Ray Hausler headshot
Ray Hausler

When Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina in fall 2025, communities in Haywood County faced devastation for the second time in five years. In the middle of it all was Rev. Ray Hausler, Hybrid M.Div. ’27, who was not only leading two congregations through crisis, but also balancing coursework at Duke Divinity School.

“Our ‘Formation for Ministry’ groups have been key to shaping my ministry through this crisis,” Hausler said. “I’ve had people to pray with, and the focus of our readings and conversations on sabbath, prayer, and presence has grounded me in trusting Christ to carry the burden of my community while calling me to help where I can. I haven’t been alone in this work.”

For Hausler, the hybrid format has been essential, allowing him to remain rooted in his community while pursuing the theological education and peer support he needs to serve faithfully.

Formation in the Hybrid Program 

When Hausler arrived at Duke Divinity, he was “an eager but new Methodist,” he said, and his coursework deepened his sense of vocation and understanding of Wesleyan theology. 

“My first term, the Forming Disciples in the Wesleyan Tradition course with Rev. Dr. Sangwoo Kim was transformative for me,” Hausler said. The course emphasizes prayer as key to being a Methodist pastor. 

More than just textbook knowledge, Hausler was learning how to cope with the demands of pastoring through internal spiritual work and engaging with his community of peers. 

He said, “In year two, I was able to be part of the first Hybrid Wesleyan Discipleship Group with Dr. Kim, and the relationships built with other hybrid students serving as pastors in their communities turned out to be exactly what I needed in navigating the last year.

“The collective knowledge and experience of that group was so valuable, and I think that is what makes the hybrid program so great—the collective brilliance of everyone in our cohort.”

Hausler with fellow hybrid students
Hausler with fellow hybrid students

Our ‘Formation for Ministry’ groups have been key to shaping my ministry through this crisis. I’ve had people to pray with, and the focus of our readings and conversations on sabbath, prayer, and presence has grounded me in trusting Christ to carry the burden of my community while calling me to help where I can. I haven’t been alone in this work.”

Ray Hausler

Ministry in the Wake of Disaster

Hybrid student Ray Hausler serving food in ministry
Hausler serving in community food ministry

Hurricane Helene followed closely on the heels of Tropical Depression Fred, which flooded the region in 2021. “We were just starting to recover from that,” Hausler said. “I think in many ways that storm prepared us for our response after Helene.”

Although his home was spared, the loss around him was significant. “We watched some of our neighbors lose so much,” he said. “One of my daughter’s best friends came to live with us after the storm, because her home became unsafe.”

But his congregations wasted no time mobilizing to help the community and begin new ministries. “The people at my church, Love First, immediately went to find where they could help.”

One congregant and friend, Denise, showed up at Clyde Central United Methodist Church and began feeding people from their kitchen and fellowship hall. Hausler’s congregations Love First and Morning Star United Methodist Church are part of six churches that make up the Pigeon River Cooperative Parish, including Clyde Central. 

“Today, almost 40,000 meals later we’re still feeding people at the meal ministry that was born out of helping people after Helene,” said Hausler. The meal ministry has been a collaborative and ecumenical effort of churches across the area, sharing space and resources. 

“Dozens of churches in Haywood County, groups from across the country, and so many individuals have provided the finances and the labor to meet the needs of the hungry in our county.”

Learning to Lead with Limits

The demands in different directions can be a challenge as a hybrid student, but Hausler has been learning to recognize his limits. “There is only so much of me,” he said. “For my own spiritual health, I have had to make sure to know my own limits and trust others to do what they are able to do. I have had to trust the fully capable laity of my church to do much heavy lifting.”

Support has come from both his conference and the Divinity School. “The Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church does so much to make sure that I am getting support as a pastor, and combined with all the support from Duke Divinity, I get invited to a lot of meetings that take care of my soul.”

Through it all, Hausler said resilience—his own and his community’s—has been a lesson in coming together and holding grace for each other. “When we have the humility to recognize that we cannot get through this on our own—that we need help from our neighbors, from friends across the country, from one another—then we’ll be able to overcome the challenges that come our way.”

Student posed photo with Sangwoo Kim
Hausler with fellow Methodist students

When we have the humility to recognize that we cannot get through this on our own—that we need help from our neighbors, from friends across the country, from one another—then we’ll be able to overcome the challenges that come our way.”

Hausler

Pathways to Healing

Months after the storm, Hausler continues to reflect on the best ways to help communities after disaster. “I have been so grateful to all the people who have wanted to help,” he said. 

“The best ways people helped us immediately was to send money so we can determine what our local needs are. Love First is still helping people from what was sent to us. Disasters also have a way of revealing the needs that were already present before the storm. We need people to keep showing up to help.”

For Hausler, Duke Divinity’s hybrid program has offered both flexibility and formation, allowing him to serve faithfully while preparing for long-term ministry. “We need to be connected to one another,” he said, “Being loved and being love is the path God gives us to healing.”

Hybrid student Ray Hausler with church community in Western, N.C.
Hausler with church community in western North Carolina

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