New pastor takes over at Onaway Baptist Chapel

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

Members of the Onaway Baptist Chapel officially welcomed their new pastor, Silas Montgomery, 25, at a Labor Day weekend church picnic. The church, east of the city limits, is known for its creative, spiritual messages put on the sign along M-68.

Montgomery, a Tuscon, Arizona native, received his bachelor?s degree from the University of Arizona before attending Trinity Evangelical Divinity Church in suburban Chicago. He prepared his resume and started talking with the Southern Baptist Convention about working in a rural church.

?I WANTED TO work in a smaller community,? he said. Montgomery was directed to the Pines Baptist Association of northern Michigan, who told him of a need in Onaway.

?I looked them up, started talking with the church and praying about it, and decided to come up here,? said Montgomery. The vote to hire the young pastor was unanimous. The church had been without a fulltime pastor for more than a year. ?Onaway seems like a great town,? he said. ?It seems to be a nice quiet place to live and start a life. Granted, I?ve not been here that long. I?ve been he

re 10 days now, but it seems like a good community with a lot of potential.?

Montgomery attended last Thursday?s varsity football game at Cardinal Stadium and received a warm welcome from the crowd when stadium announcer Bernie Schmeltzer acknowledged his presence.

?WHAT I HOPE to do is help the Chapel become more integrated into the community and help the community,? said Montgomery. ?I have a strong desire to defend the faith well, and to help people better understand what Christianity really is.? He also worked as director of college and young adult ministries at the last church he attended.

On the personal side, Montgomery loves cats, but doesn?t have one yet. ?Sadly, I don?t.? He?s not even sure if the church board will let him have one in the parsonage. ?I?m looking to get a little more settled in before I ask,? said Montgomery light-heartedly. ?I?m worried that they may say ?no.? ? He also mildly concerned about all the ?meowing? house-warming gifts he could get.