Southern Baptist Church

By Karen L. Willoughby

ENOCH, Utah – Red Hills Southern Baptist Church, started in 1993, has tripled in size over the last three years at the same time Pastor Joe Kline has also served multiple other roles.

He’s the football chaplain at Southern Utah University, wrestling coach at Canyon View High School, leader of the Sunday night program for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter at SUU,  and works with InterVarsity at the SUU. He also mentors emerging Christian leaders, is married to Kourtney and has four children, two grown and two younger ones who were adopted at birth.

“The thing I strive to be and that people see, as coach, chaplain and pastor, I’m very authentic,” Kline told UI Connections. “We have to be who God created us to be. I just try to be genuine, real, letting people know we’re all in this together, sinners saved by the grace of God.

“In an LDS community where image is everything, I think this has been refreshing for people,” Kline continued. “I tell people, ‘You don’t have to play church on Sunday. You can be who God created you to be.’

“God is constantly reminding me: ‘Be yourself. Use the gifts and talents I have given you,’” the pastor said. “I continue to use sports, athletics, coaching as tools, and God has blessed that.”

Red Hills Church started a second service after Labor Day. It baptized 28 people last year, the majority of whom were 15 to 25 years old.

Bible study for all ages Sunday morning, plus men’s and women’s Bible studies during the week. Youth gather on Wednesday.

“And we have a really strong children’s program,” the pastor said. “Parents love it; kids love it. We had 40 this summer and will have 50 or more during the school year.”

Youngsters have been studying the Answers in Genesis curriculum Sunday mornings and in VBS this summer. VBS drew 120 youngsters in the town of about 8,500 residents nine miles north of Cedar City.

Among the church’s many ministries is generous support to a local homeless shelter; teaching two or three days a week at Cedar Bible Institute, a “release time” ministry to students at two area high schools; volunteering each summer at Henry’s Place, a camp for at-risk youth, which baptized “probably close to 25 this summer,” Kline said.

The camp’s director, Dan Maruyama, is a member at Red Hills Church. Another member, Alan Calliham, leads a faith-based addiction recovery program at the church, which draws 20 to 40 people each Monday night at the church.

“The Lord is really using Alan to help those in addictions,” the pastor said.

A team from the church went on a two-week mission trip from the church to Mozambique in June. There, they worked with a missionary they help sponsor. Assignments included encouraging the youngsters and staff at a church’s orphanage; leading in conversations and a worship service at a local dump, where people live; and attending a service at a church where a Red Hills member anonymously last year paid for the cost of the roof.

Red Hills Church has helped financially support the missionary there; her parents are members of the southern Utah church. The 13 percent of its budget allocated for missions also includes Color Country Baptist Association, UISBC – the Cooperative Program receives 3 percent – and NAMB. Kline said he anticipates increasing the missions budget a bit each year.

“We really feel cooperation is huge; it’s so important to work together,” the pastor said. “Cooperation is the only way to do what Christ said, to go into all the world.”

Red Hills youth participated in UISBC’s Sonfest in early August at Lagoon in Layton, then stayed an extra night to be able to worship at ValleyLight Church in West Valley City, Utah. They did so to serve the suburban Salt Lake City church by helping set up and tear down chairs and other equipment at Ascent Academy, where the church meets.

“I challenged our youth to do that,” Kline said. “When our church started we met at a school. I thought it would be cool to do that for another church.

“It was amazing to see the attitude of the youth,” the pastor continued. “The importance of serving; that’s something we try to instill: serving, not just taking.”

Kline is the only paid full time staff, with the support of a part time secretary, at Red Hills Church, though there are two longtime volunteer elders, who  “assist in the training of emerging leaders,” Kline said. “They were instrumental in training men for pulpit supply. “

Member Caleb Alexander was called this spring to pastor Beryl Baptist Church northwest of Cedar City. Another man Kline and the elders mentored is Anthony Castaneda, who was called as pastor in July to Calvary Baptist Church in Mesquite, Nevada. Red Hills also has helped supply preachers and mentoring at Valley Christian Fellowship at Panguitch.

“We focus on evangelism and outreach, and we also focus on making disciples,” Kline said. “It’s about loving God, loving others and making disciples. What we try to do is get people involved. We try to give people opportunities to serve. Discipleship is caught not taught.”

Red Hills Church is praying about adding a youth pastor, perhaps mentoring a man with a calling but no experience. The church also is praying for an onsite or nearby “more aggressive” campus ministry at SUU.

“We see God doing a lot of things at the university,” the pastor said. “We would definitely partner if and when a God-called leader started something. Even if they’d only be here two or three years as they’re learning. We do want to be used to send people out to Utah Idaho as seasoned ministers.”