Several pastoral changes have occurred in the Iowa-Missouri Conference this summer, with three new pastors, five pastors who have moved from one district to another and two pastors who have accepted calls to other fields. Ministerial director Lee Rochholz shares the details below.
New pastors
Jeremy Clark: Jeremy and his wife, Torrie, recently began serving the Albia, Centerville, Fairfield and Ottumwa churches in Iowa. After completing training with SALT, It Is Written’s school of evangelism, Jeremy had been serving as an It Is Written Bible worker for the past year and a half.
Before that they were active members in the Houston (MO) Church, where they gave Bible studies, preached and were heavily involved with the Pathfinder program. Jeremy and Torrie have four children: Christopher, Shelby, Samuel and Isabella.
Essam Habib: Essam recently began serving the Clinton, Dubuque and Waukon churches in Iowa. He previously served as an associate pastor of the Buchriech Church in Beirut, Lebanon, with former Iowa-Missouri pastor Jared Miller.
Essam and his family came to the U.S. in 2017. He was hired by the Iowa-Missouri Conference in January 2018 and has spent the past two years at Andrews Theological Seminary.
Ric Meyerpeter: After 26 years of serving as a Bible teacher and chaplain for Sunnydale Academy, Ric Meyerpeter recently transitioned back into pastor ministry and will be serving the Mexico (MO) district. Before serving at Sunnydale, Ric and his wife, Tammy, pastored the Sunnydale Church from 1990-92. They had served in several districts within the Iowa-Missouri Conference before that.
Ric, a veteran, also served in the U.S. Air Force. Tammy is a registered nurse. They have six grown children, 10 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.
Pastors changing districts
Kolby Beem: Kolby and his wife, Sierra, recently began serving the Campbell, Doniphan and Poplar Bluff churches in Missouri. They previously served the Clinton, Dubuque and Waukon churches in Iowa.
Bryan Gallant: Bryan and his wife, Penny, recently began serving the Bourbon, Rolla and Sullivan churches in Missouri. They previously served the Kirksville and Macon churches. Bryan also serves as the conference’s refugee ministries coordinator.
Abel Hagan: Pastor Abel Hagan and wife, Tammy, recently began serving the Springfield Church in Missouri. They previously served the Bolivar, Lamar, and Nevada churches.
Rodney Osborne, Jr.: Rodney and his wife, Monique, recently began serving the Ankeny and Nevada churches in Iowa. They previously served the Bourbon, Rolla and Sullivan churches in Missouri. They are expecting their first child, a girl named Madison, in September.
Darren Robinson: Darren and his wife, Lizz, recently began serving the St. Louis Southside and St. Louis West County churches. They previously served the Charles City, Hampton and Mason City churches in Iowa.
Departing pastors
Makenzy Jean: Makenzy is headed to California. For the past few years, he has been serving in collegiate ministry on the campuses of Drake University in Des Moines and Iowa State University in Ames. He was also working closely with the Ames and Des Moines churches. We’re thankful for his service in our field and pray God will continue to use him in the lives of young people during this next chapter of his ministry.
Jeremiah Smart: Jeremiah and wife, Wendi, have been serving the Des Moines and Jordan Crossing churches in Iowa since 2014. They recently accepted a call to the Upper Columbia Conference, where they will serve the Coeur d’Alene Church. May God bless them in their new field and as they make this transition.
