John Wesley Methodist Church’s pumpkin patch has been a local symbol of fall for more than three decades
by Liv Dennis | Contributing Writer
Afamiliar fall sight is returning to Savannah Highway as the John Wesley United Methodist Church prepares to open its annual Pumpkin Patch, a tradition that has become a recognizable part of autumn in West Ashley.
The pumpkin sale, which serves as the major fundraiser for the church’s Youth Ministry, will run Sept. 29 through Oct. 31.
David Boudolf, director of Youth Ministries at John Wesley United Methodist Church, said the church believes it began the tradition in 1992, making this year its 34th annual Pumpkin Patch.
“I think that makes us one of the longest running pumpkin patches next to Legare Farms and that kind of stuff, in Charleston,” Boudolf said.
The church partners with Pumpkin Patch USA, an organization that began in North Carolina in 1974 when a small farmer started offering pumpkins to churches to sell on consignment.
Since beginning with them, the church has sold well over $1 million worth of pumpkins, Boudolf said.
The pumpkins are grown on a Native American reservation in New Mexico, where the organization’s operations were moved to provide employment opportunities. The church receives the pumpkins on consignment, sells them to the public and uses the proceeds to support youth mission projects.
The fundraiser helps send young people on mission trips locally and internationally, giving them opportunities to assist communities and families in need.
Past projects have taken John Wesley youth to Belize, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Eleuthera in the Bahamas. The youth have also traveled to rural South Carolina through a project called Salkehatchie, where they work on homes for people in need.
Other projects have taken youth to Baltimore, Atlanta and Miami, while additional service efforts support Star Gospel Missions in the Charleston area.
Although the Pumpkin Patch benefits the Youth Ministry, Boudolf said the entire congregation participates in making the annual event possible.
For Boudolf, the tradition is personal. He was born and raised at John Wesley, moved away for 15 years and eventually returned to serve as youth director.
“It’s really fun to kind of be known as the pumpkin church and for people to tell me that they’ve been coming for so many years and taking pictures with their kids every year in the patch,” Boudolf said.
The Pumpkin Patch also draws visitors from beyond the Charleston area, including people traveling through the city who stop to purchase pumpkins. Boudolf said the monthlong sale gives him an opportunity to meet people from across the community and hear their stories.
The John Wesley Pumpkin Patch will be open until Oct. 31 at 626 Savannah Hwy. For more information, call (843) 766-5596 or visit www..jwumchurch.org.
