Pastor Rachel Profitt had no connection to Philomath before this fall, but when the district pastor offered her the opportunity to lead the New Life Fellowship Foursquare Church, she felt called to bring her family to the area.
Installed on Sept. 7, Profitt is settling into her role at the church, which had been without a pastor for the past three years. The church’s retired pastor, Dave Brooks, served the congregation for 36 years.
Profitt operated out of a larger and more established church in Lincoln City. But as her husband, Steven, pointed out, the smaller church in Philomath feels more connected. The new pastor has already had some of those experiences, including interactions with the local schools.
“One vision is to try my best to make this place like a home — as if you’re entering the house of Jesus,” she said. “Like I’m going to my savior’s home, I need to talk with him, I need to ask him something, I need to just be with him. Aside from that is helping get the bride ready. Because he is coming back for a bride.”
Building that sense of home requires patience and intentionality, Profitt acknowledges. She’s spending these early months focused on relationships.
“It’s a process because you’re just building relationships,” she said. “You’re starting to get to know everybody and having a lot of conversations either within passing or sit-down on purpose — like I want to have coffee with you, I want to hear your story, tell me about your life or tell me about the church. So yes, it takes time to build relationships like that.”
Profitt places a priority on effective discipleship, which she describes as creating time to meet with those seeking guidance. The key, she said, is listening and earning the authority to speak into someone’s life.
“It’s really listening and making sure that you have the authority to actually speak into the life, like giving them the advice or what they are hopeful to get with what they’re seeking,” she said. “But yeah, coming along with someone and encouraging them, really lifting them up, but speaking the word of God over them, not just your own opinions or thoughts.”
While church attendance nationwide has faced challenges in recent years, Profitt remains optimistic about growth for the congregation of about 37 members.
“I think it’s always like an ebb and flow, really, with whatever’s going on in the world,” she said. “Even if they’re like, ‘I don’t know how or why I even got here, but I just found myself here because the Lord is calling.’ I’m going to believe that the church is going to be fuller.”
The church already serves as a community resource, hosting Celebrate Recovery and Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Profitt is still learning about the congregation’s connections to the broader Philomath area, but knows the church has been involved with a children’s evangelist organization.
Profitt brings experience in leadership, event coordination, Biblical teaching and pastoral care to her new role.
New Life Fellowship Foursquare Church, located at 1412 Applegate St., holds Sunday services at 10:30 a.m.
Welcome to Philomath, Rachel!