Each Ashram has an Ashram Director, an Evangelist, and a Bible Teacher.
Ashram Director: Gary Wheeler
Gary began attending Ashrams in Ohio, Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas as a teenager with his family. As Director, he guides the daily events during the Ashram as well as the Board of Twelve leadership team during the rest of the year.
He is a United Methodist pastor who has served churches in Kentucky, Georgia and Ohio, and is currently serving Germantown United Methodist Church in Germantown, Ohio. His other activities include membership on the Board of the West Ohio Wesleyan Covenant Association. He is very involved in the Greater Dayton Walk to Emmaus Community. He is a member of the Faith-Based subcommittee with the Valley View Drug-Free Coalition. He is also a member of Dayton Pilots’ Club and serves on its Board of Trustees as the Treasurer. His hobbies include flying (he has his Private Pilot’s License), watching sports, computers, and music.
Gary is also an author. “Hanging On In An Upside Down World” is about how to cope with the events in life that turn one’s world upside down. You know, no matter what is happening in a person’s life, Jesus has a way of taking us from our worst to our best. His follow-up, “Living Right Side Up: Jesus’ Guidelines For A New Life” answers the question: what does a right side up life look like? He has also published the first two in his Christian historical fiction series. “The Messengers: Advent” and “The Messengers: Bridges” tells the the story of a young boy from the 1820s and how he and his village discover Christ. All these books are available on Amazon. See his website: www.garykwheeler.com.
Gary is married to Myra, who serves as the Registrar for the Ashram. She leads Women’s Bible Studies at Germantown United Methodist Church. She is also very involved in the Greater Dayton Walk to Emmaus Community. She is a social worker with Children’s Services, and loves to shop!
They have four adult aged sons: Marty, Kevin, Matt, and Greggie.
Gary is passionate about helping people growing in the relationship with God, and reaching out to people who are far from Him. His favorite passage of Scripture is Joshua 24:15 “But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.”
2022 Evangelist: Rev. Dr. Cleveland Taft Andre Mason, 2nd
Brother Cleveland returns once again to the Mountaineer Christian Ashram.
He grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, graduating from Towson State University, as well as Eastern Theological Seminary.
He began his career working for the federal government, then felt called into the full-time ministry, serving churches in Baltimore and Washington, DC, before returning to Baltimore to serve as Senior Pastor of Perkins Square Baptist Church of Baltimore in 1991. He provides leadership on many boards and agencies.
He is married to Florence Mason, and they are the parents of two sons and a daughter.
He is known for the phrase “Much Prayer, Much Power; Little Prayer, Little Power; No Prayer, No Power!”
2022 Bible Teacher: Rev. John Phipps
New to our Ashram is Brother John Phipps.
He grew up rural Western Pennsylvania, and graduated from Grove City College with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. Before entering ministry, he served as a counselor in a group home for delinquent youth in Hermitage, PA.
After his call to ministry, he graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary. He has served numerous churches in Western Pennsylvania and also in Kentucky. He currently serves Concord UMC near Beaver Falls, PA as Senior Pastor.
John has been Bible Study leader at numerous Ashram gatherings in Western Pennsylvania. He has a heart for missions within the local church, having traveled to South America and Romania.
Married to Anne Phipps since 1983, they have 3 grown children and 6 grandchildren.