Thornapple is thrilled to welcome Remy Diederich as our Transitional Pastor.

Remy will start with us half-time in July through September and move up to three-quarter time in October when he and his wife, Lisa, move to Michigan more permanently. His role is to help to prepare us for our next senior pastor, including processes that include a climate of exploring, healing, dreaming, building and most of all continuing to BE the body of Christ. He will be our primary preaching/teaching pastor until our full-time senior pastor is in place sometime in 2021/22. To find out more about that transition process, click here.

 

About Remy

My wife, Lisa, and I both grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis but met at the University of Minnesota. I founded Cedarbrook Church in 2003. It’s grown to be a church of 600+ adults and children. I’ve been working my way out of a job for the last three years or so, turning over my lead role last year and now turning over my teaching role to a new pastor. I’m not ready to retire from ministry but I felt it was time for my associate to take the reins and I didn’t want to stand in his way.

Family info

  • Married to wife, Lisa (42 years on August 12)
  • We have three adult children in their 30s:
    • Nicole is in Milwaukee with two children (divorced)
    • Nate is in Phoenix and married
    • Becca is in Minneapolis and single

Find Him Online

Ministry Experience 

  • Teaching Pastor, Cedarbrook Church (2019 to present)
  • Lead Pastor, Cedarbrook Church (2002 to 2019)
  • Associate Pastor, Menomonie Alliance Church (1996-2002)
  • Small Group Director, Our Savior’s Church (1995-96)

Education

  • Master of Theology, Bethel Seminary, St. Paul (1998-2001)
  • Bachelor of Science, University of Minnesota (1974-1978)

Likes

  • I’m a foodie; I waited tables in fancy restaurants through my 20s and I’ve been hooked ever since
  • strong coffee, preferably Americanos
  • walking with Lisa and running by myself
  • biking; casual with Lisa, intense by myself
  • Lake Michigan beaches (we spent our honeymoon traveling the lakeshore)
  • Western Michigan fruit (my grandparents owned a MI peach farm)
  • cabin time with our kids
  • learning Spanish; we have friends/churches we visit in Mexico and Chile
  • flower gardens
  • differing opinions
  • laughing, in general, is always a good thing

Dislikes

  • squirrels robbing my birdfeeders!
  • political Facebook posts : )
  • closed minds… life is too short
The family shot includes our three adult children plus daughter in-law, our two granddaughters, and my mother-in-law. We’ll undoubtedly be visiting this ice cream shop in a couple weeks. It’s a ritual of ours before returning home from the summer cabin.