Pastor Gerry Stoltzfoos

Pastor Gerry Stoltzfoos from Freedom Valley Worship Center, opened up by sharing an email he got as came to class- an email from his physician who had experienced Christ for the first time in fifty years after he was welcomed into Freedom Valley. It was an encouraging way to start the discussion.

He grew up in an Amish family in Lancaster County. His first experience in a Pentecostal church freaked him out- the loud worship, the physical contact (hugs), the enthusiastic speaker, and especially the speaking in tongues part. He was so freaked out he ran out of the service at the end, but was met by people that really cared about him. And that’s what brought him back. The church, music, lights… that’s not what brings people back to church. A deep, sincere love is what draws a person back to a church family.

He worked as a full-time youth pastor and earned his educated over a seven-year period. He graduated from Valley Forge in 1990 and ended up on staff at that first Pentecostal church and worked there for twelve years. When the senior pastor left for the mission field, he was offered that position. And after a month of being a pastor, he was fired for being too “young, aggressive, and making too many mistakes,” so he moved a hundred miles away to plant a church in Philadelphia. With a nearby church’s financial help, the journey to plant a church started. Through a divine encounter, God directed him and his wife to a specific house. Though he had no money, no savings, and no job, God directed him to buy a house in Philly, and through a miraculous turn of events, it actually came to pass! This is where they’re living to this day. They opened the church next week, and at the beginning, they did everything textbook wrong, but they learned on the journey how to work with people. Years down the road, he co-published a book called 83 Lost Sheep inspired by a study on Luke 10, and through this journey, God radically transformed his view on leadership. Pastor Gerry describes church plants as discipleship factories, and stressed how they really focus on disciple making- that’s their priority! They are not institutions focused on the external, but on making relationships and discipling others to continue the work.

It was truly an honor to hear from Pastor Gerry. He's not afraid of failing or taking faith risks, and was clearly passionate about his ministry and it showed. He didn’t just prepare a speech or teach at us, but genuinely engaged in a conversation with us about his journey. It was refreshing to hear someone so transparent about the struggles, criticism, and opposition he overcame in ministry, and to hear about how God always gave provision. As he said, “When you’re following Jesus, there’s still a cross to pick up.” It was encouraging to hear his story, as God used someone who had been fired and criticized and had struggled to find a place in ministry, to go on to plant an entire network of churches. He went on to receive an award recognizing his work his church planting, as he’s been involved with about seventy church plants. To him, it's not about getting as many people as possible to his church, but to welcome them into the Kingdom. That's the perspective more of us need.