Meet our new Senior Pastor!

Westminster Presbyterian Church is pleased to announce the call of the Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski as Senior Pastor and Head of Staff!  On Sunday, October 17, Dr. Paczkowski led the congregation in worship and preached  his candidating sermon.  At the Congregational Meeting following the service, church members voted nearly unanimously to accept the recommendation  of the Pastor Nominating Committee to call Dr. Paczkowski to Westminster.  His ministry here will begin December 1.  He comes to us from Westminster Presbyterian Church in Waterloo, Iowa, where he served as Senior Pastor for the last 11 years.  We warmly welcome him to Westminster in Des Moines!

A MESSAGE FROM DR. PACZKOWSKI

Dear Friends,

My wife, Jill, our daughter, Hannah, and I would like to thank you for the prayers you shared for your Pastor Nominating Committee and for your next Pastor (Head of Staff). We look forward to becoming part of the Westminster Church family. Jill and I believe I am called to Westminster because God opened every door to make this possibility a reality. We fell in love with each member of the PNC and with you because we are told they are a good representation of the personality and faith of the entire congregation. I am excited to meet and begin sharing ministry with the staff and each of you. I cannot wait to get to know you and begin to feel a part of the life and ministry of Westminster Church. Please pray for us as we move through this transition time. We will certainly be praying for the staff and congregational members, as we take the daily steps toward our shared ministry.

                                                                                 In Christ’s Name,

                                                                                 Scott Paczkowski

EDUCATION

1990-1993: McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, Ill. - Doctor of Ministry

1984-1988: McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, Ill. - Master of Divinity

1981-1984: Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn. - Bachelor of Arts in Religion; Speech Communication Theater Arts

EXPERIENCE

1999-Present: Westminster Presbyterian Church, Waterloo, Iowa - Senior Pastor

1993-1999: First Presbyterian Church, Merrillville, Indiana - Solo pastor

1988-1993: Community Presbyterian Church, Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin - Solo Pastor

WIDER CHURCH PARTICIPATION

2009-2010: Council Moderator, North Central Iowa Presbytery

2008-2009: Moderator, North Central Iowa Presbytery

2008: Commissioner, 218th General Assembly

2004-2010: Member, North Central Iowa Presbytery’s Personnel Committee

2008-2009: Reader, reviewed translation of the Book of Daniel and three

Apocryphal Books in the formulation of the new Common English Bible

REV. DR. PACZKOWSKI’S VIEWS ON MINISTRY

I do not shy away from leadership. Leading is an essential component for a Pastor, Head of Staff. There are times when it is important to recognize that pastoral leadership requires the pastor to be the "face" of the congregation. Yet, most of the time leadership is derived from solid planning. I believe strongly that leadership is guiding the body to affirm a corporate vision, provide manageable goals, and then affirm specific strategies for fulfilling those shared goals. The role of the leader is to motivate, articulate, and continually encourage people to fulfill their ministries by fulfilling their shared vision. I am a detail person when it comes to following up on individuals and groups as they do the ministries they have agreed to accomplish. I am also not afraid to see something fail to meet its objective. We will take time for evaluation and then determine if we need to try again or move in another direction. Sometimes an unmet objective can provide learning and/or a necessary change in direction.

It is my firm belief that a leader needs to put people before objectives. Developing a Christ-centered faith in people’s lives is the primary objective. If we are meeting our goals, but people are left hurt and burned out, then the goal or objective wasn’t worth pursuing. Goals and objectives are a fluid process. The only thing that should not easily change is the overall vision of the church. As needed, the vision should be changed through a process where the entire body has the opportunity to provide input and where consensus is built and affirmed publicly. Finally, leadership is solidified by sharing the vision and goals on a regular basis so the congregation is regularly reminded of the direction we are moving. When everything is moving well, leadership is shared, communication is clear, and the vision is experienced throughout the process.