The Church of Jesus Christ Calls Its First Single Senior Missionary: Paul Newton Blazes a Trail
When many thought his time to serve was over, he decided to believe there was still more to live. And more to give.
At 70, Elder Paul Newton didn’t just pack his bags and travel across the world to Croatia. He also made history.
He is the first older single man officially called to serve as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, following a recent update allowing single men over the age of 40 to serve missions.
But this story doesn’t begin with a calling, but with a loss… and a promise.
A Postponed Mission, an Eternal Love
For years, Paul dreamed of serving a mission with his wife, Kathleen. They made plans, discussed possible assignments, filled out forms… until an unexpected diagnosis changed the course of everything.
Kathleen and Paul Newton are photographed together in West Valley City, Utah, in the summer of 2014. | Provided by Paul and Daniel Newton
Kathleen fell seriously ill in 2019. She was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis. Plans for a mission together were put on hold. The disease progressed, and in November 2022, after 46 years of marriage, Kathleen passed away.
Paul, a widower and heartbroken, returned to Utah and devoted himself to the temple, family history work, and service. But something still throbbed inside him: a deep desire to serve as a missionary again.
A New Door Opens
On November 1, 2024, as he was leaving the temple, Paul received a message that would change his life: the Church now allowed older, single men to serve as missionaries.
He didn’t hesitate. ” I’m in, ” he replied immediately.
But being the first meant breaking new ground: the application system wasn’t yet fully prepared for candidates like him. There were obstacles, pauses, special forms, and technical adjustments. At times, it seemed like it wasn’t going to happen.
However, his patience, faith, and determination inspired the Missionary Department team, who called him “a literal pioneer.” Thanks to him, many other men will be able to follow in his footsteps more easily.
Croatia: Its New Land of Promise
On March 10, 2025, Elder Newton entered the Provo Missionary Training Center (MTC). Just days later, he was serving in the North Adriatic Mission office, headquartered in Zagreb, Croatia.
But he’s not there just to handle paperwork.
He was assigned a pilot program to reactivate less-active members , an effort that could impact many people who once knew the Gospel but have fallen away.
With his experience as a lawyer and his genuine love for people, Elder Newton is more than qualified. But there’s something else: his broken heart, now filled with purpose, allows him to connect with others in unique and profound ways .
He Didn’t Come Alone
Mission president Brian Cordray summed it up this way:
I feel that in a very tangible way, she will be with him in spirit, and he will feel her love and support from the other side of the veil.
That love hasn’t stopped. It’s just transformed.
An Example for All of Us
For many older men, life after 60 can feel like a home stretch. But Elder Newton is demonstrating something different:
That God does not finish His work for us just because we get older .
That pain can become power .
And even when we think we don’t have much to offer, the Lord shows us a way… if we have the courage to take the first step.
Today, Paul serves. Tomorrow, many more.
Thanks to your decision to try, hundreds—perhaps thousands—of older single men will one day be able to wear a missionary badge and joyfully say, “I am a missionary for Jesus Christ.”
Elder Newton isn’t just the first. He’s a pioneer. An example of a late-blooming faith, yes, but vibrant and full of life.
And even though his eternal companion is not physically by his side, he knows he is not alone.
Because where there is faith, there is heavenly company.
And where there is love… there is always a mission to fulfill.
Source: Church News
