FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — Morning Star Baptist Church held a celebration to honor the retirement of Pastor Wesley Q. Dobbs at the Knights of Columbus in Fairmont.

Dobbs has been the pastor of Morning Star Baptist Church for 36 years, giving much of his time to helping the community, according to church members. Members of the church have also said he has been an important figure whose work has uplifted the congregation and the community.

“We have a man that has stood up for right throughout his pastorship at the church and in the community, and we just want people to know that we love him, and we want people to know that he loves them as well,” Mary Tate, church clerk at Morning Star Baptist Church, said.

Morning Star Baptist Church has selected Dobbs to be their pastor emeritus where he will remain at the church as a member and a consultant to the other pastors.

“I’ve witnessed him just comforting people, and I mean, he gives so much of his own time and life to others. It’s, it’s, you just can’t explain it, it’s hard to explain because I’ve never seen anybody so dedicated to God’s word and the community and your children. And people that would pass away in your family, he would get up in the middle of the night to come and see about you, it’s just, I don’t have words,” Diane Robinson, treasurer at Morning Star Baptist Church, said.