Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First

United Methodist Pastor Arrives In Kimball, Bushnell

Pastor Lorri Kentner's first career was not in the ministry, but when the opportunity and vision presented itself, she took the giant leap and became a United Methodist minister.

After 22 years in the ministry, she is now the Pastor of Bushnell United Methodist Church and Kimball United Methodist Church. Having served in many towns in Nebraska, Pastor Lorri said she "loves small churches."

"I hadn't really realized that God was calling me to ministry until ... someone said having Lorri at our church is like having an associate pastor." She eventually began to give it some consideration, and people encouraged her to "totally change my life."

She did totally change her life. Kentner had a degree from Ohio State in Social Work, but at 32 she began college again.

Kentner attended St. Paul's School of Theology in Kansas City and received a master's of divinity.

The pastor of a church is like a CEO of a business with too many duties to list.

According to Kentner, the pastor is the financial officer but also the keynote speaker every Sunday, also performing weddings and funerals. Every week, Pastor Lorri will make hospital visits, have meetings with committee members, work on the church mission which includes the food pantry and Operation Child. She also will provide counseling when necessary.

Pastor Lorri was welcomed to Kimball and Bushnell with a "very nice worship service and brunch" and then "had a couple of weeks of services, and everything was fine." Then "we had this meeting, and five of us from the meeting came down with COVID." She has since recovered, although she is still tired, but she is doing OK.

Every denomination has a different method of selecting pastors, but the United Methodist Church belongs to the Great Plains Conference, and the bishop and elders make the appointments to various churches. That is how she came to Kimball and Bushnell, by appointment.

She and her husband, Bob, have been married for 35 years. Bob, now retired, spent 20 years in the Navy.

Kimball UMC Worship is Sunday at 9 a.m., while Bushnell UMC meets on Sunday at 10:30 a.m.

You will know Pastor Lorri when you see her driving around Kimball. Her license plate reads "Gods KD."

 
 
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