June 9, 2004

East Lansing -   The Michigan State Police is pleased to announce the appointment of Pastor Paul Leslie of Belding, Mich. to the Michigan State Police Chaplain Corps. Leslie is assigned to the Ionia Post.

The Michigan State Police Chaplain Corps began in 1932, with two chaplains, a Catholic monsignor from Flint and a Presbyterian minister from Kalamazoo. Both had previously served in World War I as military chaplains.

Today, the MSP Chaplain Corps has 34 members who perform a wide variety of pastoral duties, which include providing emotional and spiritual support for department members and their families; visiting sick or injured officers and family members; assisting with spouse and family needs; performing weddings for department members; performing funeral ceremonies; and participating in post or district meetings.

Leslie received his ordination from the Rocky Mountain Baptist Church in Ennis Mont. in 1975, following his graduation from Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna, Minn. and two years of training at Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Minneapolis. He served as senior pastor at the Rocky Mountain Baptist Church in Ennis for 15 years before becoming the senior pastor of Green Corners Baptist Church in Belding in 1988.

While living in Ennis, Leslie volunteered with the Madison County Search and Rescue and the Ennis Ambulance Service. After moving to Michigan, Leslie became a Belding Reserve Police Officer in 1990, and served as the department’s reserve chaplain. For the last four years, Leslie has served as the Belding Police Department Chaplain.

Leslie currently lives in Belding with his wife, Deanna. The Leslies’ daughter, Cheyenne, lives in Grand Rapids with her husband Nate and their son Kaleb. The Leslies’ oldest son, Andy, is applying to become a member of the Fort Collins Police Department in Fort Collins, Colo., and their youngest son, Jeff, is attending the D.C. Metro Police Academy in Washington D.C.