Mitchel melds passions for ministry, running and altruism

Kim Mitchel took a different path to work in the church. A former advertising and marketing professional, Mitchel later felt a calling to join the ministry. Today she's on staff as a pastor at Glen Allen United Methodist Church. But serving is only part of the story.

Mitchel has been a longtime support of the Amen Center in Delta. Combining her passion for the center's work and running interests, she leads a Run for God class locally. The program combines seeks to show participants the parallels between running -- and endurance sport -- and faith.

On Saturday Run for God will hold a race in Cape Girardeau benefiting the Amen Center. As of Thursday, about 300 runners had signed up for the run.

Q) Tell us a little about yourself?

A) My husband John and I have been married for 25 years. We have two children. Kyle is 24 and recently graduated from Southeast, and our daughter Sarah, 19, is attending UMSL in St. Louis. We have lived in Fruitland for 22 years.

I am a second-career pastor coming from 20-plus years of advertising and marketing. I spent most of those years working with Red Letter Communications learning how to market anything and everything. A few years back I heard the call of God on my life to move into ministry, and at first I thought the call was just to be a faithful church member. As time went by I realized that God was calling me into pastoral service.

In June of 2011 I went to licensing school at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo., and was licensed as a Licensed Local Pastor in the Missouri Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. Just one month later I began serving as pastor at Glen Allen UMC in Glen Allen, Mo. This July will begin my third year in Glen Allen. I just completed my first full year at Asbury Theological Seminary, where I am working toward obtaining my master's in divinity.

In April of this year, I accepted a position as associate student pastor at New McKendree, where I am charged with communications and planting a new church in the Gravel Hill-Lake Girardeau community. We will begin services on Aug. 18 at the church building located at the intersection of Highway 34 and Highway U. Worship will be at 11 a.m.

Q) How long have you been a member of your faith and who or what inspired you to join the ministry?

A) My mother is Methodist and my father is Baptist. I grew up moving in and out of different denominations and was baptized at the age of 16 at Garnett Church of Christ in Tulsa, Okla. Upon moving to Missouri to start college, I entered again into that seeking mode and jumped from denomination to denomination. In 1997, after a period of life events, my husband I made the decision to attend church regularly as a family. We looked at the churches immediately around us and decided to visit the church that was the closest. That was Wesley United Methodist in Fruitland. We went the first weekend with the intention of just visiting and then moving to explore another church the next weekend. Something about Wesley captured our hearts and we never visited another church.

Over the years we have seen God working in our lives. I was diagnosed with Lyme disease not once, but twice. After recovering from this serious illness the second time around I felt more than ever led by the Holy Spirit to fully engage myself in ministry. I realized that all of my past experiences helped make me who I am in God this very day. Just like many, I have a story to tell. I have a testimony that can bring hope to another. I have a responsibility to get that message of hope out to others. At this point in my life I would be doing a great disservice to the God who healed me. I know that I am his hands and his feet.

Q) You've been a volunteer with the Amen Center in Delta. What drew you to support this specific ministry and what progress have you seen through the center?

A) Within the first few weeks of serving as pastor at Glen Allen UMC I was approached by a couple who had taken the Amen Center to heart. This was prior to the opening of the center and they had been involved in the planning stages. They had a passion and vision for helping people in crisis. They handed me a brochure. I saw this couple's heart of compassion and that is really all it took.

I visited the center and got to know Danny and Shirley, the ministry directors, and began to think of ways our church might help. We give financially on a regular basis, but I wanted us to do more. I wanted us to develop a relationship with those living at the center, to show them our heart and the love of God.

God blessed me with a love and desire to run. I have been running for three years, and as a runner it just made since to organize a benefit run to create visibility for the center. Glen Allen hosted a run in June of 2012. This allowed many of the members of the church and the running community to meet and greet the residents of the center and see that they are people just like us who just happen to be going through a tough patch.

Any one of us could easily find ourselves in that same position. We can't just sit on the sideline. Ministry opportunities are everywhere, and we are the ones who represent Christ in the community. We are called to move.

Q) You've been an instructor in the Run for God training. What do you enjoy most about this program?

A) I love that I have an opportunity to take my passion and share it with others. Run for God combines my passion for God and my passion for running. It is more than training for a 5k. It helps participants see and live the fullness of what God has called them to be. We work on the three main elements of life: physical, mental and spiritual. We are learning together through a great disciplined fellowship how to become whole people willing to run our lives for God.

Q) Later this month you will participate in the Run for God 5K. Tell us a little about this race and how people can participate.

A) While this is the first annual Run for God 5k in the Cape area, it is the second run to support the Amen Center. Our main goal is to raise awareness of the center in Delta. We want to make sure that our communities and churches know that this transitional center is right in our own backyard. It is a ministry that is working, and we need to support what is taking place there.

We are training runners to take part in this run for the benefit of the Amen Center. All proceeds will go to help Danny and Shirley with the financial needs of the center.

The run will be Saturday at Lynwood. Lynwood Baptist Church has been graciously allowing our Run for God class use their fellowship hall, so the run will begin and end at Lynwood.

Runners and walkers of all capabilities are invited to come out and support the Amen Center. There will be water stops and misting stations and a lot of fanfare and excitement. 

Q) What upcoming events or sermon series do you have scheduled at Glen Allen United Methodist Church?

A) I know personally the power and effect of prayer. This summer I will be focusing sermon series based on the purpose, power and many ways of prayer. 

Q) What's your favorite Bible verse and why?

A) My favorite Bible verse changes from time to time as I move through life experiences.

At this moment I have two scriptures that are helping form my ministry. Acts 1:8 and Philippians 4:13 work in tandem to remind me of how God's mission of redemption became our mission to share the Gospel and that promise of hope found in Jesus.   

Scripture says, "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth."

That power becomes evident when we step out in faith and do things that we could never do under our own abilities. God gives us the power to be a witness, a representation of the goodness of his son. While we have not yet reached perfection, we strive for it day in and day out. We are reminded that we can live this way, not under our own strength and power, but through the power that comes from the Lord. I often repeat, "I can do all this through him who gives me strength." I remind and encourage my congregation and the Run for God class of this by asking them to take on a "yes I can" attitude. We should never be afraid to step out in faith and let God lead us to lead others to him.

Q) What ongoing ministries does your church offer?

A) Glen Allen worships Sundays at 8:15 a.m. with Sunday school following at 9:30 a.m. Each Wednesday we gather for a rotation of ministries, whether it be Bible study, United Methodist Women, church council or youth activity. Glen Allen hosts two dinners in the community each year and participates in ongoing missions of the Missouri Annual Conference.