Coda to host event with best-selling author

Steve Keenan, The Fayette Tribune, Oak Hill, W.Va.
·5 min read

May 10—Coda Mountain Academy has a special evening planned for southern West Virginia residents on Thursday, May 12.

The academy will host Dr. Gary Chapman, a well-known New York Times best-selling author. There will also be heavy hors d'oeuvres and string music by Coda's Perri Kiser and other Coda musicians prior to the Chapman event.

The event at Yamagata Hall at the Summit Bechtel Reserve will begin at 5:30 p.m. with hors d'oeuvres and music, and Chapman's presentation will commence at 6:30 p.m.

Coda Mountain Academy executive director Esther Morey said local residents can enjoy "an evening of revitalizing relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman" as he speaks on "The 5 Love Languages."

Tickets will be in the form of donations that can be accomplished on Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gary-chapman-comes-to-fayette-county-tickets-310760060707. Or, go to Eventbrite.com and search for Gary Chapman Comes to Fayette County. Tickets could go fast, so interested people are encouraged to sign up soon.

According to Morey, the event will not serve as a fundraiser for Coda. "However, we are hoping to help offset some of the expenses with the ticket donations," she said. "In the end, we anticipate that this event will cost us much more than we take in by ticket donations, but we feel it is important to our community and very much worth it."

Several months ago, Morey said she tasked Jessica Moneypenny, Coda program and development manager, with developing a pilot grandparent/kinship support program for people raising children that are not their own. "As you know, this is a huge reality in West Virginia," Morey said. "Many kids are being raised by neither parent. Grandparents and family members with this responsibility are overwhelmed and need resources and support."

"In February, we launched G.L.U.E. (Generational Love, Understanding and Encouragement)," Morey continued. "The six weekly sessions focused on connecting grandparents with community resources, information and support as well as a study of Dr. Chapman's book, 'The 5 Love Languages of Children.'

"Jessica Moneypenny reached out to Dr. Chapman's office with the hope that maybe we could bring him to Fayette County not only for the 'cherry on the top' for the G.L.U.E. program but for the benefit of our community," Morey explained. "Miraculously, even though he was booked almost solid way out on his calendar, he was available and willing the very day we wanted him. This produced incredible excitement and joy in our staff as you can imagine. It is such a gift to our area to get to hear Dr. Chapman speak on his book that has sold over 20 million copies, has been on the New York Times bestseller list since 2007 and, more importantly, has transformed lives, workplaces, marriages, parent-child relationships, etc."

As an author, speaker and counselor, Chapman has "a passion for people, and for helping them form lasting relationships," according to promotional material.

The premise of his The 5 Love Languages book is that different people with different personalities give and receive love in different ways.

He is an experienced and well-respected family counselor, as well as a well-known author with over 50 books to his credit. He hosts a nationally-syndicated radio program, "A Love Language Minute," and a Saturday morning program, "Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman," that air on more than 400 stations.

"The 5 Love Languages," one of Chapman's most popular titles, topped various bestseller charts for years. It has been published in more than 50 languages, sold more than 20 million copies and is currently on the New York Times best-seller list. Chapman has been directly involved in real-life family counseling for more than 40 years. He recently retired after 50 years as senior associate pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Chapman is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in anthropology from Wheaton College and Wake Forest University, respectively. He has received M.R.E. and Ph.D. degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has taken postgraduate work at the University of North Carolina and Duke University.

He and his wife, Karolyn, have been married for more than 50 years and reside in Winston-Salem. The Chapmans have two grown children, Shelley and Derek.

Those planning to attend Thursday should enter at the south gate of the Summit Bechtel Reserve. Directions to the Yamagata auditorium at the Summit are as follows:

—From the north: (Summersville/Morgantown): Take Rte. 19 south to the Hilltop/Greentown Exit (Rte. 61/16) on your left. Follow Rte. 61/16 for approximately 4 miles. Where Rte. 61 splits from Rte. 16, turn left onto Rte. 61 (Millcreek Rd). This is the south gate of Summit Bechtel.

—From the south: (Beckley, including access via I 77/I 64): From Rte. 19 north, take the North Beckley exit. Turn left onto Rte. 16 through the town of Bradley and continue approximately 4 miles. Turn right onto Rte. 61 (Millcreek). Follow Rte. 61 for about 2 miles to the entrance on your left. Follow the paved road approximately 6 miles to the gate (you will not need to turn). This is the south gate of Summit Bechtel.

Email: skeenan@register-herald.com or follow on Twitter @gb_scribe