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Currently the lead pastor of First Covenant Church in Portland, Oregon, he will begin his new duties March 1.<\/p>\nCHICAGO, IL (February 6, 2008) – John Wenrich has been called to a newly created position within the Department of Church Growth and Evangelism (CG&E) to work with established churches in areas of congregational health and vitality.<\/p>\n
Currently the lead pastor of First Covenant Church in Portland, Oregon, he will begin his new duties March 1.<\/p>\n
“Our base of established churches has been critical to our overall denominational strength,” says Gary Walter, CG&E executive minister. “This position will make sure we have an additional way to bring strong resources and creative leadership to the base of our established congregations, just as we do all we can to support church plants.”<\/p>\n
Wenrich will work closely with other departments and regional conferences, Walter said. The position will help with new congregational assessment and planning resources, identification and training for “turnaround” pastors, and developing a network of coaches.<\/p>\n
Wenrich told a gathering at the just-concluded Midwinter Pastors Conference that all church revitalization begins with the pastor’s heart and commitment to their own spiritual growth.<\/p>\n
“John’s ministry background and breadth of experience makes him a great candidate,” says Walter. “He knows small and large churches, new and older congregations, has lived in a variety of contexts, and has a genuine appreciation for the variety of approaches in the Evangelical Covenant Church.”<\/p>\n
That experience helped Wenrich to co-develop a seminar titled “Dream Again” that focuses on congregations gaining a fresh sense of vision and momentum, says Walter.<\/p>\n
Wenrich was a television news anchor and sportscaster in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in the mid-1980s. He was an assistant pastor and founding pastor of churches near Denver before moving to Portland. He also is a regional coordinator for the Covenant’s Sustaining Pastoral Excellence initiative.<\/p>\n
Wenrich grew up near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University, an M.Div. from Denver Theological Seminary, and a D.Min. from Fuller Theological Seminary.<\/p>\n
He is married to Julie Deboer and has three children: Jonathan, 17, Joel, 12, and Jordan, 10.<\/p>\n