ORIGINALLY WRITTEN JULIE ANDERSON
Hillsboro United Methodist Church Pastor Larry Parrish will be leaving
Hillsboro in June to become pastor of a church in Horton.
?Mary and I have lived all of our lives west of Highway 77, so
this is
really a change for us,? Parrish said.
Parrish?s last service in Hillsboro will be June 11, completing
nearly
five years at the church.
A reception honoring the couple will be held from 2 to 4 p.m.,
Sunday,
at the United Methodist Church, 905 E. D. It is open to members of
the
community and surrounding area.
Parrish feels his time in Hillsboro has been beneficial even if
the
impact of his ministry isn?t always readily visible.
?There?s been some changes and growth in areas, but I don?t think
there has been anything radically changed,? he said. ?Except for
certain times in the life of a church, the things that God
influences
through a pastor are sometimes rather subtle. Sometimes you plant
seeds that you are not even aware of.?
He said a lot of the good that occurs happens in individual lives.
One thing that began during his tenure was videotaping the Sunday
morning worship service, which is then broadcast on Sunday
evenings on
the local access channel on cable, Channel 45.
Parrish said it was something members had seen done in other
churches
and it seemed like a service they could provide for home-bound
residents.
During his time in Hillsboro, Parrish served as president of the
Ministerial Alliance for three years.
That experience gave him a lot of contact with area people who
were
struggling financially. He said in the beginning, most of the
organization?s financial help had been given to transient people.
Now,
most of it is channeled to people in the area.
?I enjoy the role the churches play in the community,? Parrish
said.
?It could be the only community I will ever live in where being
part
of the youth group is the ?in? thing.?
Parrish said he has liked a number of things about Hillsboro and
the
local United Methodist congregation.
?I have enjoyed the community a lot,? Parrish said. ?I?ve enjoyed
the
people of the community.?
He also has appreciated the different stores and services
available
here. He has liked working with local pastors and living in a
college
town, where he could take advantage of resources offered by Tabor.
?I have enjoyed the diversity of people in this church,? he said.
?We
have all sorts of different kinds of people here and everybody
seems
to manage to work together fairly well and have a good time doing
it.?
Parrish said his wife, Mary, also has enjoyed living in Hillsboro.
?This has been an important place for Mary,? he said. ?She has
been
teaching for Butler County Community College as adjunct faculty.?
Mary started teaching in Andover and moved to the Butler campus in
Marion, where she teaches sociology, psychology and biblical
literature. She also teaches business ethics in the
degree-completion
program at Friends University in Wichita and Topeka. She will
continue
to teach in Topeka and will begin teaching in Kansas City for
Friends.
?She also has enjoyed working at Goertz Furniture part time for
the
past year,? he said.
Parrish has been appointed to the First United Methodist Church
of
Horton and will be the pastor at Everest United Methodist Church.
?I?m simply looking forward to new places and new people,? he
said.
?I?m looking forward to getting to know the people.
?I think I?ve got some gifts and graces as a pastor that the
people
there are looking for,? he said.
The church in Everest only has 10 members and is thinking about
closing.
?It is my hope that doesn?t happen,? he said.
The move also will allow him to be closer to his work as a brigade
chaplain for the Kansas Army National Guard, a position he has
held
for 15 years.
The Parrishes will be moving on June 27. He will have his first
service in Horton July 2.
Meanwhile, R. Laney Kuhn will become the new pastor at the
Hillsboro
church, beginning July 2.
?You kind of hate to leave this after you have put in all the time
and
work and energy in getting real with each other,?
U.M.C. pastor to leave Hillsboro
