EDMONDS — The Rev. Kevin Hollinger can breeze through an overview of the Gospel in a few seconds, from original sin to salvation in Jesus Christ.
The hard work is relating that message to people’s lives. As the new senior pastor at Edgewood Baptist Church in Edmonds, that’s Hollinger’s mission.
“We’re trying to find new ways to say old truths,” he said.
He clarifies: “We’re not claiming to have arrived. We’re claiming to have found forgiveness and purpose in Christ.”
Hollinger joins Edgewood after serving 16 years as pastor at Grace Church in Algona, Iowa. Edgewood installed him as senior pastor Aug. 9.
Hollinger has been in the process of moving to Washington for the past six months. He and his wife, Paige, have seven children, ages 2 to 23.
Both inside and outside the ministry, sports have been a constant passion for Hollinger. He’s tall and trim, long after his college days when he played baseball, basketball, soccer and volleyball.
He grew up in northern California with Christian parents of other denominations. They joined the Baptist church when he was in elementary school.
As a teen, witnessing the hypocrisy of people who weren’t good Christians made him doubt going into the church.
“Sometimes the reasons you don’t want to do something are the very reasons you should,” he said.
He persevered, earning a master of divinity degree from Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and a doctor of ministry degree in biblical counseling from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.
Hollinger takes inspiration from William Wilberforce, an English politician who became an Evangelical Christian in the late 18th century and led efforts to abolish slavery. One message that resonates with him is that religion should help steer people to take pleasure in the right things.
“He said most people in his day had enough Christianity to make them miserable, but not enough Christianity to make them truly joyful,” Hollinger paraphrased.
The Edgewood Baptist Church campus sits on 76th Avenue W, across from College Place Middle School. It has served the community for about 60 years. The congregation numbers about 350 members.
Church leaders of late have focused on reaching out to an increasingly diverse community, said Randy McCormack, chairman of the board of elders. Up to 70 people attend a Spanish-language service Sunday afternoons. The church hosts international college students who participate weekly in an organization called Talk Time to improve their English skills and learn about U.S. culture.
Hollinger, meanwhile, is looking for ways his church can help address social ills, whether it’s domestic violence, homelessness, drug addiction or the prison system. He hopes to join forces with other congregations.
“Edgewood is not a little island all by itself,” he said. “We’re part of a bigger team.”
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @NWhaglund.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
