Pastor Scott Linden has served the Sherman Community Church for the last year and a half after its merger with the congregation from New Beginnings Church in Mina’s Corners. P-J photo by Sara Holthouse

SHERMAN – Pastor Scott Linden, who serves Sherman Community Church, has been a minister for two years, but was called to it a long time before that.

“The decision for me was one of calling and confirmation,” Linden said. “I felt called to minister to others through preaching, teaching and counseling and for the past 20 years it has been on my heart.”

Linden has studied scripture, church history and societal issues, earning his Master’s Degree in Biblical Studies. He said he was only an advocate at that time, but through the years his family, friends and other pastors would tell him that he should look into going into ministry.

Linden has been serving Sherman Community Church for a year and a half, but has been a minister for around two years in total. He began at New Beginning’s Church in Mina’s Corners at first before things changed there.

“I was there for about six months,” Linden said. “We had issues with the building and other stuff, and then the pastor here, Steve Kilburn, was moving to another job in Jamestown. So, we connected and merged congregations. They accepted me with open arms and it was a God-ordained plan.”

Linden said he ended up at New Beginnings at first through Doug Kibbe, who is the minister at The Rock church, and who set him up with Greg Edwards who was the pastor before him at New Beginnings.

Now serving the two merged congregations, Linden said pastors are important for several reasons.

“First, we are heralds of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the greatest news ever given and we do that through preaching and teaching,” Linden said. “It’s a unique role and a high calling, translating the ministry into the Body of Christ and into the world. We speak the truth into the world.”

Linden added that being a pastor “means the world” to him, and that it is a high, serious, “difficult but joy-filled” calling.

“I serve God and the gospel of Christ, but I also serve others in so many ways, not only the congregation but anyone,” Linden said. “Pastors help human souls and change human destinies.”

Before becoming a pastor at New Beginnings and Sherman Community Church, Linden served filling pulpits at different churches for 15 years. He took other Bible teaching opportunities, but also works part time with a non-profit that works with the homeless. He also used to work at UCAN, where he still sits on the board. Linden has also been involved with the addiction recovery community and ministry for 20 years.

More than anything, he said he is blessed to be able to serve as a pastor for the community.

“I am blessed to be able to serve my brothers and sisters at Sherman Community Church and New Beginnings,” Linden said. “They’re a wonderful congregation that I can’t thank enough for accepting me.”

Linden invited anyone who is not a part of a church to come join them at Sherman Community Church, or to join another Bible-believing church. Additionally, he always welcomes those with questions to come to him, saying he will help as best as he can.

Sherman Community Church is located at 107 Church Street in Sherman. Adult Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m. Sundays, with worship services starting afterwards at 10:30 a.m.