Interim pastor invites everyone to Little Brown Church

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

Pastor Drew McHolm has said goodbye to the corporate world for now.

The Scottish-born minister’s journey has brought him to northern Iowa and the Little Brown Church in the Vale.

McHolm and his wife, Jesse, left the Lone Star State and the hustle and bustle of Austin, Texas, to lead the congregation at the historic church that sits just outside of Nashua.

McHolm stepped in this month to fill in for the LBC’s full-time pastor, John Granchie, who is currently on sabbatical.

McHolm had recently been an office manager at a law firm in Round Rock, Texas, a northern suburb of Austin. Although McHolm hasn’t been a minister in more than 12 years, he couldn’t pass up the chance to lend a helping hand for a church that has done the same for so many of its parishioners.

“I said, ‘why not?’” said McHolm, who holds two master’s degrees in biblical studies and pastoral ministry. “This was quite an opportunity.”

McHolm’s connection to the LBC started when his wife’s uncle, a retired assistant fire chief in Cedar Falls, died. Granchie asked McHolm to help officiate the funeral.

Jesse McHolm, who was born and raised in Cedar Falls, where her mother still lives, made sure to let Granchie know if he ever needed a break from preaching to give her husband a call.

When Granchie learned that his own wife’s parents had became ill, the church council convinced him to take a sabbatical for six months to be near them and help support his loved ones in their recovery.

That’s when Drew and Jesse McHolm knew this was the right time and perfect fit to help lead the congregation in an interim capacity.

“It was quite a blessing,” said Jesse, who has been married to Drew for almost 5 years.

She described her husband — who moved to the United States in 1988 to attend seminary — as more of a “teacher than a preacher.”

“There’s no fire and brimstone,” she said.

McHolm’s passion for teaching and helping guide people in their faith comes from a well-versed understanding of Scripture.

Jesse said her husband possesses a gift for being able to add dimension and insight into Scripture. His knowledge of the Bible can help foster a better understanding of the word and how it relates to anyone’s own journey in life.

“I like to make the Bible alive and understandable and applicable to people,” said McHolm, who in 1991 took over as senior pastor at the Grace Christian Center in Austin, where he served for 15 years.

McHolm has been a life and business coach as well as a mediator for corporate businesses in addition to his work with law firms. But helping people — no matter the circumstance or situation — is where he finds tremendous satisfaction.

“I like to develop people and their spiritual faith. I’ve done a lot of counseling over the years, a lot of mentoring,” said McHolm. “I like working with people, especially as they’re going through issues, to try and help them walk their way through. People are people — you have family issues whether you’re a farmer or an IT specialist at Dell.”

The McHolms also want to let would-be parishioners know that the LBC does more than just host weddings, which is a perception some people have.

“It’s a functioning church on Sunday morning,” said Drew McHolm.

The church holds regular services at 10:30 every Sunday with an old-fashioned sing-along before the service starts and a fellowship meal afterward.

There are about 45 regular members of the LBC, which is part of the Congregational Church denomination.

McHolm said there were about 70 people who attended last Sunday’s sermon. Although he is used to much larger, more contemporary churches, he said he enjoys the laid-back nature of the church and surrounding community. Along with that easy-going vibe comes a warm and welcoming time spent in worship together.

“I’ve actually been impressed in the meet-and-greet times in the morning. It’s hard to get them back in their seats again. It’s super friendly,” said McHolm.

He is planning on adding a Bible study and a more guitar-driven, contemporary service twice a month on Wednesdays. Both Drew and Jesse are singers. Jesse is the featured singer with Sentimental Journey Orchestra out of San Antonio.

“We’ve sung everything from country to Jimmy Buffett,” said McHolm.

The congregation will celebrate the 96th birthday of one of its parishioners, a WWII veteran, this coming Sunday. But any generation, young or old, is welcome to come to the LBC for friendship and fellowship every Sunday morning, the McHolms said.

“I think the older people do love to see the younger people come. That gives them more energy for them to feed off of and they just know their church is going to live on,” said Jesse McHolm. “We just want people to know that they can come and learn more about the Lord.”