Covenant News

Kruggel Accepts Church Planting Position

CHICAGO (September 22, 2000) - Joel Kruggel has accepted the call as Director of Church Planting for Evangelical Covenant churches east of the Mississippi River, it was announced today.

Kruggel will bolster church planting efforts for the Central, Great Lakes, East Coast and Southeast conferences, said Gary Walter, executive director of the Department of Church Growth and Evangelism of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). Kruggel will assume his duties later this year.

Since 1996, Kruggel has served as senior pastor for Hillside Covenant Church in Walnut Creek, California, serving on the conference commission on church planting for the Pacific Southwest Conference.

"We're excited to have Joel on the team," said Walter. "His experience in church planting and familiarity with the region make him an ideal candidate. He is well respected by our superintendents and we look forward to very strong results."

A native of St. Joseph, Michigan, Kruggel earned a Doctorate of Ministry from Chicago Theological Seminary. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts, and an undergraduate degree from Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri.

Kruggel was a developer pastor for Redeemer Covenant Church in Caledonia, Michigan, for nearly six years before serving Hillside Covenant. He did similar work at churches in Massachusetts and Illinois. He also served as a chaplain at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, and Trinity College in Deerfield, Illinois.

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