Whittaker, Noah

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Revision as of 02:31, 15 January 2011

Noah Whittaker is the youth pastor at Glen Hill Road First Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In 1996 he was a ministerial student at a Christian college in the south but working as a Senior Guide on the Ocoee River with Crystal Chladek. Like Crystal, he wasn't a partier and didn't like the bunkhouse there. Both tented up the hill instead.^CF10

Noah and Scooter had already known each other from the previous year, their paths crossing in the same area. Both share a southern accent, although Noah was originally from Michigan.

Noah was on one trip when Crystal and Randy Clark had two drunk kayakers pull knives on them. He assisted Pastor Mark Jordan, an EMT, in providing first aid.^DW23 After the dramatic introduction Noah was later hired by Pastor Jordan to be the youth minister at his church and Mark continued to mentor him. In 2001 wasn't actively looking for a church of his own, but waiting for the Lord to call him.

Noah was recruited by Crystal for Canyon Tours. He rode on Al Buck and Karin Chladek's wedding trip, helping to qualify him as a full boatman, plus he officiated at the wedding.^CF19 Crystal has serious plans of keeping him in the Canyon. He was described in 1996 as "a tall, thin, bearded young man". By 2001 he is still called "lanky", but the beard isn't mentioned.

At the end of Canyon Fires he has decided to stay in the Canyon as a boatman rather than try to find a church of his own, and he and Crystal become closer. At some point in River Rat he becomes known as "Preach".

On November 24, 2001 he and Crystal are married by Pastor Jordan at Lee's Falls.^RR63