Abbie Walker Joins Christian Ministry at the Grand Canyon

Mississippi College senior Abbie Walker of Clinton. Abbie, who has a double major: journalism and English, will graduate from MC on May 9. (Photo by Reid Vance)

Abbie Walker scaled mountains at Mississippi College as editor of the school newspaper during her senior year.

Making sure students meet story deadlines, submit photos and circulate “The Mississippi Collegian” around campus remains an awesome challenge for the paper’s editor. No doubt, there were more peaks, than valleys for the 21-year-old Clintonian.

On track to receive her MC diploma on May 9 with a double major in journalism and English, Abbie will soon journey to Arizona to build her Christian faith, while serving others at the Grand Canyon.

Starting around Memorial Day, Walker will work the front desk at a Grand Canyon lodge, lead worship services and handle other ministry duties at the national park through mid-October. And she will blog about her fascinating experiences at America’s breathtaking tourist attraction.

It’s a pretty cool way for this graduate of Hillcrest Christian School in Jackson to spend the next few months spreading her love of the Lord.

Abbie will join A Christian Ministry in the National Parks. Founded in 1951 at Yellowstone by a Princeton seminary student, the group remains the largest and oldest ecumenical Christian ministry connected to U.S. National Parks.

The ministry presently works with 25 national parks from Alaska to Tennessee to the Virgin Islands. An amazing 277 river miles long, 18 miles wide and one mile deep, the Grand Canyon seems to be the perfect spot for Abbie to share her gifts starting in late May. More than 30,000 people are expected to attend this year’s worship services at the Grand Canyon North Rim.

After her assignment with A Christian Ministry ends this fall, there should be other doors open to the Clinton resident back once she returns home to the South.

“I plan to do some freelance publications around the Jackson area until the Lord leads me in the next direction,” Abbie Walker says. Eventually going to graduate school to polish her craft as a writer, editor and publisher are other plans awaiting this bright Mississippian.

She cherishes her craft and how it instantly connects her to others. “I enjoy sharing people’s stories because I like getting to know someone that I didn’t know before and hearing about their life,” Abbie said. “We all have stories to tell and I love helping others tell theirs.”

The final issue of the “Mississippi Collegian” for the 2014-15 academic year was published April 28. It proved memorable for Abbie and her staff. On page one, she penned a story about Mississippi taking part in the National Day of Prayer on May 7. The tradition predates the founding of America when the Continental Congress established a day of prayer in 1775. She also contributed an opinion piece titled “River Journeys” that touches on life’s adventures and experiencing the Lord. “Meet challenges head on,” she writes. “Trust in the Lord to direct your path.”

Enrolling at Mississippi College in her hometown of Clinton didn’t seem like the best path for the Hillcrest Christian School student. But that quickly changed once she attended a Preview Day on the Clinton campus during her junior year. She discovered Mississippi College was the right fit.

“I couldn’t believe this great school had been in my backyard all along.”

She applied, received scholarships and never regretted her decision. Abbie admires all of the professors she encountered along the way in the Communication Department and in the English Department. “My professors encouraged me, and I feel fully prepared for any job in communication or writing.”

Abbie’s MC professors respected her dedication to The Collegian. “As adviser to the Collegian, I had no worries about the management of the paper while Abbie was editor,” says journalism professor Tim Nicholas. “She approached the job with professionalism and maturity.”

Attending Baptist-affiliated Mississippi College for four years kept Abbie in Clinton, but introduced her to people from across the USA and around the globe. MC’s 400 international students come from two dozen nations. “I would do it again in a heartbeat,” Abbie says.

As commencement day nears in early May, the same holds true for hundreds of members of the Class of 2015 at Mississippi College.