By Pastor Phil Winfield, Senior Pastor
Grace Church Des Moines
On Sunday January 4, with both sadness and conviction, Pastor Paul Dykstra read his resignation and retirement letter from his position of Administrative Pastor at Grace Church. The primary factor in his decision to resign at this time is his physical condition and slow recovery from his most recent fall on September 9th when he broke his femur in six places. In addition, family responsibilities with aging parents has provided further reason to retire. His wife, Marsha, and his children all believe the time is right–and reluctantly as his friend and pastor, I agree.
Paul has been a blessing to all of Grace Church but especially to me. His capable and balanced ministry has allowed me to dedicate myself to the important tasks of study, prayer, disciple-making, and vision for the church. I will personally miss his wisdom and guidance. The staff as well has been blessed by his experience and problem-solving abilities.
Finding another “Pastor Paul” is not realistic, but finding God’s person for the role of Administrative Pastor is a must. I am calling on you, dear friends, to diligently pray as I and the personnel and finance team from among the elders begin the search for God’s man to serve in this capacity. God knows who the right man is; we just need for Him to identify that person for us. I know I can count on your prayer and I know we all can count on our Father to supply.
Living by faith,
Pastor Phil Winfield
