As of the beginning of this month there is a new pastor at Clearwater Community Baptist Church.
Doug Spinney and his wife, Lorrie, came to this community from Tumbler Ridge, where he was pastor of a church there for 16 years.
“I love it,” he said when asked of his first impressions of Clearwater. “It's a lot like Tumbler Ridge ... a small community in the mountains.”
“The church here has been amazingly warm, welcoming and generous,” Lorrie Spinney added.
Feeling that they were a match with the people in the congregation was a big factor in their decision to come here, they said.
The couple has two grown daughters. One lives in Prince George while the other attends university in Nova Scotia.
Lorrie Spinney's interests include trail running and kayaking, while her husband would like to spend more time fishing.
Born in Peace River, Alberta, Spinney lived in a variety of locations before the move to Tumbler Ridge.
“I think the role of the church is to strengthen and build up the members of the congregation in their connection with God and their faith. I hope to join in that and to take a lead role in how that happens here. I also hope to connect with and serve the community,” was how he described his job as pastor.
An informal reception to welcome the Spinneys to Clearwater will held at the church on Sunday, April 12, 1-3 p.m.