Immanuel Church

Chad, the proud son of a selfless and hardworking carpenter, was raised in a rural Northern Michigan community to “do his very best in whatever he pursued”; to “work hard to do things well and right”; and above all, “to be honest with himself and others”. He is a child of God, a husband, a father, a pastor, and a loyal friend. Chad has a passion for life, a humility rooted in God’s grace, and a thirst to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through preaching, teaching, and service. He has been blessed with a Proverbs 31 wife (Rachalle) and four amazing arrows in his quiver (Kassandra, Dawson, Marshall, and Sawyer) to keep each and every day fresh; filled with love and excitement. Like the Israelites, Chad spent many years wandering the deserts of life while God shaped his balded “Elisha-like” head with a “double portion” of required credits to enter the promised land of pastoral ministry in Kentucky. He is said to be the “only person known to have worked on the same college degree in three different decades…and to have finished the race he started!”       

Education and Experience:
Master of Divinity, Asbury Theological Seminary
B.A. Spring Arbor University (K-8 Education)
Pastor of Junction City United Methodist Church (2013-2017)
Youth Minister of Hale United Methodist Church (2000-2012)
Sr. High Camp Counselor and Keynote Speaker at Holy Ground (2000-2014)
President: Board of Education, Community Foundation, and United Youth Fund
Teacher K-8 Certification (Language Arts and Social Studies)
Coach of: Basketball, Baseball, Football, Track, Strength and Conditioning, and Canoe Racing
Places Lived: Hale, MI / Detroit, MI / Grand Rapids, MI / Junction City, KY
Living Now: Union, KY
Favorite Movies: Field of Dreams, Miracle, A River Runs Through it, For Love of the Game, The Rookie, Sandlot, The Empire Strikes Back, and any historically accurate and well-made war movie.
Favorite Bible Passages: Hebrews 12:1-2, Romans 12:1-2, 2 Samuel 12:1-7a, Jeremiah 20:9, Revelation 22:1, Proverbs 3:5-6
Favorite Quotes: To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift. –Steve Prefontaine
And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. –President Abraham Lincoln
Favorite Musical Genre: 80’s “Classic” Rock, 90’s Country, and Contemporary Christian Music
Favorite Books: Romans by Paul
Under Pressure (the final voyage of submarine S-Five) by A.J. Hill
A Look at Life from a Deer Stand by Steve Chapman
Leading with the Heart by Mike Krzyzewski
Bleachers by John Grisham
Hobbies: Hunting, Hiking, Camping, Canoe Racing, and writing