Paid Staff Team
Appointed Clergy
Rev. Chris Kliesen Wehrman
Coverage Clergy
Rev. Nate Melcher
Pastor (on renewal leave Jan. 5-May 5)
Ministry Program Staff
Kay Bergeland
Parish Nurse
Becca Whitaker
Children, Youth, and Family
Ministries Coordinator
Operations Staff
Kathy Gertsema
Business & Admin Coordinator
Pat Noonan
Facilities Coordinator
Linda Schmidt
Programs & Comm. Coordinator
Caring for Children ELC Staff
Kathy Newbauer
CFC Director
Julie Mathisen
CFC Assistant Director
Music Staff
Sonja Gustafson
Organist/Accompanist
Dave Nyberg
Interim Choir Director
Victor Zupanc
Living Waters Band Leader
Appointed Clergy
Rev. Chris Kliesen Wehrman
Coverage Clergy, January 5 – May 5, 2025
Pastor Chris is an ordained elder working with Richfield UMC while Pastor Nate is on renewal leave. She was appointed to Prospect Park UMC (2010-2022) and before that was Director of Theater Ministries at Lake Harriet UMC (2007-2010). She holds a BA in Theater Communications (St. Mary of the Plains, Dodge City, KS), MA in English Literature (Creighton University, Omaha, NE), and an M.Div with Emphasis in the Arts (United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, 2010). She has been the worship coordinator for the Minnesota Annual Conference several times throughout the years. We welcome Pastor Chris for this season of ministry.
Pastor Nate enjoys crafting worship, gathering with small groups, and good talk over good coffee. Before entering ministry, Pastor Nate worked in student life and as college English faculty. He’s produced shows in the MN Fringe Festival, done 2 productions of Godspell with his kids, performed in 12 comedy festivals, coached improv teams, and teaches improv to faith leaders.
Pastor Nate is an avid reader, writer, and artist. He enjoys ukulele, biking, cooking, baking, movies, writing, reading, road trips, camping, officiating weddings, playing Wordle every day, cheering on the Timberwolves and Lynx, and video games. Originally from greater Minnesota, Pastor Nate and his family live in Minneapolis.
Rev. Nate Melcher (he/him)
Senior Pastor
Pastor Nate is an ordained elder appointed to Richfield UMC in 2019 as senior pastor. He was an Associate Pastor of Hennepin Avenue UMC (2014-2019) and Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries of Excelsior UMC (2005-2014). He holds a BA in Film Studies (University of Minnesota, 2002), an MFA in Creative Writing (Minnesota State University – Mankato, 2008), and an M.Div (Luther Seminary, 2014). His recent classes include Pub Theology, Film Theology, Prayer Writing for Worship, and Wednesday Bible Study. His preaching has been featured in Sojourners online justice sermon resources.
Governance
Richfield United Methodist Church is a local congregation of the Prairie Winds District of the Minnesota Annual Conference (MAC) of the United Methodist Church (UMC) denomination. The polity and structure of the UMC is outlined in the UM Book of Discipline and this document is curated by the General Conference which meets every quadrennium.
The ministers of the church are all members of the congregation. To help the church build ministry systems and carry out the mission of the church, the congregation is organized with Elected Leader Teams comprised of members in good standing who are active and engaged in the life of the church.
Paid Staff Teams coordinate a variety of areas of focus and expertise of the life of the church. These areas include business and administration, communications and volunteer coordination, facilities and ground maintenance and systems, pastoral care, children, youth, and family ministries, music, and Caring for Children early learning center.
Richfield UMC has a pastor appointed by the Bishop of the Minnesota Annual Conference to order the life of the church and cast vision for its future. He is the Appointed Clergy.
The Appointed Clergy, Elected Leader Teams, and Paid Staff Teams work together to carry out the mission of the church to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The vision to live in faith, justice, and joy is crucial to everything we do as a church, from missional outreach to Sunday School, from worship to neighborhood events.
Elected Leader Teams
Leaders are elected for three-year terms to a variety of teams that help the church function and carry out its mission today and tomorrow. Members receive a list of all elected leaders at the semi-annual meeting in June. Teams that fulfill the functions required by the UM Book of Discipline are the Board of Trustees, Staff-Parish Relations Committee, Finance Team, and Nominating Team. The chairs of these teams, as well as the chair of Children’s Council, the United Women of Faith president, chair of the Church & Society Team, Annual Conference lay delegates, and elected at-large members come together as the Administrative Board. The chair and the pastor work together and the Ad Board to carry out the mission of the church. The 2024-2025 elected leader roster is printed in the July/August 2024 issue of The Heartline.
Additional Teams and Taskforces
Occasionally, additional teams and taskforces are created to curate specific areas of focus for the church. Some are based in a particular ministry, others are created for a specific purpose or intended for a limited season. These teams include MCCI Breakthrough Teams, Children’s Council, Church & Society Team*, Event Taskforce, Funerals and Memorials Team, Groth Scholarship Selection Team*, Hospitality Team, Memorials Committee*, Reconciling Team, Regathering Taskforce, Richfield UMC Foundation*, United Women of Faith (UWF, formerly known as United Methodist Women or UMW), and others. (* elected)
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