Churches will host our 143rd Annual Assembly on October 28 at the St. John XXIII Pastoral Center in Charleston, West Virginia. This year’s theme is “Christ or Caesar: An Exploration of Church and State.” We will spend the day reflecting on this relationship and hearing from several thought-provoking speakers. We’ll also honor our 2024 Mary Virginia De Roo Award Recipient: Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball. This award honors folks with a deep commitment to ecumenism.
Registration for in-person attendance is now closed, but you can virtually attend any of the day’s sessions by heading to this Zoom link or watching a livestream via our Facebook page. A detailed schedule for the day–including session start times—is available on our website. For now, we hope you’ll enjoy this interview with Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball. We discussed her path to the clergy, the value of ecumenism, and the even power of music!
“I equate ecumenism and ecumenical work to the harmonies of an orchestra or choir. There’s not just one line of music that makes that up. There’s a variety of lines that develop beautiful harmonies. Sometimes they’re major. Sometimes they’re minor. Sometimes they’re discordant. Sometimes they move fast, and other times they move slow. They bring comfort, and they bring excitement.”
— Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball
West Virginia Council of Churches (WVCC): So, what led you to become an ordained clergy member?
Bishop Steiner Ball: It was a call on my life that I received in high school. In Sunday school, we were talking about what God might be calling you to do with the rest of your life. And the word “pastor” appeared in my heart and mind. I’d never been exposed to a female pastor before, but it was a moment of clarity for me. And I knew that was going to be the direction I’d take in life.
WVCC: You were recently assigned to the Western Pennsylvania Conference. When you lived in the Mountain State, you were the President of the West Virginia Council of Churches and Co-Chair of our Substance Use Disorder Task Force. While in these roles, what are some things you accomplished that you’re proud of?
Bishop Steiner Ball: Many things come to mind. We did a lot of work around anti-racism after the George Floyd protests. Last year, we held our first Juneteenth service, which recognized West Virginia’s lynching victims, and we held another Service of Remembrance and Lament for lynching victims this year. We’ve also done a good deal of interfaith work, trying to help people develop intercultural competency, breaking down antisemitic and Islamophobic sentiment.
As Co-Chair of the Substance Use Disorder Task Force, I helped build a theological foundation for why the church needs to be involved in ministry with people who have substance use disorders. We knew we needed to help provide hope, and we knew we needed to collaborate with other organizations working in this space. Once we started this work, we did a lot of listening sessions across West Virginia. We partnered with healthcare institutions and hospitals to help break down stigma and explain that addiction is not a moral failure. It’s a disease, and we worked to teach people about its physiology. We also worked with congregations to get them involved in ministry that supported drug courts, needle exchange programs, and resources that help children whose family members have substance use disorders.
During the 2016 floods, we worked to place effectively-trained emotional care chaplains in the right places to help people experiencing disaster-related trauma. We also worked to provide hope for every family that was impacted by those floods. It was a wonderful experience to do that work with our ecumenical partners, including Mennonite groups, Lutherans, Catholic Charities USA, and the United Methodist Committee on Relief. All of that came about because of the West Virginia Council of Churches, and it really shows the impact that can be made for the good of the whole community when our ecumenical partners are intentional about developing relationships, listening, and working together.
WVCC: So, you’ll actually be receiving an award recognizing your commitment to ecumenism during this year’s Annual Assembly: the Mary Virginia De Roo Award. The award’s late namesake is a Roman Catholic laywoman who believed the work between different Christian denominations was so important that she devoted more than 25 years to serving the West Virginia Council of Churches through various leadership roles.
How would you explain ecumenism to folks who may not be familiar with this term?
Bishop Steiner Ball: Ecumenism is a movement that promotes cooperation, conversation, and unity worldwide. When we truly recognize the people we’re talking to as people, then we can have conversations that get beyond polarizing differences. We discover what it is we have in common that we can work on together. And that’s exactly what the West Virginia Council of Churches has done when we’ve collaborated to address issues like poverty, violence, substance use disorders, racism, and natural disasters.
We do have different polities. We have different ways that we “do church.” We have different belief systems. But when we develop human relationships, we discover that we have a lot in common. And when we can recognize that we have those commonalities, then we can begin to hook elbows and make a larger impact for the good of society. The development of relationships with our ecumenical and interfaith partners has been the highlight of my 12 years in West Virginia. We have a stronger impact when we work together than when we do not. We’re able to move things, make policy changes, and actually give people the help and the hope that they need.
It’s just such a wonderful witness in this polarized world to say, “Folks. We do not need to demonize each other. Our work as Christians is to share the love of God with all people.” And what better way to do that than to intentionally develop relationships across differences and show that difference is really beautiful? We can work together in unity to paint a beautiful picture or create a wonderful musical masterpiece. I equate ecumenism and ecumenical work to the harmonies of an orchestra or choir. There’s not just one line of music that makes that up. There’s a variety of lines that develop beautiful harmonies. Sometimes they’re major. Sometimes they’re minor. Sometimes they’re discordant. Sometimes they move fast, and other times they move slow. They bring comfort, and they bring excitement.
WVCC: You’ve mentioned before that music is very important to you, particularly as an expression of faith. Before we wrap up, why don’t you tell us a bit more about that?
Bishop Steiner Ball: Growing up, I had a great deal of trouble expressing myself and putting ideas together. My home church really supported me in many of my struggles and introduced me to music. And music began to help me make sense of the world. It gave me a pattern in my mind where I could help order the ideas in my head. It would help me order the words and get them out so people could understand what I was trying to express.
It gave me a place to land where I felt valued and felt that I could contribute positively to a larger work and a larger community. It helped me understand my own value and the value of others. A choir is not made of one person. An orchestra is not made of one person. Music taught me that, when I’m absent, or when others are absent, it makes a difference.
During college, I was part of a chancel choir that sang at different locations, including faith venues. I had the opportunity to be a cantor for Jewish services on campus, which was a phenomenal experience. As a Christian, this helped me understand the Judeo part of the Christian faith and helped me develop a richer, deeper understanding of what it means to be a follower of Christ. It also helped me better interpret both Old Testament and New Testament scriptures for the congregations I served. So music can open doors. Music allows you to be a part of something larger than yourself and take people to a deeper level of communication and understanding.
**This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
About Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball
Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball has served as an associate pastor, lead pastor, District Superintendent, and Director of Connectional Ministries (DCM) with the United Methodist Church. During her last year as a DCM, she also served as interim pastor of Bayside Chapel, a new church start. Bishop Steiner Ball was in this position when elected to the episcopacy by the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference in 2012 and assigned to the West Virginia Area, where she served for 12 years. Today, she serves as the resident Bishop for the Western Pennsylvania Area.
Bishop Steiner Ball is a graduate of Dickinson College (B.A. in Religion, 1984), Duke Divinity School (M.Div., 1987), and Wesley Theological Seminary (D.Min., 2003) She and her husband, The Rev. Dr. Barry D. Steiner Ball, have two daughters: Sarah Elizabeth McCammon and Sandra Rebekah Ball.