Ordinations in UCC
March 16, 2020
God had plans on the lives of these pastors!
Four pastors were ordained to the gospel ministry in Upper Columbia Conference in February and March. Jason Worf, pastor of the Bonners Ferry and Clark Fork churches, was ordained on February 22, 2020, in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Justin Knapp, pastor of the Lewiston and Lewiston Orchard churches; Kevin McGill, pastor of the Troy, Deary, and Endicott churches; and Marshall McVay, pastor of the Moscow and Pullman churches; were ordained to the gospel ministry on March 14, 2020, in Lewiston, Idaho.
Minner Labrador Jr., president of Upper Columbia Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, presented the ordination certificate to each pastor.
Jason Worf first heard God’s call to ministry when he was 15, when his pastor invited him to go along on pastoral visits. As they visited members and gave Bible studies, Jason was impressed with the need for more church involvement in personal ministry and was sure that God wanted him to do something about it.
Two years ago, Upper Columbia Conference invited Jason to pastoral ministry, first as an intern at College Place Village Church, College Place, Washington. More recently Jason accepted the call to pastor the Bonners Ferry and Clark Fork Churches. Jason received his bachelor’s degree in religion from Southwestern Adventist University and a master’s degree in pastoral ministry from Andrews University.
Jason first met his wife, Joelle while working at the personal evangelism school, SOULSWest in Arizona. They began dating after her graduation and were soon married. Joelle also received a master’s degree in pastoral ministry from Andrews University. Jason and Joelle have two children, Adelyn (age 7) and Maxwell (age 5).
Justin Knapp grew up highly involved in the Seventh-day Adventist mission to proclaim the good news of the everlasting gospel of Christ. At the age of nine, Justin felt the desire to follow Jesus; he studied the Bible with his father, who is a Seventh-day Adventist minister, and was baptized. Justin’s journey to ministry was not direct, but there was always that inescapable, inevitable sense of calling to share the gospel. He felt that call—even though he chose a different career after graduating from Walla Walla Valley Academy in 2000.
Justin prayed during his wandering years that God would send him a partner who would encourage him to focus on the priorities that truly mattered, and God answered. Kimberly Vickroy, a fellow graduate of Walla Walla Valley Academy, was introduced to Justin and before long, he realized Kimberly loved him for who he was, and she encouraged him in his career. They were married December 15, 2002.
Justin continued to hear God’s call to ministry and in September 2008 he acted on that calling by returning to Walla Walla University to study theology. Following graduation, he received a call from Upper Columbia Conference with sponsorship to graduate school. The couple accepted the call and moved to Berrien Springs, Michigan to attend seminary. Justin and Kimberly have one child, Madison (age 6).
Kevin McGill was born and raised in Port Hardy, British Columbia (Canada). As an introverted and shy boy, he never dreamed he would be a pastor and preach at church one day. However, God had different plans.
Danelle and Kevin met at Walla Walla University. They got married on December 16, 2008. Nine months later they were serving as missionaries with Adventist Frontier Missions in Palawan, Philippines. After serving as student missionaries, they returned to Spokane and Kevin became a Bible worker at South Hill Church.
After going to seminary, the couple was placed with the Village Church in College Place, Washington. Kevin and Danelle are now thankful to be part of excellent and supportive church communities in Troy, Deary, and Endicott. They have two children. Grady McGill (age 6) and Mira McGill (age 3). At a young age,
Marshall McVay became interested in pastoral ministry, perhaps from observing his father and grandfathers, all of whom served as ministers in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Marshall enrolled in Walla Walla University in 2006 as a theology major, and served as a student missionary in 2008 at Avondale College Church in Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia. During that year in Australia, Marshall fell in love with Natashia Walde (Natashia was serving as a chaplain at Avondale Primary and Secondary School, also located in Cooranbong, Australia). Marshall and Natashia married in 2011, just one week after Marshall graduated from Walla Walla University with degrees in both theology and business administration.
Marshall served on the pastoral staff of the College Place Village Church for the following two years. Next, they attended Andrews University Theological Seminary together, both earning master’s degrees in divinity in 2016. Marshall currently serves as pastor of the Moscow, Idaho and Pullman, Washington Seventh-day Adventist churches.
In 2016, the Moscow Seventh-day Adventist Church stepped out in faith and locally funded a pastoral position for Natashia. Her emphasis is outreach to youth and young adults, with special emphasis on reaching the students on the campuses of University of Idaho and Washington State University.
Photos: Allee Currier is the UCC vice president of finance; Minner Labrador Jr. serves as UCC president; Eric Brown was recently named the new UCC ministerial director; Brian Harris is the new vice president of education; and Rodney Mills is the UCC vice president of administration.
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