David & Jessica Swisher Co-Pastors with Hearts for Outreach and Discipleship
David & Jessica Swisher have been serving together in ministry for the last 16 years, pastoring churches in both Missouri (Ozark, Lebanon, Bolivar, and Plad) and Kansas (Abilene, Topeka). They have also served on staff with some of the larger churches in Northeast Kansas, including Westview Community [Wesleyan] Church in Manhattan, Indian Creek Community Church in Olathe, and Colonial Presbyterian Church in Kansas City, as well as the church which Concordia native Jim Garlow started and pastored in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX. In recent years, they have lived in Keats and Riley, and most recently they co-pastored the Wesleyan church in Abilene.
Both graduated from Southwest Baptist University (Bolivar, Missouri) with degrees in Christian Ministry and later graduated from Emmaus Road Ministry School, an intensive missions & ministry training school. They met while planning a mission trip to Juarez, Mexico, spent their honeymoon at a denominational campmeeting, and spent their first anniversary en route to a mission trip overseas. Jessica’s heart for missions has taken her to Honduras, Brazil, the Philippines, and the Ukraine, as well as inner-city Houston, Texas. David’s passion for outreach has taken him to Mexico 3 times, the Philippines, and Guatemala, on an evangelistic trip to Daytona Beach, Florida, and on a pastor’s familiarization tour of Israel.
Jessica Swisher grew up a pastor’s daughter in the Free Methodist Church, later transitioning to the Church of God (Anderson) and eventually finding her ministry home in the Wesleyan Church. She was ordained as a Wesleyan minister this year (2008) at the annual District Conference. She has been serving on the Board of the HOPE Center, Dickinson County’s benevolence ministry (similar to Love, Inc.) and most recently she has been doing spiritual support ministry in Chapman following the tornado. Jessica’s love for people motivates her in pastoral care and personal outreach. She is skilled at preaching and gifted at communicating the gospel to people at their point of need, and enjoys providing pastoral care to the sick and homebound. She also enjoys working with AYUSA, a non-profit community organization which places international exchange students in American homes. This flexible, part-time position allows her to meet people in the community, work with high-schoolers, and travel once or twice a year.
David Swisher grew up in Southwest Missouri but his roots are in Kansas. His father grew up on a farm in Mentor and he has relatives in Gypsum, Assaria, and Salina. His mother grew up in the Girard area and met his father at Pittsburg University, and his aunt, Phyllis Ayers, was a beloved schoolteacher in Talmage and Abilene. A gifted teacher and facilitator, he has been ordained since 1996, serving first in the Church of God (Anderson) and transferring to the Wesleyan Church in 2006. He has been active in the Wesleyan Theological Society since 2000 and for the last several years has served as the Kansas District Rep for Wesleyan Publishing House. He also enjoys working with technology and multimedia and has worked for K-State for the last 7 years, first as a graphic designer in Manhattan and for the last 5 years as the classroom technology coordinator for the Salina campus of K-State. David’s passion is outreach and discipleship, and he loves improving his effectiveness at Bible study and teaching, using technology to communicate the gospel whenever possible.
The Swishers have 3 kids: Lydia (12), Joshua (age 7), and Jeremiah (age 6). Lydia is in 8th grade and is on the volleyball team at Minneapolis Junior High. Joshua is a 2nd grader and Jeremiah is a 1st grader, and they're both involved in Cub Scouts in Minneapolis.
So What is Co-Pastoring? David and Jessica’s gifts in ministry are very complementary and they believe strongly in a team-based approach to ministry. They lead the church best when they work together as co-pastors, sharing responsibilities and serving in the capacities that they most enjoy and are most gifted for.
David’s strengths are outreach, communications, teaching, and discipleship. Other pastoral functions he enjoys are statistical record-keeping, historical research, Parliamentary procedure (meetings), and improving operational efficiency.
Jessica’s strengths are preaching, pastoral care, visitation, and spiritual care for new believers. Other pastoral functions she enjoys are office & clerical work, the phone, follow-up, and counseling.
Both have additional jobs and responsibilities outside the church, so this arrangement gives the church a full-time pastor shared between two people with complementary gifts.
