GREEN RIVER — The sound of trumpets and drums could be heard the morning of June 16, as members of the Green River High School marching band marched to bid farewell to long-time GRHS band teacher, Jerrid Washburn.
The group of students, past and present, started their march at Veteran’s Park baseball field in Green River and made their way to Washburn’s residence where they surprised him with a performance outside his doorstep.
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He was expecting recently-graduated student Brianna Rath to stop by in the morning with a thank you card. He did receive the card, but also much more.
It was a complete surprise… There was definitely some tears.”
-Jerrid Washburn
It was clearly a bittersweet moment, as tears fell down Washburn’s face as he watched his students play for him. It was the nicest thing students have done for him, he said.
“That says a lot about them that they would take the time out of their day to do what they did for me,” he said. “It makes you feel like you’ve made a difference. From the beginning, I’ve wanted to make a difference.”
Following His Call
Washburn will be moving to White Sulfur Springs, Montana to pursue his calling as a pastor for the Christian Missionary Alliance Church. His first Sunday as a pastor there will be July 2.
The process of becoming a pastor, he said started five years ago. As a regular Sunday-school teacher at the Green River Christian and Missionary Reliance Church, he spent much time talking about about pursing his pastoral calling.
I spent a lot of time praying about it…”
-Jerrid Washburn
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He finished his ministerial studies program fall of 2016 and was accredited as a worker for the Alliance. It was just a matter of waiting then, he said. Memorial Day weekend of 2017 came, and he received notification from the church in Montana.
“Things moved really quickly,” Washburn said. “It’s exciting, nerve racking. It’s kind of a paradox of emotions of having been somewhere for 17 years serving as a teacher.”
He will now be a teacher of a different kind, and will take his musical talents with him.
“I couldn’t leave this position to go do the same thing somewhere else,” he said. “I really truly love what I do. As much as I love it, this is where I’m called and this is where I need to head next.”