After 25 years, Inkom’s Pastor Russ retires from hometown church

INKOM — After 25 years of service as pastor of Inkom Community Bible Church, Russ Blair is retiring—leaving behind a legacy of faith and trusting the Lord in the community he’s always called home.

Blair’s connection to the church building itself runs deeper than most. Long before it became a place of worship, the building served as Inkom Elementary School. Even earlier, it was the local high school attended by Blair’s parents and grandparents.

Fittingly, Blair’s office has been located in what used to be his second-grade classroom for the past quarter-century.

“I have trouble getting out of 2nd grade,” he joked.

Blair’s journey to ministry began in his late teens, while he was living in Pocatello and searching for a sense of purpose. One day in 1978, he attended a service at Pocatello Bible Church, where the pastor asked if anyone was ready to commit their life to Jesus.

“And that’s what I did,” Blair said. “I was saved or born again on that day in 1978.”

In a twist of what seems like divine timing, that very day was also when Inkom Community Bible Church held its first official service.

A year later, Blair met his wife, Terri, on a blind date. The couple married and moved to California, where they became active members of Calvary Baptist Church. It was during that time that Blair felt a strong calling to pastoral ministry. He attended Pacific Coast Bible College and was ordained in 1987.

In 1995, the couple moved to Hidalgo, Illinois, where he served as pastor for four years. Then, much to his surprise, Inkom Community Bible Church reached out, anticipating the need for a new pastor in the near future.

“I said, ‘Put me on the bottom of the list,’ and I’ll start praying about it,” Blair recalled. As it turned out, he was the last name remaining on that list. He returned to Inkom in August 2000, making a commitment to stay as long as the Lord wanted. He has led the congregation in Inkom for 25 years.

Describing Inkom as a “somewhat transitional community” with families often moving in and out, Blair said it was the people and the Lord who sustained his ministry for so long.

“I’m not foolish enough to think I did this on my own,” he said. “Being used of the Lord in any capacity is a privilege.”

Under Blair’s leadership, the church emphasized biblical teaching, heartfelt worship and community. He became a trusted guide in the lives of his congregation, officiating weddings, baptisms, and poignant memorials throughout east Idaho.

“People tell me I’m good at funerals. Serving as pastor has taken me places a lot of people don’t get to go,” he said. “I’ve been accepted into families and lives without feeling like an outsider.”

As he prepares to deliver his final sermon, Blair said he hopes the message will be less about him and more about what matters most: “Love God and love your neighbor.”

A new pastoral candidate will be introduced to the congregation on August 3. In the meantime, Russ and Terri plan to spend time camping, traveling, and enjoying family. Though he’s stepping down from the pulpit, Blair said he’s not stepping away from service.

“I still plan to live in Inkom, and I still want to serve the Lord,” he said. “Nothing is off the table.”

A public retirement celebration will be held at Inkom Community Bible Church, 251 West Grant Avenue, on Saturday, July 26, from 1 to 5 p.m., for all who have been touched by Blair’s friendship and ministry.

“I’ve been told there’s going to be a presentation and a surprise,” he said. “I’m not quite sure what they have planned for me, but I’m sure it will be good.”

For more information, follow the Inkom Community Bible Church on Facebook or go to inkombible.org

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