Grant United Methodist welcomes new pastor

Lorri Kentner is continuing the ministry of opening hearts, minds and doors as the new pastor of the Grant United Methodist Church. 

Kentner has been serving as a pastor in the United Methodist Church for 18 years. 

She has spent the last six years serving the Methodist churches in Ponca and Allen.She received the call in May that she would be serving in Grant. She has served two or three churches at a time in the past, so she is excited to focus on serving just one. 

Kentner said they have been greatly welcomed and the people of Grant and the church have been amazing.

Serving as a pastor was not Kentner’s first career path. 

Growing up in a northern Minnesota town of 350 people, she received a bachelor’s degree in social work from nearby Bemidji State University in Minnesota. This is where she met her husband of 31 years, Bob, who served 20 years in the Navy.

“Our first 12 years of marriage, I followed him all over the U.S.,” she said.

After Bob’s retirement, the couple was living in Lincoln and attending the Methodist church in Elmwood. Lorri spent many hours volunteering at the church.

“That’s when I got my call to ministry. God kind of tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘By the way, you really should be doing this, not as a volunteer, but as a pastor.’” 

God opened the door for her to attend Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, where she received a Master of Divinity degree.

Bob is a registered nurse and has been working at Sidney Regional Medical Center as the quality manager since September 2017. He accepted a position there after the couple anticipated a church appointment out west. 

After being seven hours apart for the past nine months, the couple is happy to be back in the same area. 

“I’m excited about the possibilities here within this church,” Kentner said.