About our Sr. Pastor

The Reverend R. Samuel Wachter was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania on March 2 1945. He graduated from Altoona High School in 1963. He received a BA degree from Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio in 1967, and M Div. degree from United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio in 1970. He was ordained an Elder in the United Methodist Church in 1969. His first appointment was Associate Pastor at Grace United Methodist Church in Grove City from 1970 to 1973. From 1973 to 1980 he served as the pastor of First United Methodist Church, Brackenridge , Pennsylvania and from 1980 till 1984 he served the Silbaugh United Methodist Church at Fort Hill Pennsylvania. In 1986 Pastor Sam came to serve Paradise United Methodist Church as a Mission Church till 1990 at which time it was reunited with its sister churches Hoyes and McHenry.  Paradise and Hoyes blended to become the Deep Creek United Methodist Ministries in 1999 and is currently a stand-alone charge where Pastor Sam continues to serve.

The Reverend Wachter married Susan D. Rabold on June 10th 1967 and they have three children. All three sons graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College. Their oldest son Richard Scott is married to Heather Joyce Criste and they live in Coatesville, Pennsylvania with their son Matthew and daughter Madison. Their middle son Rodney Sean is married to Amylynn Deres and they live in Concord, New Hampshire. They have three sons Noah, Jonah, and Nathaniel and one daughter Madelina. Reverend Sam and Sue’s youngest son Ryan Shad is married to Jessica Villella, they reside in Eighty Four, Pennsylvania. They have one daughter Mikaela.

Sue is the owner and proprietor of her own business, S & S Catering.

The Wachter family also claims five other sons and daughters who have been foreign exchange students from Mexico, Spain and Venezuela. Rev. Wachter is also Chaplain for Barracks W of the Maryland State Police.

About our Associate Pastor

The Reverend Amy L. Chesla was born in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on August 24, 1963.  She graduated from Derry Area High School in 1981.  She completed the certification process for Local Pastors in April of 2008.  Amy is working on her undergraduate degree at Garrett College, which will be completed 2009, and has been accepted to West Virginia University to complete her bachelor’s degree.  She plans to attend the in context program of the United Theological Seminary which is based in Dayton, Ohio, being offered at West Virginia Wesleyan to pursue a M Div degree.  Deep Creek United Methodist Ministries of Hoyes and Paradise is Amy’s first appointment.  She is working at Garrett College with the students and administration on the beginning of a campus ministry at this two-year college.

Reverend Amy Chesla is a single mother raising one teenage son.  Nick is completing his last year at the Northern Middle School and is looking forward to the upcoming change into the High School.  Rev. Chesla also has a grown daughter, Anita, and son-in-law, Erik, living in Pennsylvania.  Anita and Erik have twin boys born June 2008. 

Reverend Chesla also serves as the pianist for DCUMM.