Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Former Camden police officer becomes Methodist minister

Gary Maskell, 50, who served as a Camden police officer for eight years, is the new minister at the Gurdon United Methodist Church.

Maskell was assigned as pastor to the Gurdon church, at 201 East Walnut Street, on June 21 by the parent organization of the Methodists.

He arrives in Gurdon from his post as pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Junction City.

Maskell replaces former Pastor Rusty Jones, who declined to move from the area and resigned from the Methodist organization to seek a career in full-time evangelism.

Maskell and his wife, Melissa, are living in the parsonage on Pinewood Street with their daughter, Julia, 13. Julia will enter the eighth grade at Cabe Middle School this fall and plays trumpet in the band.

Maskell served as pastor at the Junction City First United Methodist Church for the past 18 months.

"Being assigned to Gurdon was a surprise move for me and my family," Maskell said. "We expected to stay in Junction City for at least another year."

Maskell has been a licensed minister for nearly a decade. His license has been with the Methodist Church for the past four years. Before that, he was with licensed with the Nazarenes for more than two years. Prior to that, Maskell was with the Four Square denomination for two years in Southern Louisiana.

"I moved from Southern Louisiana to El Dorado, Arkansas, and went to church at Assembly of God because there was no Four Square denomination there. Then I went to the Nazarenes before God led me to the Methodists," he said. "I believe the gift of eternal life that Jesus Christ has given us is so important we need to be sharing the gospel of Jesus with everyone we see. I tell people there is hope, there is eternal life and there is an abundant life that Jesus has prepared for us in this world."

Maskell said his personal definition of abundance is being allowed to serve as a full-time Christian minister and he intends to go on doing just that.

"I tell people that the Bible says what it says. I tell them about Gods love and that there is sin. As Christians, we are filled with one spirit. We have the desire and ability to be doing Gods will and we can be free from the junk of this world," he said.

Maskell said he has already felt a kinship with the Christians in Gurdon and people have made him feel welcome.

"I feel the love of Jesus in this community and I look forward to serving here in whatever direction God leads me," Maskell said. "Melissa and I have been married two years as of June 26. We celebrated our anniversary and then we moved to our home in this town."

Maskell said his first sermon in Gurdon was on Sunday, June 25, and his subject was depression. His second sermon was on July 2 and it was about true freedom with a focus on Independence Day.

"I brought up some traps that hold us back from being what God thinks we should be," he said. "I pointed out how people hold on to the baggage of their old sins and how we have the power to let the old stuff go."

Maskell said Jesus is not a dictator, but rather a friend who will guide you and show you where to walk. Those who take Christs direction, he said, "are joyous servants of him."

From New Jersey

Maskell said he grew up in New Jersey and graduated New Jersey Exit 105 High School in 1975.

From there, he was on active duty in the United States Army from 1977 until 1980. He was inactive in the Army Reserves from 1980 until 1983. In the service, Maskell was an E5 specialist.

He then pursued a higher education and graduated a New Jersey college in 1983. Maskell received a chiropractic degree from Mirietta, Georgia in 1986.

"When I first became a chiropractor, I felt an extremely strong call into the ministry," he said. "Before I was a Christian, no Christians ever invited me to church. So I invite people a lot."

Maskell said he changed from being a chiropractor to a police sergeant at the Camden Police Department where he worked from November 1996 until December of 2004.

"I had started my ministry when I was a police officer, but much of it was part time. My Methodist experience has been full time and that is what I want to do; serve my Lord full time from here on out," he said.

Being in the ministry full time allows Maskell to write a regular newsletter, which includes a copy of previous sermons, anniversaries, birthdays, crossword puzzles and word searches.

Maskell said he plans to join the Gurdon Rotary Club and hopes to become involved with other community activities.

"I may start by helping Mr. Wimberly teach my daughter Julia in band," he said. "I plan to dig my trumpet out of storage after 31 years and begin to practice. So if you hear something coming from the direction of the Methodist church that sounds like an injured animal, that may be me."

Maskell said Gurdons Methodist Church has a Sunday morning congregation with an average attendance of about 70.

Sunday school starts at 9:30 a.m., the main service is at 10:50 a.m. and there is a Sunday evening service at 6 p.m. Those desiring more information about church activities may call 353-4469.