Pastor with an open-door policy

Alexis Barker
NLJ Reporter
 
When the Rev. Wolfgang VanHelsing is not slaying demons, he is delivering sermons at Cambria Community Baptist Church. 
The new Newcastle pastor joked that in his off time, when not writing sermons, he is slaying demons and killing vampires and werewolves. He noted that it is not Hugh Jackman we see in the VanHelsing movies — but him on a diet.
All kidding aside, Van Helsing told the News Letter Journal he has an open-door policy at the church, located at 19 Stampede St., in hopes of welcoming and helping people from all walks of life. 
VanHelsing said that while always spiritual, he was going through  life trying to discover where he was supposed to be and what he was supposed to be doing. 
“I ended up accepting Christ and being baptized. I then went to school and decided that I wanted to be a pastor,” VanHelsing said. 
His journey as a pastor brought him to Newcastle, where he began his full-time pastoring here on Dec. 1. He found the small town in the northeast corner of Wyoming while searching for a full-time position as a pastor online. 
“I specifically wanted a little town in the middle of nowhere,” VanHelsing said. “I come from a place with tons of people, and there is never any shutdown.” 
He noted that while he and his wife may be experiencing culture shock since relocating, he admits it is a welcome change from the fast-paced city life. VanHelsing acknowledged that both he and his wife are enjoying small-town life and the community’s friendly nature. 
“Here it is still a hey-how-you-doing, hold-your-door-for-you and leave-your-car-running community,” VanHelsing said. “Where I came from, you could lock your car and there is still a chance it would be gone.” 
As a pastor, VanHelsing hopes people of the community, not just members of his church, will turn to him in times of need. 
“If my white car is out front, then I am here and the door is open,” VanHelsing said. “I tried to have an “open” sign, but the Wyoming wind here didn’t think that was appropriate, so I opted for the larger, more sturdy car sign.” 
Through his teachings, VanHelsing said he does his best to embody the things he loved about pastors he has encountered on his own religious journey. 
While writing sermons, he said, he does his best to incorporate his life into his teachings, showing the congregation and the community that he is not perfect and others are not expected to be either. 
“The coffee pot is on every day. There is always coffee and donuts, and the door is always open,” VanHelsing said. “If you are having problems, you can come in and talk.” 
He said that while church is obviously about a relationship with God, he also believes that religion and church is also about relationships with others and that members of a church are like a family. 
“We are like any other family. There are times you need help and are struggling, and it really helps to have a solid family in place,” VanHelsing said. 
VanHelsing said he is working to build his congregation.