Dr. Marc Long is the new pastor of Fairfax Presbyterian Church in Fairfax, Missouri. He and his wife, Lisa, recently moved to Atchison County from Yankton, South Dakota, where he was president of Mount Marty University. (Submitted photo)

Dr. Marc Long is the new pastor of Fairfax Presbyterian Church. He and his wife, Lisa, recently moved to Atchison County from Yankton, South Dakota, where he was president of Mount Marty University.

Mount Marty University is a private Catholic institution, but this will be Pastor Long’s first time leading a congregation. He was commissioned after a year and a half of courses at Union Presbyterian Seminary in Virginia. From there, Pastor Long was hired by the Fairfax Presbyterian Church Board in May.

Pastor Long has three degrees from the University of Missouri – Columbia, including bachelor’s degrees in political science and history and a master’s degree in education. He also earned a PhD in higher education administration from the University of Missouri – St. Louis.

Pastor Long worked in the Office of the Chancellor at the University of Missouri – Columbia for 13 years before moving to St. Louis and working as vice president of a small college there.

They live on her family farm north of Rock Port. Lisa grew up in the Kansas City area, but had a lot of fond memories of being on the farm with her grandparents. “When we decided it was time to retire, we thought it would be a perfect place to do that,” Long said.

Looking ahead, Pastor Long wants to just be present to the people of Fairfax and his congregation. “I want to preach the gospel faithfully. It’s been two years since we’ve had a pastor here, so, in some ways, I would like to sort of reinvent what this job is like and connect with folks in the Fairfax community and really across Atchison County,” Long shared.