The Cool Pastor

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a pastor whom you felt like you could tell anything? I know that you should feel like that with most any pastor, but at times you worry about they’re judgment about you. You feel like you have to be constantly serious around most pastors, at least I haven’t met one that I didn’t feel that way until I met Pastor David Utt. Dave is one of the most easy going people I have ever met, and on top of that, he is the pastor at the Church of the Eastside of the Nazarene. Dave not only contributes to the well-being of the community, but he also contributes to the well-being of individuals. He makes for a good time and lots of laughs while also solving some problems you may be experiencing.

I met Dave about a year and a half ago during the spring of my senior year in high school. I was always a baseball lover and had played it from the time when I was five up through my sophomore year. After about two years with out it, I really began to miss it. A few buddies of mine always talked about church league softball. They were always like, “Hey Stew, we have practice tonight. You should come. I know Dave would love to have you on the team.” I always wanted to go but I just never did it. In all honesty, I was afraid of meeting a pastor that I knew nothing about. Everyone had always told me how “cool” he was, but I just couldn’t picture a pastor being that “cool.”

A month into the season, I ran into Ryan Tompkins, one of the guys from the team, at McDonald’s. I stopped and said “Hey” and went to order my food. When I got my food, I went back to sit down with Ryan. There, Ryan was sitting with a guy probably in his mid to late twenties. “Stew, this is Dave,” Ryan said. Dave, the guy I was looking at, didn’t look like a pastor at all. I maybe was just being stereotypical, but he just didn’t remind me of a pastor. We all got to talking about softball, and Dave persuaded me to come and join the next game we had.

Throughout the season, I grew to love Dave not just for being my pastor but for being such a great, inspiring friend. Dave is the type of person you can hang out with and watch movies with or do whatever. You can even joke around with him and poke fun. He calls Ryan, “Rianna” and refers to us as girls all the time. He’s just a fun-loving guy and I even went to Six Flags, St. Louis with him. He’s probably the biggest kid that I know. He has a passion for roller coasters, and I think that goes hand-in-hand with his passion for having fun. There’s a side to him that seems like a side you would never think a pastor would have. He would even try to de-pants my little brother to embarrass him. It was on of the best times I’ve ever had and definitely one of the most memorable.

On the other hand, Dave has a serious side to him. After speaking to several members of the Church, my grandmother included, I received the impression that he is one of the best things that has happened there. Since him becoming the pastor, attendance has increased. I know this because it’s something I have witnessed since I started attending. He is constantly trying new things, and he definitely wants to make a good impression on the community. For those that know Dave, love him and cherish is work at the church. He is constantly trying to raise