New Beginnings for Three Pastors and Their Churches
By Nancy Albin and Neat Randriamialison
Three churches in the Northern Nevada area have welcomed new pastors following a prayerful process of discernment and selection.
On January 27, Manny LaPorte was officially installed as the new pastor of the Carson City church. Pastor LaPorte has a heart for family ministry, counseling, and discipleship. During his installation sermon, he reminded the attendees that although we will go through struggles in this life, God promises in His Word that we will never be alone. Just like the three Hebrew boys in Daniel 3, God is not far from those who are going through the fire.
In Reno and Sparks, an unprecedented opportunity presented itself during the search for a new pastor for the Riverview church and the Sparks church. Two of the candidates were a pastoral couple, Kevin Solomon and Deirdre Solomon. After going through the search process, this couple has been appointed to be the new pastors of these neighboring congregations. The two are excited about the possibilities of collaborating under the leadership of one pastoral family.
On February 17, Deirdre Solomon was installed as the new pastor of the Riverview church. She is the first female pastor of this congregation. On February 24, Sparks church welcomed Kevin Solomon as their new pastor.
Both Kevin and Deirdre obtained their M.Div. degrees from Andrews University. They have been married for 11 years, and they are the proud parents of three children: Gideon (7), Kara (5), and Jericho (2).
The Solomons are passionate about sharing God’s love with others and helping them to find wholeness in Christ. Kevin said: “We’ve always wanted to do ministry together, and to have the two churches 15 minutes away from each other is a blessing.” After serving in two different conferences within the last decade, they are excited to minister in the Nevada-Utah Conference (NUC).
All three pastors were introduced to their new congregations by members of the leadership team of the conference. Chanda Nunes-Henry, the executive secretary of the conference, commented, “We welcome the Solomons to the NUC family. We believe that God will do amazing things through both of their ministries here in the Reno/Sparks area.” NUC President Carlos Camacho added, “Pastors, you are called to shepherd these flocks with love, wisdom, and compassion.”
Congratulations to these three churches and their new pastors. We pray that God will bless their ministry and leadership.
Nevada-Utah Pathfinders
By Neat Randriamialison and Brissa Castillo
TOP LEFT and BELOW RIGHT: Nervous but ready to take on the challenge of answering the 90 questions during this year’s PBE. TOP RIGHT: Pastors and Master Guides, led by NUC President Carlos Camacho, collaborate as judges during the NUC Pathfinder Bible Experience in Las Vegas. BELOW LEFT: The Quincy Pathfinder Club and leader Matt Ward get ready to sing the Pathfinder Song online.
On Saturday, February 17, The Quincy Pathfinder Club drove an hour and 40 minutes to Reno, Nevada, for a chance to participate in this year’s conference-level Pathfinder Bible Experience (PBE). Each year, PBE is deemed to be one of the marquee events for all Pathfinders. Circumstances didn’t allow the Quincy club to be physically present at this year’s event. While other clubs from across the conference gathered in Las Vegas, the Quincy Pathfinder Club and the Youth Department of the Nevada-Utah Conference (NUC) resourcefully found a way to use technology to allow their team to participate. They only needed to drive the 90 miles to the conference office. “There was no way we would have been able to go to Las Vegas this year, so we thank God for this opportunity,” said Lisa Ward, one of the Pathfinder leaders from Quincy.
PBE is a great opportunity for Pathfinders to dive into the Word of God. As Pathfinders study for PBE, this is certain: Scripture is being memorized, Scripture is being studied, and the Spirit is at work. This year they focused on the books of Judges and Joshua. It was interesting to see the different approaches from various churches. Some churches assign a specific section for each member of their team to study. Others, like the Quincy Pathfinder Club, choose to study the whole book or books together and then have a discussion about the content. Lisa explained, “We just didn’t want to put that much pressure on one or two people, and by studying everything together we can talk together and know the full story as a team. And even if we don’t make it to the next level, we would have learned a lot about how God worked through Joshua and the judges.”
Whatever the method, the goal remains the same. PBE’s main purpose is for teenagers to have a closer relationship with God and His Word. Fernando Lista, a Pathfinder parent from the Riverview church in Reno, said, “I appreciate the fact that my kids were excited about studying the Bible and were able to learn new things. I pray the new knowledge they acquired by studying the Bible for the contest will help them in their walk with Christ.”
Isaac Melcor, a Pathfinder from the Nueva Esperanza church in Salt Lake City, Utah, said, “I was really scared and nervous, and I was getting sad because my teammates were disappointed in our answers, and then when we saw the first-place symbol, our hearts were filled with joy. We don’t do this for fame; we do this for God.”
Seven clubs are going to the union-level PBE, where they will join other clubs from across the Pacific Union Conference on March 23, in Fresno, California.
Congratulations to the following churches and their Pathfinder Clubs: Emmanuel, Torre Fuerte, Wasatch Hills, Mountain View, Nueva Esperanza (two teams), and West Jordan. Keep up the good work!
