UPPER COLUMBIA CONFERENCE // NEWS
FOUR PASTORS ORDAINED IN UPPER COLUMBIA CONFERENCE
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our pastors were ordained to the gospel ministry in Upper Columbia Conference in February and March. Jason Worf, Bonners Ferry and Clark Fork pastor, was ordained on Feb. 22, in Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Justin Knapp, Lewiston and Lewiston Orchard pastor; Kevin McGill, Troy, Deary and Endicott pastor; and Marshall McVay, Moscow and Pullman pastor, were ordained on March 14, in Lewiston, Idaho. Minner Labrador Jr., Upper Columbia Conference president, presented the ordination certificate to each pastor. Jason Worf first heard God’s call to ministry when he was 15 and his pastor invited him to go along on pastoral visits. As they visited members and gave Bible studies, Worf was impressed with the need for more church involvement in personal ministry and was sure God wanted him to do something about it. Two years ago, Upper Columbia Conference invited Worf to pastoral ministry, first as an intern at College Place Village Church in College Place, Washington. More recently Worf accepted the call to pastor the Bonners Ferry and Clark Fork churches.
Gathered for Marshall McVay’s ordination, (from left) Allee Currier, UCC vice president of finance; Minner Labrador Jr., UCC president; Natashia McVay; Eric Brown, UCC ministerial director; Marshall McVay; Brian Harris, UCC vice president of education; and Rodney Mills, UCC vice president of administration.
Worf received his bachelor’s degree in religion from Southwestern Adventist University in Keene, Texas, and a master’s degree in pastoral ministry from Andrews University in Michigan. Worf first met his wife, Joelle, while working at the personal evangelism school SOULS West 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, 7, and Maxwell, 5. Justin Knapp grew up highly involved in the Seventh30
day Adventist mission to proclaim the good news of the everlasting gospel of Christ. At the age of 9, he felt the desire to follow Jesus. He studied the Bible with his father, who is an Adventist minister, and was baptized. Knapp’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. Knapp prayed during his wandering years that God would send him a partner who
(From left) Allee Currier, UCC vice president of finance; Minner Labrador Jr., UCC president; Justin Knapp; Eric Brown, UCC ministerial director; Madison and Kimberly Knapp; Brian Harris, UCC vice president of education; and Rodney Mills, UCC vice president of administration, celebrate Justin Knapp’s ordination.
may/june 2020
