Fretheim, the lead pastor of First Evangelical Covenant Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, will be voted on by delegates to the Northwest Conference Annual Meeting in April. Erickson will serve until the end of summer, according to conference board Chair Brian Schanil. If elected, Fretheim will begin his new duties September 1.

"Jim (Fretheim) is a seasoned pastor, a leader with vision and a heart for pastors and churches alike," said Schanil in a letter recently sent to conference churches. Several desired qualifications were part of the selection process, Schanil said, including:

• Ability to bring leadership and staff into the visioning process
• Experience in leading a multi-person staff
• Experience in team building
• Communication skills - connecting congregations to the conference
• Ability to understand the different contexts of the 130-plus churches in the conference, placing equal value on the diversity of rural, urban, ethnic and suburban churches in the Northwest Conference
• Commitment to conference priorities of church planting and issues of justice and mercy, ethnic and gender diversity

A graduate of North Park Theological Seminary and an ordained Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) pastor, Fretheim served 16 years as senior pastor at Bloomington Covenant Church in the Twin Cities prior to becoming pastor of the Grand Rapids congregation of 500. He has also served congregations at Kingsburg Evangelical Covenant Church in central California and Bemidji Covenant Church in Bemidji, Minnesota, and has participated on numerous Northwest Conference boards.

Fretheim currently is a member of the ECC Executive Board - his term expires at the conclusion of this year's Annual Meeting in Chicago. He previously served on the Board of the Ordered Ministry.

"Jim's experience in conference leadership and denominational leadership were important (considerations), as well as his ministry experience in a variety of contexts and involvement in both urban and rural ministry," Schanil said. "He has demonstrated leadership and vision and a desire to develop, position and enable staff to carry out the mission and vision of the conference.

"Jim will bring maturity, wisdom, experience and compassion to the position of superintendent in a good balance between professional 'directiveness' and 'Lake Wobegon friendliness,'" Schanil continued. "He is as comfortable in the board room as he is in the barn or the boundary waters."