Eight years ago, former Supt. Clarence
St. John heard of an AG District that had
started groups called Cadres and he wanted
to revamp the idea for Minnesota. He
reached out to Asst. Supt. Ed Tedeschi, who
engineered its start in MN, inviting pastors
who didn’t have staff working alongside
them. The goals were simple for the twice-yearly
meetings: build relationships, foster
mutual support and encouragement, and
provide skills development resources.
Today 75 pastors participate in seven Cadres
throughout Minnesota. Groups are clustered
geographically, crossing our traditional
section lines.
A typical Cadre starts around 11:30am
with what has become a tradition – Subway
sandwiches for lunch. After a greeting from
Supt. Mark Dean, the guest speaker for the
day shares a bit of their story and what they
have learned in pastoring, leaving space for
discussion, and wrapping up at 2pm.
This past fall two pastors alternated as guest
speakers, Amos Self from Family Life Church
in Verndale, and Kyle Peterson from River of
Life Church in Sauk Centre.
Pastor Kyle shared about walking into a
difficult church situation in a small town
and building a team from the ground up.
Discussion afterwards confirmed that many
could relate to his story. He encouraged
other pastors to think outward and have a
vision beyond the church walls.
Pastors like Kyle know every Cadre is a
place of connection, support, honesty, and
ultimately, life. It’s not just another meeting,
but a room full of friends working hard in the
communities to which God has called them.
If you are a church pastor serving without
staff, reach out to Pastor Ed Tedeschi and
join a Cadre group. They will have a seat at
the table for you and a Subway sandwich
with your name on it.
