Pastor fulfills dream of new home for Everett church
Published 12:01 am Saturday, February 5, 2011
EVERETT — Bill Gunter has always prayed for Everett.
He got to know the town from his years working in maintenance for the city and the fire department.
As part of one job, for example, he combed the city’s streets and checked every fire hydrant to make sure each was in good repair. “It was fun to search the city of Everett, a city that I loved,” he recalled with a smile.
Another time, he was tasked with painting the totem pole on Evergreen Way. People called him Painter Bill.
Gunter is also Pastor Bill, and all this time he had been nurturing a dream to start a church in south Everett. He even bought his house there hoping to start a church nearby.
Gunter, now 80, retired after a knee-replacement surgery in 1995. He founded the Everett South Church of the Nazarene the following year.
Another church of the same denomination is in north Everett.
Gunter’s church moved from place to place as he struggled to find it a permanent home. For the past few years, his congregation of about 100 met at Olivia Park Elementary. Before that, they worshipped at two other schools in the area. They couldn’t find an affordable place to lease.
Gunter prayed for help finding permanent space. He recently heard that a building, where a Korean church had been meeting, was up for lease. That building on Airport Road worked out perfectly, and Gunter’s first service there is planned for Sunday.
His congregation now has a home.
“It’s a longtime dream come true,” Gunter said.
Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452; kyefimova@heraldnet.com.
First service
Come to the Everett South Church of the Nazarene.
The first service is planned for 11 a.m. Sunday at 12322 Airport Road, Everett. At 6 p.m., Tom Lowry and his wife are scheduled to speak about their missionary work in Africa.
