At the beginning of each year, the Fountain Hills Christian Ministerial Association (FHCMA) appoints a new leader to take the helm.

This year, JOY Christian Community Church Pastor Clayton Wilfer passed on the torch to Pastor Keith Pavia at Christ’s Church of Fountain Hills.

Lounging in the Christ’s Church coffee shop, wearing jeans and a bright blue Dunder Mifflin Inc. Paper Company t-shirt, Pavia is laid back, warm and easy to talk to. He shares a fun secret shared throughout the FHCMA leadership team.

“We do a funny ring exchange,” he said. “No one wears it but it’s funny.”

Pavia speaks fondly of a time years ago when the FHCMA leaders gave a Green Lantern ring to an incoming FHCMA president who particularly enjoyed the Green Lantern DC Comics superhero who fights evil with the aid of a ring that grants extraordinary powers.

“We get along,” Pavia laughs. “We have the same belief. Different philosophies. We all support each other to teach and do what we need to do to get Jesus’ name out.”

This year, Pavia is looking forward to organizing the perennial FHCMA events, including the Easter Sunrise Service in the Fountain Park amphitheater, the Thanksgiving Community Service held the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and the National Day of Prayer, held the first Thursday in May.

“Day of Prayer is big because we do so many different things,” Pavia said, listing activities such as the 4-Corners Prayer, a prayer walk/hike and most notably, a 24-hour prayer session.

Pavia wants Jesus to remain a presence in the minds of Fountain Hills residents, especially when it comes to helping those in need.

Last year, FHCMA’s banner project was the food closet, which is ongoing and hosted by Cornerstone Family Church. The project consisted of assigning all 11 churches in the Association in collecting non-perishable items, canned goods and home essentials like soap, toilet paper and feminine products to be given to families in need. Pavia wants the community to know it is still available and located at Cornerstone Family Church in Fountain Hills.

In concert with the food closet is the Good Samaritan Fund in which FHCMA provides financial aid to families facing hardships in life.

“The Good Samaritan Fund is for Fountain Hills residents,” Pavia said. “The food closet is for anyone driving by Shea that needs it and hears about it.”

For five years, Pavia has been in leadership at Christ’s Church of Fountain Hills, three of which he has served as lead pastor.

“The heart of the [Christian Ministerial Association] is really to help and share truth in a loving way and be there for people,” Pavia said.