New First Covenant pastor started during pandemic

RIVER FALLS – First Covenant Church of River Falls Lead Pastor Adam Christian may have started in his role in October, but he’s still learning about his congregation and getting acquainted with parishioners. Since COVID-19 vaccines have rolled out and restrictions have lifted, he’s had to relearn everyone’s faces, now that many are not hidden behind masks. He told a funny story of running into a parishioner and her son, sans masks, only to wonder who the man was because he didn’t recognize him.

“I knew them from the eyes and forehead up,” Christian laughed. “I’ve seen them around town or online and had dozens of conversations. Now, you have a face, and I didn’t even know.”

Moving into a new role and to a new city in the middle of a pandemic has its challenges. For example, the search committee in charge of finding a new lead pastor conducted its meetings and interviews by Zoom, said church secretary Jackie Wallace.

Christian and his wife, Mary, moved to River Falls from Eau Claire with their three boys (ages 1, 3 and 5) in October.

“It was a weird time to move,” said Christian. “It was like moving to a ghost town. My wife and I would look at each other and say, ‘I bet there’s normally people here,’ when driving through town. ‘It sounds like a nice place, allegedly.’” Even with limited in-person interaction, the Christians have been getting to know their new church, though it’s been unusual – phone calls, cards, emails and Zoom meetings rather than shaking hands. The congregation has done “everything they could to welcome us,” Christian said.

“Everything was on pause when we arrived,” Christian said. “What’s normal here? We still haven’t fully seen the church in its normal rhythms.

“A church is like a ready-made community. We also have friends in the area.”

Before coming to River Falls, Christian spent 14 years as the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship associate regional ministry director, overseeing the organization throughout the upper Midwest. He described his time there as “wonderful and fun.”

“My role was more big picture, structural pieces,” Christian said. “Less working directly with people.”

He was also a teaching pastor at Jacob’s Well Church in Lake Hallie and involved with Renew Covenant Church.

In discerning God’s call, he felt God inviting him into a new phase of life, a narrower and deeper phase, Christian said about his River Falls move. He felt moved to work more directly with people. He had connections to River Falls already, and began looking for a local church that might be a good fit.

While the pandemic has been difficult, it has also held blessings too, Christian said.

“It’s given us a chance to pause and revision,” he said. “With intentionality, what should we start again? But there’s a danger in going back to ‘normal.’ We need to prioritize what we really love.”

Early years

While in college at UW-Eau Claire, Christian had every intention of going to law school. However, he felt a nagging call into the ministry that he never could quite fully ignore. When he was a junior, the call became stronger, to focus on the Lord’s work and His Kingdom.

“It was four months of arguing with God, and I finally relented,” Christian said. “I saw myself going into the mission field.”

Once he made his decision, he wanted to head straight to seminary and was all gung-ho to travel the world and serve in far-off places. But God had something else in mind for him, he said. And that was to stay put on campus. He wasn’t ready to hear that or accept it at first. What about traveling?

“That was a tough assignment to accept,” Christian said. “That was argument number two. But over the course of time, my heart really changed and a deep love for campus ministry grew.”

He worked in campus ministry and as a corporate chaplain before attending seminary.

Who is the pastor?

Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Christian was raised in Wisconsin. He is an avid downhill skier, which is by far his favorite sport, he said. He loves to exercise and use his body, especially outside. Anything outdoors-related is a hobby for him, including camping, kayaking, hunting, water skiing, though not necessarily fishing, but he’ll gladly drive the boat. Reading and cooking are also interesting, he added.

The grandest adventure of all, however, is raising three boys with gobs of energy, curiosity and wonder. They lead him on adventures every day and help him rediscover and learn things he never even considered, such as botany.

He and Mary also like to explore downtown River Falls and the many trails throughout the city and area. Kinnickinnic State Park is high on the list.

“It’s so fun actually having a real downtown in a small city that’s healthy, thriving and growing,” Christian said. “And the number of trails nearby and easy access to nature and the number of parks.”

They’re looking forward to really seeing the community go full-throttle, he said.

“There’s a reason Mary and I picked this town,” Christian said. “When people here ‘fess up to being a townie, they’re not apologetic. It’s a great place to live, so why wouldn’t they be proud?”

Christian values the deep ties the community has to the First Covenant Church (130 years), the deep ties to his own history and to the ancient Christian faith. He also values a vision for the future.

“We (the church) remember who we are and what we came from, but have a vision for guiding people forward in their lives and their own faith journeys,” he said.

Events to look forward to include the big Corn Roast and MOPS thrift sale during River Falls Days at the church (1374 N. Main St.) and Vacation Bible School at the end of July, which will be mostly outdoors, but in-person.

To learn more, visit rfcov.org

Photo by Sarah Nigbor