Welcome Pastor Linda!

Quest leadership is excited to announce that Pastor Linda Vonck has been appointed to Quest UMC as our new pastor, starting Jan 1, 2025 !

We'll share more about Pastor Linda in days to come.

What is my role?

You can do three things to help during this transition.

First, praise God! Thank God for bringing Pastor Linda to our church. Arrive in plenty of time to get a good seat for Pastor Linda's first service on Feb 3rd, 2025.

Second, pray for Pastor Linda and Quest. Moving and starting a new job can be stressful. Pray for a smooth transition and clear guidance from God. Pray that our Quest family will feel the same sense of peace and confirmation as is felt by Pastor Linda and the leadership team.  

Third, "lean in" to the Quest community. Our outgoing pastor, Casey, recently reminded us that "connection is a choice, not an accident." Times of change may tempt us to "lean out" from relationships in the church, adopting a "wait and see" attitude. But this is also an opportunity to lean in, be more intentional connecting with church family, and committing to help out however you can.


FAQ

1.  When will the new pastor start?  
Her appointment begins on Jan 1st.  Pastor Linda is looking forward to a vacation (planned prior to the new appointment) with her family in early January and then moving from Dunlap, IL to the Quest parsonage in Savoy. She will be preaching her first sermon at Quest on Feb 3, 2025.

2. What part of our community will the new pastor live in?  
Pastor Linda will reside in the Quest Parsonage, located in Savoy.

3. What was the process that the search team went through to find our new pastor?  
The Staff-Parish Relations Committee (SPRC) and Lead Team worked together, along with input from the congregation, to describe the culture, norms, symbols and relational style of Quest.  This missional lens was an important factor as the Bishop and his cabinet worked through their process of finding the right appointment for Quest.  Please find detailed information of the process here.  

4.  What is the new pastor's family like?  
Pastor Linda is the mother to 4 grown daughters, and 9 grandchildren.  They are spread out, but 1 daughter and 2 grandchildren live in the C-U area and attend(ed) Judah.

5.  When will I get to meet the new pastor?  
The Lead Team will host a welcome gathering coinciding with Pastor Linda's start.  Details to come.

6.  Are there any resources to help ease the transition?
Changing Pastors?  It's Going to be Okay - United Methodist Communications

7.  I have more questions, who should I ask?
Reach out to anyone on the SPRC team (Kim Clapp, Holly Swaim, Ronna Benoit, Robin Styan).  You can also email staffparishchair@questwired.com