Over the past year, Cedar Hills’ leadership has thoughtfully and prayerfully prepared for the transition to a new Lead Pastor. Cedar Hills’ staff and Consistory have engaged with Chemistry Staffing or coaching on Succession Planning. Working together, Chemistry Staffing and our leadership team have evaluated and outlined the requirements and ideal strengths for the Lead Pastor role at Cedar Hills.

Over the past year, Cedar Hills’ leadership has thoughtfully and prayerfully prepared for the transition to a new Lead Pastor. Cedar Hills’ staff and Consistory have engaged with Chemistry Staffing for coaching on Succession Planning. Working together, Chemistry Staffing and our leadership team have evaluated and outlined the requirements and ideal strengths for the Lead Pastor role at Cedar Hills.

Chemistry Staffing helps healthy churches and pastors find each other. Chemistry assists churches in becoming healthier through consulting and planning and helps pastors become healthier through training and coaching. Chemistry has been a great partner in helping us prepare a plan. We believe that they will also be a great help with the search and evaluation process.

Many months ago, we started with prayer and an admission of complete dependence on God to lead in the selection of our new pastor. This is critically important and will continue to be a key part of everyone’s responsibility. We humbly ask everyone to pray for all those impacted by this change, including Pastor Kent and Mary, our Cedar Hills family, staff and Consistory, Chemistry Staffing and search team, and the person God will call to be our new Lead Pastor. Specifically, the hiring process that we envision is as follows:

• We will be working in partnership with Chemistry Staffing and the Upper Mississippi Valley (UMV) Network throughout the search process, including the development of the Lead Pastor job profile.
• Chemistry Staffing will release this profile in late January 2027.
• Chemistry Staffing will recruit candidates and conduct the initial screening and interview process, evaluating candidates in areas such as theology, ministry experience, leadership, personality, skills, education, and overall fit with Cedar Hills.  Theological and denominational alignment will also be evaluated by Upper Mississippi Valley Network representatives.
• Candidates who make it through Chemistry’s screening will be presented to our Cedar Hills Pastoral Search Team (see below), who will conduct additional phone/Zoom interviews.
• If our Pastoral Search Team discerns that one or more candidates should move forward, they will notify both Chemistry and the Cedar Hills consistory.
  • The consistory and staff will be invited to interview the candidate(s).
  • Any finalist, along with their family, will be invited to visit Cedar Hills to preach and to answer any questions from the congregation.
• The Pastoral Search Team will recommend the successful candidate to the Consistory for approval and to the congregation for affirmation.
• If affirmed, we will extend an offer to that person for the Lead Pastor position.

We have enlisted a diverse team of nine Cedar Hills members to evaluate the candidates whom Chemistry Staffing believes would be a good fit to be our new Lead Pastor.  We are excited that they have agreed to serve.  These members are:

• Scott Drzycimski (co-leader)
• Nancy Josifek (co-leader)
• Beth Brown
• Randy Fox
• Dan Hakken
• Andrew Moen
• EJ O’Donnell-Lines
• Sonya Schneekloth
• Lindsey Steinkamp

Pastor Kent will not be an active member of this Pastoral Search Team. Instead, he will be an advisor to the search team as needed and will make himself available to anyone whom the team identifies as a potential candidate.

Based on conversations with the staff, we do not anticipate any changes at this time. That said, as with any organizational leadership changes, it is no uncommon to see staff members make a transition during or immediately following this process.

We anticipate that Pastor Kent will continue as our Lead Pastor until the Fall of 2027. Of course, this will ultimately depend on how the process goes. We will do our best to communicate updates as we gain clarity.

While Pastor Kent is excited about the new opportunities that will arise with his retirement, he remains flexible and at peace with the exact timing of the transition. If the situation does arise and Pastor Kent needs to leave before we have hired a new Lead Pastor, we will initially address this in conversation with Pastor Steve and Pastor Leah, followed by conversations with the Upper Mississippi Valley Network of the Alliance, as necessary.

We are preparing for a 12-18 month process overall, praying that it will be shorter, and completely trusting that God will lead the right person to step into the Lead Pastor role at the right time.

Pastor Kent’s initial priority will be to take at least a six-month sabbatical from Cedar Hills to explore external areas of ministry (e.g. writing, pulpit fill, counseling, etc.) while also relaxing and becoming accustomed to a new routine. Pastor Kent’s intentions are to return to Cedar Hills as a member, once his sabbatical is done.

Absolutely. However, we have already talked with key potential internal candidates and none have been called at this time. However, if things change in the process, internal candidates will be encouraged to apply and will undergo the same assessment, interviews, and discernment process as an external candidate.

• Pray for Chemistry Staffing and the Pastoral Search Team, Pastor Kent and Mary, the staff, the church, the community, and the person whom God is preparing to lead us.
• Please continue to be the church where hope is found, unified, and passionate about disciples making disciples.
• Please continue to support Cedar Hills’ ministry with your attendance, volunteer service and financial gifts.

• Website: We will update this page regularly with new FAQs or details as we walk through this process.
• Sunday Bulletin: A link to this information will be provided via email as part of the weekly Sunday bulletin. We will also provide hard copies upon request.
• Informational Meetings: We are planning for two face-to-face informational meetings to address remaining questions. As we approach the final stages of this process, we will communicate in-person during Sunday worship regarding any updates.

Please use the form below to submit any written questions to the office. We will do our best to have the appropriate person respond promptly, as well as update the FAQs as necessary. However, please re-review the FAQs before submitting your questions, as we will update this page with any new frequently asked questions (FAQs) that we receive.