Reverend Larry Walls was called to ministry when he was 12 years old. He asked his pastor at the time what calls people to the ministry, and his pastor simply replied, “It is when you can’t do anything else.”
Larry didn’t understand what that meant, though. It took him a few years to figure it out. As he grew up, he pursued psychology and received a degree from Wichita State University. Then he received a master’s in counseling. He spent a couple years in the Navy as a welder on nuclear subs, then temporarily moved to Florida doing inspection work in a power plant. Eventually, he worked as a child abuse investigator for a year. Finally, he came to work at Boeing and worked there for 28 years, with 25 of them spent in Human Resources.
Larry noticed a pattern, though: “Everything I ever did always came back to helping people.” Somewhere in the mix of moving around and working, Larry began pulpit supply, or filling in on pulpits when congregations needed someone to deliver a sermon. During one of these fill-ins, Larry told a church he would only do it short-term, and started his short-term commitment the Sunday after Labor Day in 1992. After 32 years, he retired as the church’s pastor at the end of 2024, completing his short-term commitment.
After retiring, Larry became more active in the Kansas Disciples organization. He became Chairman of the Credentials Committee and an active member on the Regional Board, and active in the Tri-Regional Partnership Initiative between Kansas, Greater Kansas City, and Nebraska. It was through the Kansas Disciples he heard about Kansas Christian Home and our need for a chaplain.
Larry says that when he came to Kansas Christian Home, he felt something — “Something about this place gives me peace, not stress.”
When Larry received the position, he said, “I am amazed at how joy-filled I am to be in this position.”
Larry’s ultimate hope as our Chaplain is that the love he has for the people here will be returned. “My intent as the chaplain is to be everyone’s chaplain, not just [for] residents, but staff and administration.”
Please help welcome Reverend Larry Walls to KCH!