The congregations of the Church of St Paul in Barriere and Clearwater United Church say they are excited to welcome their new minister, the Reverend Brian Krushel.
The new minister is a Lutheran pastor who has recently served as pastor for Hills of Peace Lutheran Church in Kamloops.
Pastor Krushel was born in Winnipeg, the second of three brothers, and spent the first 22 years of his life there. After graduating with a B.Sc. in Ecology from the University of Manitoba, he entered the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and graduated with an M.Div. in 1992.
Since his ordination in that same year, Pastor Krushel has served Lutheran parishes in Manitoba, Ontario and British Columbia.
When he is not busy with parish duties or keeping up with his family, Pastor Brian sings with The High Country Singers, a community choir in Kamloops. He also likes fishing and has been “hooked” by the many fly-fishing opportunities available in the area surrounding Kamloops.
The Church of St Paul’s previous minister, the Reverend Graham Brownmiller, moved to New Westminster in late August, and the members of the congregation, along with a few visiting clergy and lay worship leaders, have been providing pulpit supply since that time.
Pastor Krushel led his first worship service in the North Thompson on Sunday, Feb. 10, with worship in Clearwater at 9 a.m., and in Barriere at 11 a.m.
The Church of St Paul’s congregation say they are pleased that their new minister has arrived, and especially as he will be in time to assist with flipping flapjacks at their annual pancake supper on Feb. 12.
The Church of St Paul (there is no period after St – the name is an acronym for Serving Together as a Parish of Anglicans, Uniteds and Lutherans) was officially formed when the Anglican Church of Canada, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the United Church of Canada joined together to form a Shared Ministry on May 23, 2010.