Rev. C. E. "Smoke" Kanipe
Rev. Smoke Kanipe was appointed as Senior Minister at Shandon United Methodist in June 2016. He says even back in his childhood days, one of the things he would tell folks he wanted to be when he grew up was a pastor.
After Smoke graduated from Spartanburg High School, he went to Duke University and Duke Divinity School to prepare to be a pastor, and for over 30 years he’s been living out that childhood dream. He says, “I feel very blessed that God has called me to do the thing that I enjoy most in life.”
Before Smoke came to Shandon, he served Methodist congregations in England, Mauldin, Greenville, and Spartanburg. Smoke and his wife, Sue, have two children, Hannah and Nicholas.
His FAQ: “Where did ‘Smoke’ come from? Not a very exciting story, really. My dad’s nickname was ‘Smokey.’”