Our Minister:  Kelly Grittner, LPM

   Kelly Grittner views coming to Banff as the minister of Rundle Memorial United Church as a bit of a homecoming. 

   "I left Banff in 1972 and never really expected to return for any length of time.   A few days a year of hiking and several class reunions kept me connected with the area while I was living in British Columbia and southern Alberta – it’s great to be back and wonderful to be serving the United Church of Canada in Banff."

                                                                         Kelly Grittner, left, at Covenanting Service

   Kelly’s first move to Banff was in                  Rundle Memorial United Church      

1962 when his family relocated  here                            March 19, 2005  

from from northern Alberta.   His father was a National Park warden posted to the Banff townsite.   Kelly attended and graduated from Banff Community High School.

   In 1974, Kelly began a career as a School Business Official with the

Golden School District.  Over the next 20 years he worked with several school districts and the British Columbia Ministry of Education.   During this time he completed college programs in Business Administration and Computer Technology.  In 1991 he completed a Certificate in Conflict Resolution with the Justice Institute of B.C., specializing in mediation.

   In 1993, Kelly was accepted as a candidate for ministry and began a three year field-based ministry program based in the Kamloops-Okanagan Presbytery.  During this time Kelly served the Peachland Pastoral Charge and was recognized as a Lay Pastoral Minister by B.C. Conference in 1997.  Following this he served the Foremost Pastoral Charge in southern Alberta.

   "I have always felt called to serve smaller congregations – perhaps that is because I view religion as a source of community, and community is often easier to build in smaller groupings."  Kelly embraces Rabbi Harold Kushner’s statement that ". . . religion binds people together to deal with life’s joyous and sorrowful moments" and he sees Rundle Memorial as a church with a history of doing just that.

     Kelly looks forward to working within the diverse communities that exist in Banff.  "I see my ministry here as connecting at least three distinct communities: resident members of the church, weekly visitors from all over the world, and folks who are here to work in the service industry."

   Kelly and his wife Keitha have two daughters.  Alison is a graduate of Simon Fraser University; Kelsey is studying at the University of British Columbia.

Banff, Alberta

August 2004

(Photograph courtesy of Phyllis Horpenuk)