Charles Ryser has come home, come home to Asbury. And his reunion with Asbury is just what the doctor ordered considering his education, professional background and family. Charles is now Pastor of Care and as such, will make hospital and nursing home calls, home visitations to inactive and homebound members. He’ll also help with the growing Celebrate Recovery ministry at Asbury.

Charles and Asbury go way back when he was an “Asbury kid.” His parents—Norm and Nona Ryser—were members of another denomination, but succumbed to Bill Mason’s charms as he encouraged them to come to his fledgling church—Asbury United Methodist of Tulsa.

“Bill Mason has been my mentor and inspiration throughout the years,” Charles said. “Bill’s always kept track of me. Sally and I have had a close friendship with him. We met Tom and Dana when we were serving in churches that were 13 miles apart. We were in the middle of nowhere, so you value those connections.”

“Even while I was at TU Bill kept in touch. One day there were three or four of us lined up outside Bill’s office to talk about entering the ministry. Bill told me, ‘Keep your business degree and trust that God will make His will known to you.’ He did. It’s unbelievable to think that I’m going to be at Asbury doing what I most love to do. I’m thrilled,” he said.
At age 11 Charles was baptized. Then when Bill Mason was beginning his “new” church his parents switched to Asbury. “I always sensed that God was important to me, but it was during college when Sally (later to be his wife) led me to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. Actually, it was 1975. I had been to Grand Lake fishing and I asked God if He had something special for me. That’s when I received my call to ministry and began my journey.”

Charles went to TU and Sally attended OSU, but they first met when they were younger. Sally and her family lived two doors down from the Rysers. “I set a next door neighbor boy up for a date with Sally. He got cold feet, so I felt I should go in his place.”
Later, Sally moved away and they had no contact for a number of years. When he was at OSU helping his sister Ellen move on campus, he ran into Sally and like they say . . . the rest is history.

Charles earned a Business Management and Marketing degree from TU. “Because of my major I think Sally thought we’d have a stable life, but then I felt the call to be a minister. Of course, we’ve moved many times, but in spite of that we’ve been married 32 years.”

He feels sure this is a testament to Sally’s many endearing qualities. He thinks her best trait is probably the fact that she is an eternal optimist.
Ordained an elder in the Oklahoma Annual Conference in1980, Charles has served for 25 years as pastor in seven churches in Oklahoma and as associate pastor in two—First UMC in Oklahoma City and Asbury.

Because of his love for pastoral care he has done graduate theological education in a clinical setting at three Oklahoma hospitals including Presbyterian Hospital and Integris Baptist Health Center both in Oklahoma City and most recently, Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa. Students accepted into these programs serve throughout the hospitals in a variety of situations—crisis, trauma, end-of-life.

Charles says his greatest joy in life comes from the love of his girls—wife Sally and daughters Sara and Kate. Charles adds that “Professionally, I think my greatest satisfaction comes from knowing that I can share the love and care of the Lord with people. I love being in the healing and recovery ministry. It’s my responsibility to love and reach out—even to an enemy. Whether they’re ready to receive the Gospel yet, it is still my job to show them love, honor and respect. Sometimes it’s just being there to break the cycle of hurt in a gentle and thoughtful way.”