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Arizona Ordinations Meet Needs Unconventionally
he typical path to ordination” would not describe the process for Pastor Ranison Kennedy and Pastor Alvin Schnell. While their backgrounds and life experience are dramatically different, both have a passion for ministry that has eclipsed their retirement years. When asked about these two individuals, Arizona Conference Ministerial Director Van Bledsoe comments, “It is inspiring to see these two men, who both spent an entire life in their respective careers, now dedicate themselves to full-time ministry.” Elder Ranison Kennedy grew up in a Christian home that instilled in him the importance of prayer and a love for and trust in God. After playing college basketball for a couple of years, he was called into the U.S. Army and served three years, including a tour in Vietnam. Shortly after his return from Vietnam, he began work as an electrical lineman and encountered a Seventh-day Adventist foreman who introduced him to the church. After years of studying and contemplating the Word of God, he and his wife, Rosie Marie, were baptized in 1976. Two years later they relocated to Tucson, Arizona, and became active members in the Tucson Sharon church. After he retired from his career, Ranison and Rosie Marie focused on prison ministry nearly full time. For 30 years they had focused their ministry on the
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Arizona Conference
individuals who were located inside the correctional facility walls; then God called them to pivot to focus on those who were facing re-entry into society outside the walls. He, along with other like-minded Christians, established a Christ-centered re-entry home, The Omega House Ministry. In 2006, the Arizona Conference commissioned Ranison as a lay pastor for the Tucson Maranatha Group, which later gained status as a church. “Omega House Re-entry Ministry is an integral part and ministry of the church,” he said. “Church members serve as mentors to the enrolled men and their families.” In 2017, Pastor Kennedy completed his coursework in the Clinical Pastoral Education Program and received his chaplain certification. Having served his community and church for many years, the Arizona Conference recognized that it was long overdue to officially ordain Pastor Ranison Kennedy. Conducting the ordination service in his home church allowed church members to celebrate and show their strong support for the pastor and his wife, who have been a major part of their lives. “Brother Kennedy has always had a great passion for serving those who are marginalized by society,” said Arizona Conference President Ed Keyes. “It has been a privilege to work with Pastor Kennedy for almost 20 years now in Arizona.” An hour and half drive to the southeast of Tucson is the Sierra