Armed by faith

HE is the country pastor with an extraordinary talent — a man with a strong faith and even stronger arms.

Guntars Baikovs might teach the Bible’s workings in the South Australian Lutheran Church but he is also the unlikely reigning national superheavyweight champion in — arm wrestling.

The Latvian-born pastor, was crowned the Australian champion ‘‘on both arms’’ in the superheavyweight division at the national championships in Sydney last month.

The 41-year-old fatherof-three, who stands 195cm and weighs in at 120kg, emigrated to Tanunda, in the Barossa Valley earlier this year to work at the St Paul’s and Zion Gnadenberg parish.

The softly spoken and modest pastor, together with his young family, have quickly become an integral part of the local community but it is his exploits outside of church that have earned him a cult-like following.

He dismissed the stereotypes of arm wrestling where ‘‘boozy guys compare the strengths of their ‘guns’ in the pubs’’.

‘‘It is just great fun but it just requires general fitness,’’ he said.