A recent move to Orr has brought on a change of scenery for Roger Parrish-Siggelkow and his wife, Marnie.

The couple, who moved to the north woods of Minnesota from Cannon Falls, came to the area on an appointment for Parrish-Siggelkow to be the Mobile Ministries pastor of the Kabetogama United Methodist Church and Crane Lake Chapel.

The Mobile Ministry is a mission of the United Methodist Church which serves the two congregations as well as a large, sparsely-populated area where there is no visible church presence. Parrish-Siggelkow serves as pastor of the two churches, as well as unchurched persons in the area.

“We believe it was God’s call to move here,” he said of his new pace of life. “This appointment to Kabetogama and Crane Lake seems like a great fit for my wife and me as we are informal, outdoorsy people.”

Parrish-Siggelkow grew up in Duluth and has lived in or near the Twin Cities for most of his life. He and Marnie have been married for 33 years and have three children and three grandchildren.

He explained that he has been interested in pastoral leadership since his early 20s, but did not enter full time ministry until about 20 years later.

“I spent most of my adult life as an entertainer, singer-songwriter and guitar teacher,” he said.

Parrish-Siggelkow’s pastoral role takes him on the road 250 miles each week visiting and preaching in the two communities he serves. “The people have been very warm and welcoming,” he said.

While he admits his move to the area has been a big adjustment, it has gone well and Parrish-Siggelkow comes to the Kabetogama United Methodist Church in a milestone year for the congregation. This year, the group will celebrate 50 years of existence.

“Kabetogama United Methodist Church is a very unique little congregation that has faithfully served the Kab community in many, many ways for 50 years,” the new pastor said. “It is a privilege to be a small part of the celebration. We had a lovely celebration on Sept. 11, so that the summer folks could join us.”

At the celebration, Parrish-Siggelkow said that Ed Town, one of the founding members of the church, spoke and Parrish-Siggelkow wrote a song to honor the church. The group is planning another celebration Dec. 4 and invites anyone to join in the celebration — or anytime, if they wish.

“Life is good and God loves people,” Parrish-Siggelkow said. “As a pastor in the United Methodist Mobile Ministry, part of my ministry is to reach out to people who visit our area and people who come to Voyageurs National Park who may have spiritual needs or questions. This is a very exciting part of the ministry for me as I love to bring my guitar and puppy along with me in the truck and just visit with people.”