Pastor Tim Paroz just began here at MTO in September 2022!

He, along with his wife, Kim, live here in North Lima.

Their daughters attend South Range elementary

and they are excited to be apart of our community.

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"I felt called to ministry the summer of 2001 when I attended a campus event at what would be my future seminary, Methodist Theological School in Ohio.

However, I brushed off that calling and joined Peace Corps after graduating from

The Ohio State University. 

 

When I returned, I got a job tutoring at a junior high in Mentor, OH. The summer of 2002, I was a camp counselor at Camp Wanakee and began as a youth pastor for Columbia Heights UMC in Columbus, OH the fall of my first semester of seminary. The summer of 2003, I began as pastor for Calvary UMC and Pleasant Ridge UMC near Tiffin, OH and served those small churches for two years. I graduated from MTSO with a degree in Christian Ethics in 2005. The next few years are a blur but they included taking a few seminary classes, joining the Army Reserves, graduating from Army Chaplain School and obtaining my second degree from MTSO, an M.Div in 2009. Following that graduation, I was mobilized to Fort Drum, NY as a rear detachment chaplain covering a brigade in Afghanistan, and later a brigade in Iraq. I helped with soldiers’ issues back stateside and family issues for the entire brigade (those deployed and those stateside). This is where I met Kim, my wife.

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After the year of mobilization, I deployed to Iraq with what was then called the 256 Combat Support Hospital. I was stationed in Al Asad with a hospital and spent a lot of time in the northern city of Mosul visiting our hospital located there. When I returned from this deployment, I began my formal request to join the United Church of Christ. I was hired at Edinburg United Church and began my ministry there in December of 2012. Kim and I had our children while at Edinburg. Vera will turn 9 in September and Alena turned 6 in March. I began a new position with the Army Reserve as a Command Chaplain for the 310 Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) in July.

That unit is located in Indianapolis, IN. I was recently promoted (February) to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel."

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