A nonprofit publication of the Kentucky Center for Public Service Journalism

Kentucky by Heart: Winchester minister, family touched by acts of kindness by their community


By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune columnist

Minister Dave Scalf describes himself and those who worship at Christ Church Winchester as “real people,” not in any way perfect.

“We’re all just ‘messes who need a messiah,’” he likes to say, and so it makes sense that all are welcome to come and worship at CCW.

Embracing that humble mind-set has inspired Dave and his wife, Amy, to open up their personal lives in an amazing, compassionate way, also. The couple has adopted seven children within the last 11 years. Isaac, age 3, died in 2006, but the Scalfs stand determinedly as loving parents of the other six.

Aiden, 13, Wyatt, 9, and Steven, 8, are the boys. The girls are: Sophie, 15, Haley, 11, and Rachael, 6; four of the children have special needs.

Standing in back are Amy, Aidan, Sophie, Haley, and Dave. In front are Wyatt, Steven, and Rachael (Photo Provided)

Along with Dave’s position as a minister (founding minister) and Amy’s as a teacher at the church’s Genesis Academy, their daily hours pass attending to needs of others. Along the way, however, people who appreciate what they see have reached out in support. Amy grins and calls it calls it “God taking care of us” and playfully adds: “I haven’t slept in 15 years.”

She talked about the “incredible people,” both at their church and outside, who supported them in 2006 when Dave saw his mother, father, and three-year-old adopted son Isaac die within a ten-month period.

“Scobee Funeral Home (in Winchester), for example, was incredibly generous during that time,” she said. “We also had people like Jimmy McKinney of J & R Construction help get our house ready for Isaac from the hospital, but he never got out.”

The couple also felt emboldened in 2011 by a huge act of kindness by community members. An article in the Winchester Sun stated: “Thanks to the efforts of approximately 25 volunteers, the Scalf family came home to a completely renovated house in the Westmeade neighborhood.” The initiative happened with the leadership of local special needs advocate Darren Diguette, construction company owner David Weistroffer, and Kristy Rainey. They recruited the volunteers, along with Weistroffer’s skilled work crew.

The need for the project emerged when the family had grown to nine—the six children, Amy and Dave, and Dave’s aged grandmother. At that time, Haley, Steven, and Rachael were foster children, but today are also adopted members of the family.

Just recently, more help has come to the Scalf couple as people are inspired. Another minister, Jeff Gaines, has joined the staff at Christ Church Winchester. He is taking over a large share of the preaching and other duties, as Dave’s energy level and some health issues, along with being a full-time father, have made it advisable.

“I needed Jeff and his vision…for everybody to feel the love of Jesus,” said Dave. “I was Jeff’s youth pastor when he was 16 and we have always wanted to work together.”

The interest in doing fostering, then adopting children with serious needs was spurred with the Scalfs’ involvement in a challenging ministry position soon after they were married in 1997. They worked in a small church located near a mixed-race housing project. Seeing it as a wonderful outreach opportunity, the couple soon got busy attempting to bring children from the project to church. It was a success by most measures.

“They came and it grew to about 57 or 58 and we had a Christmas program and many of their parents were there,” said Amy.

To the dismay of the Scalfs, however, some of the church leadership didn’t see eye to eye with the ministry they did in the projects. And with that, the couple moved to Arizona to work in another small church. This time, their new religious community was one in tune with the Scalfs’ heart in casting a wide net of acceptance.

It had a diverse membership, with whites, African Americans, and Hispanics worshiping harmoniously. Dave and Amy were now excited about being there and were well-received.

Meanwhile, the couple desired children but infertility issues brought challenges. That meant a change of focus. In time, said Dave, “We had peace about it and when we decided on the adoption route, it was like a huge weight was lifted off us.”

After first checking out international adoption avenues such as from Ethiopia, they found that Arizona was relatively friendly regarding a fostering to adopting program. Within three years, they received three foster children, and later adopted them. They were: Sophie, Aiden, and Isaac, who was a Hispanic child.

It was a good start for Dave and Amy.

Steve Flairty grew up feeling good about Kentucky. He recalls childhood day trips (and sometimes overnight ones) orchestrated by his father, with the take-off points being in Campbell County. The people and places he encountered then help define his passion about the state now. After teaching 28 years, Steve spends much of his time today writing and reading about the state, and still enjoys doing those one dayers (and sometimes overnighters). “Kentucky by Heart” shares part and parcel of his joy. A little history, much contemporary life, intriguing places, personal experiences, special people, book reviews, quotes, and even a little humor will, hopefully, help readers connect with their own “inner Kentucky.”

In 2005, the growing family left Arizona and returned to their native central Kentucky, this time to Winchester. Dave’s parents declined in health and needed assistance, plus it brought Amy back to the town where she was raised. She began teaching locally and Dave gained employment at the Fayette Juvenile Detention Center, in Lexington, which was opening.

As well as using his gifts to work with young people who made bad choices, Dave also worked under the supervision of Bill Grossi, who became a trusted mentor. Gross liked Dave’s work and liked his heart, knowing that Dave was under the stress of caring for sick parents and three adopted children.

So, when young Isaac was hospital-bound in Cincinnati, Grossi led in getting Dave time off work to spend with his child, encouraging other employees to donate some of their time off.

“God put him in our lives,” said Dave. In the startup for Christ Church at Winchester, Grossi also helped Dave by doing some “stand in” preaching to allow him to take care of pressing family needs.

It was in Winchester, too, that the Scalfs received, through the adoption process, the other three family members coming after the loss of Isaac. Haley, Wyatt, Steven, and Rachael joined them.

Coming to this juncture, it’s often been a long and difficult road for Amy and Dave. But they have few regrets and look forward to overcoming their self-proclaimed “messiness” to navigate—and sometimes muddle—through the current and future adventures.

Always in play are issues among the six like epilepsy, emotional, and physical challenges. Not only that, they are kids, and all kids have their share of needs, regardless of backgrounds. But love is a pretty powerful force, and Dave and Amy Scalf have that in spades.

Christ Church’s song leader, Mike Caudill, praised them for their dedication.

“They are committed to their children and have dedicated their personal lives to creating a home for these young kids who had no real sense of ‘home.’”

That’s a message that’ll “preach,” all messiness aside.

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steve-flairty

Steve Flairty is a teacher, public speaker and an author of six books: a biography of Kentucky Afield host Tim Farmer and five in the Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes series, including a kids’ version. Steve’s “Kentucky’s Everyday Heroes #4,” was released in 2015. Steve is a senior correspondent for Kentucky Monthly, a weekly NKyTribune columnist and a member of the Kentucky Humanities Council Speakers Bureau. Contact him at sflairty2001@yahoo.com or visit his Facebook page, “Kentucky in Common: Word Sketches in Tribute.” (Steve’s photo by Connie McDonald)


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