Following the apostle
BY ASHLEY THORPE
Writer
Ten days, seven locations and one inspiring apostle. Cory Thrall, a pastor at Washburn’s United Methodist Church, embarked on a week-and-a-half-long trip last month with his wife to discover more about the apostle Paul in the ancient lands of Greece. What he learned made a lasting mark on his views of the apostle.
Pastor Cory Thrall grew up in Bismarck and has been with United Methodists since 2012. He became involved in the ministry when he was called by God into the practice.
“When God gives you a call, you can’t run from that.” Thrall said. “No matter how hard you try, you can’t run from it.”
Due to a shortage of pastors in all denominations and a lack of people to send up to the Washburn church, Thrall was asked in 2014 to give up his job in Bismarck, move to Washburn and become a pastor there.
“I said, ‘heck yeah, let’s try it,’” Thrall said.
Going from an urban setting to a rural setting took some adjustment on Thrall’s part, he said. Thrall also serves Center and Hazen as a pastor, and credits Washburn as being ‘unique.’ Quite a few of the population work in Bismarck, giving Washburn a small-town feel but a Bismarck energy.
