Grace United Methodist Church Wautoma, WI

Rev. George J. Kafer - Pastor

  Pastor George comes from Coleman a small town north of Green Bay Wisconsin. He grew up in a loving and strong Christian family. He has family roots in Omro and Eureka east of Wautoma. He had his calling into ministry at a young age, initially through a Christian camp in Jr. High and confirmed over the following years through discernment and the United Methodist ministry candidacy process.
 
  He was active at his home church through high school then worked as Director of Christian Education at First UMC in Marinette, WI for two years as he worked on his associate degree at UW-Marinette (2000-2001). He then transferred to UW-Green Bay where he finished a B.S in Psychology and Human Development (2002-2004). During those two years he was a youth worker at First UMC in Green Bay along with being a peer minister at the Ecumenical Center on campus in his first year then in his second year he did an internship at a Christian counseling center and a pastoral internship at First UMC Green Bay.

  After graduation he moved to southern Wisconsin where he served two churches as a part-time student pastor for three years while being a full time seminary student at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary on the campus of North Western in Evanston Illinois. The summer before seminary started he married his wife Cassandra (after dating for 6 years, they met in high school) and also went to local pastor licensing school. After his second year of Seminary he was approved as a provisional member of the Wisconsin Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and became a commissioned minister. After graduation he started his first full-time appointment at Grace UMC in July of 2007 and in June of 2010 was ordained as a full Elder after completing a residency period and other ordination requirements.

  Pastor George is energetic and passionate about the mission of the church; he stresses remembering our identity and calls us to focus on God's will and way above all. He also enjoys spending time with his wife, going for walks, riding motorcycle, and flying airplanes. His wife Cassandra is trained in the medical field and currently works at the Aurora Pharmacy in Wautoma as a durable medical equipment specialist two days a month as she is now at home with their daughter.