Fowler Methodist Welcomes New Pastor

The Rev. Randy Quinn arrived in Spokane on June 28 and took over as pastor at Fowler United Methodist Church last Thursday. But moving in and getting into the swing of things quickly is nothing new to Quinn, a former Navy man whose father was also in the Navy.

“Moving here is move number 48 for me,” says Quinn.

Quinn is replacing Fowler’s pastor of 17 years, said the Rev. Ralph Tipple Jr., who is now retired. Quinn was transferred here from Allen Blanchard United Methodist Church in Bow, Wash., where he spent the last seven years.

Quinn, 42, has been a pastor for the past 14 years after graduating from Garrett Evangelical in Illinois. He made the decision to enter the ministry while in the Navy, serving as a supply officer in a submarine. The sub had no chaplain, so he would lead the worship service. One memorable day, the scripture Quinn read told the story of Jonah.

“I recognized in Jonah’s story my story,” he says. They were both avoiding the call to preach and both were in the belly of a whale in the middle of the ocean, although in Quinn’s case it was a submarine.

“I decided I needed to respond to it,” he says.

There were early indications that Quinn was interested in the ministry. He graduated from the University of Washington with a major in building construction. “I thought I’d go into remodeling or building churches,” he says. “Here I am building churches in a different way.”