The Washington Conference Executive Committee has elected Bruce Koch to serve as ministerial and stewardship director, a position vacated when Doug Bing became vice president for administration.
Born in Bethlehem, the son of a carpenter, it seems that this Pennsylvania native was destined to serve in ministry. Koch brings his passion for the parish into the office with his more than 30 years of service to the church. Koch, an ordained minister, has served the church as a junior academy teacher, youth evangelist, senior youth and personal ministries director and pastor in the Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Washington conferences. He comes to his new position from the pastorate of the Enumclaw, Wash., church.
According to Koch, “It was a very difficult decision to leave the intimacy of pastoring the local church. However, the opportunity to serve as the pastors’ pastor opens up the best of both worlds.” Koch has more than 90 pastoral families to shepherd in the conference. “My hope is that, with the Lord’s help, I can mentor, enable, and inspire each pastor to realize his or her fullest potential as gospel workers in service to their church and to the Lord,” Koch said. As stewardship director, Koch targets debt reduction and faithfulness in giving as keys to sound management of personal resources.
John Freedman, Washington Conference president, says, “We’re delighted to have Pastor Koch on our team. His depth of experience will be a tremendous asset to our pastors as he seeks to mentor them in ministry.”
Koch and his wife Marina share in their passion for ministry. They have two adult children, a son Adam Galvan-Koch in Seattle, and a daughter Jessica Davidson in Salem, Ore. •
Bruce Koch, Washington Conference Ministerial and Stewardship Director.
