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Baptist church<br>to get new pastor

The Grand Canyon Baptist Church will have a new pastor for the first time in more than six years when the position is permanently filled later this year. The Rev. Paul Kinnison left town Saturday for a new home and job at Sun City West.

Norma and Paul Kinnison’s Feb. 16 going-away party drew a large crowd.

"Sun City, it’s bigger there, but there are a lot of similarities because it’s seasonal," Kinnison said about his new job as associate pastor at the First Baptist Church. "The main difference is here we’re (he and his wife, Norma) among the older ones and there, we’ll be the little kids. So that’s cool."

Kinnison performed his final service at Grand Canyon on Feb. 16 and that evening, the community threw a going-away party for the popular couple. Kinnison’s new church, he said, is four to five times bigger and the focus of his job will change.

"I won’t be doing the preaching. I’ll be responsible for the training, pastoral care and missions; finding projects to work on and stuff," Kinnison said.

Another change Kinnison looks forward to involves the seasons. There will be more work over the winter and less during the summer, the opposite situation found at Grand Canyon. Plus, the Kinnisons will be closer to a son, daughter, their spouses and the grandchildren.

The Kinnisons lived in Phoenix for 14 years, so they will not be new to the Valley. Norma Kinnison will work full-time as a home health nurse for Sun Health.

"We’ve always loved the Canyon, it’s one of our favorite spots," said Kinnison, who came to Grand Canyon Nov. 1, 1996. "For me, the highlight of living here has been getting to know the people and working with them."

Besides his duties with the church, Kinnison was very active in the community as a member of the Grand Canyon Rotary Club and on the board with the Grand Canyon Community Recreation Center. He also wrote a monthly column for the Grand Canyon News.

As pastor, Kinnison set some goals when he came during the winter of ‘96. A priority was working smoothly with the National Park Service.

"One of my main goals was to improve relationships between the church and the park and I think that’s happened, I hope it has," Kinnison said. "There was a lot of animosity in the early years and I think those have been mended pretty well."

Working with youth over the years has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of his job.

"That’s always been a fun thing, to work with college students ... challenging them to stretch their wings and do new things," he said, adding that every year, at least one of the visiting students has opted to make pastoral work their life profession.

Another joy has always been his local congregation.

"I think our church has really grown, even more so as a loving church," he said. "I’ve seen them become more aware of what the needs are around them."

The local Baptist Church has a membership of around 100, although attendance can fluctuate heavily depending on the season.

Si Davis, an association director of missions who oversees several Baptist churches in northern Arizona, will serve as interim pastor for the next three to six months. Kinnison said a committee has been formed to review incoming resumes and ultimately select the next pastor.

Kinnison estimated the hiring process to last six to eight months.


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