Greetings Friends,
I am Rev. Drew Filkins. I am honored and humbled to be your interim Pastor for this season. I have been a pastor for nearly 20 years. I went to Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing, MI, where I received my Bachelor of Religious Education in theology and ministry. After a year in ministry, I started my Master of Pastoral Arts at Huntington University in Huntington, IN. Finally, I am currently pursuing my Doctorate of Ministry in Public Theology at the United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. Throughout my career, I have worked with small rural churches and larger urban churches. I love to see the churches use their creative energy to engage with the world and share love and justice.
I am a child of the Midwest. I was born in Valparaiso, IN, and soon after that, my family moved to Rolling Prairie, IN, where we spent my first seven years. Then we spent a couple of years in Fort Dodge, IA, before coming back to the great state of Michigan, where both of my parents’ families called home. We spent almost five years in Farwell, MI, before moving to the great white north of Sault Ste. Marie, MI. In da Soo, as they say, I met my forever partner and graduated from high school. I have served churches in northwest Ohio, northern lower Michigan, central lower Michigan, and southern & northern Wisconsin. Recently, my family and I moved to Duluth, MN to be closer to my partner’s family.
My fantastic partner, Holly, and I celebrate 21 years of marriage in August. We have two wonderful, creative, caring children. Glace, our oldest, loves to skateboard, play video games, and stop pucks. Ida, our youngest, loves swimming, gymnastics, and doing creative art projects that make a huge mess. We enjoy board games, being on the water, and movie nights as a family. You can find me watching my children play their respective sports, playing stringed instruments, and turning wood on my lathe during my free time. But my number one passion outside of the church is fly fishing. Being on a river is a peaceful, calming space for me. I find the rhythm of the casting, the focus on the fly drifting down the run, and the quietness of the stream can lead to meditative moments.
There is so much I am looking forward to during our time together. I am excited to experience the driftless region in all its seasons and help you find your first called pastor. Just as you have gotten to know me a little bit through this brief introduction, I am looking forward to hearing your stories. Besides the work and people of the Driftless Ministries, I am excited to explore all the area has to offer.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Drew