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“It was a blessing for our church to have Pastor Adam Wolfgang as our interim pastor. Pastor Adam was an incredible teacher, shepherd and coach. 
The IPM process for an intentional interim is very well thought out. From Pastor Adam‘s first few weeks where he met with most of the congregants through to his guidance of the search team, he built relationships and helped grow the spiritual depth of this local body of believers. 
Adam and his wife Stephanie are an outstanding team. I wholeheartedly recommend IPM to any church going through a transition.” 
--Rob Wood, Elder, Machias Valley Baptist Church, Maine--

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"Having been on two Search Teams now, I am so thankful that we found IPM to help with the process this time around. 


Pastor Adam and his wife Stephanie have been a huge blessing and effective tools for God to continue growing our church in many ways, going well above and beyond just pulpit supply. He always has a deeply-studied, yet down-to-earth message, but has also been a very present, attentive, tender-hearted pastor to everybody in the church. He was also a wise and encouraging Search Team coach, coming into our situation with a game plan of what our steps moving forward look like, which was a huge burden off of our shoulders. 

I would highly recommend IPM. It has given our church a sense of stability and encouragement that there is a way forward and that you don’t just have to survive, but you can thrive through the transition. 

And if you are looking for a great shepherd, preacher, teacher, and coach, Pastor Adam embodies all of them.

Thank you, Pastor Adam!"

- Kristina, member and search team member of MVBC

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"Time spent with IPM,

I admit to some uncertainties when we were told that IPM would be helping us in the task of yet again identifying God's man for this work here in Machias.  This was our third search for a pastor in a relatively short period of time.   That fact ultimately caused me to realize the wisdom of our elders in seeking assistance for this task.  

Soon after meeting the Wolfgangs, there was a peace within as I truly felt God's hand on them and this process. Their love for the Lord and sincere desire to help us honestly assess who we are first as individual believers, and then as a church body.   

Being a part of the transition team helped me to better evaluate my walk with the Lord and see more clearly my role within this body.  A huge part of that growth came through the solid  preaching of Pastor Adam. Through this process I believe the church has grown not just in numbers, but also in clarity of its mission and purpose in serving one another and our area.  

I would definitely recommend IPM to other churches seeking to fill their pulpit with the man of God's choosing." 

June Ashmore - transition team member

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To whom it may concern,

IPM and Pastor Adam Wolfgang were exactly what we needed at Machias Valley Baptist Church. Pastor Adam and Stephanie have seamlessly fit into our church family.  Pastor Adam was a breath of fresh air in a difficult time for our church. God has used him to give our church the guidance, friendship, encouragement, and leadership that we needed as we walked through this process, and he has been a true blessing to each individual as well as our church as a whole.

IPM provided us with a road map for the process of finding our next pastor. Having a road map laid out before embarking on this pivotal trip made the trip much more doable, even enjoyable. I was privileged to be on the transition team and the search team.

During the transition phase, Pastor Adam helped us take an introspective look at our church to see if there were areas that needed some tidying up. The goal was to be in the best shape possible for the arrival of our new pastor. This was valuable for our church and helped us get some things done that we needed to do regardless of whether we were getting a new pastor or not. For example, one of the invaluable things we did as a congregation during the transition phase was to go through a spiritual gifts class in small groups.

When we moved to the search phase, we were provided with a flow chart that helped us thoroughly and methodically review each new candidate. Without IPM, we would not have followed this well thought out process that has proven successful for many other churches. Pastor Adam seemed to have endless patience with us and the process as we spent nine months reviewing over ninety applicants. He encouraged and supported us every step of the way, providing us with much needed spiritual insight and wisdom.

Pastor Adam and Stephanie are a perfect example of God bringing something great out of a difficult situation. They will leave us richer from their fellowship and better prepared for what God has for us next. They became a part of our church family as soon as they arrived and they will be missed as family members moving away.

Sincerely,
Lauren Sprague - transition and search team member

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 "When our church, Machias Valley Baptist Church, became in need of a senior pastor we knew we needed help in our search. Someone suggested IPM to our Elders. We had never heard of IPM and had no idea what to expect, but we have been so blessed to partner with this organization as they matched us up with a great interim pastor, Pastor Adam Wolfgang. 


Pastor Adam is a true man of God, who delivered excellent sermons, Bible studies, counseling members and others, made many visitations to hospitals and homes, gathered with our local pastors on a monthly basis to pray and gathered with our church men on a weekly basis to spend time in God’s Word and prayer. 


I also had the privilege of working with Pastor Adam in the church office. He has excellent communication skills, organized, detailed, very observant, excellent listener, compassionate, reliable and has an excellent dry sense of humor. It has been a pleasure and blessing to work alongside Pastor Adam. 


We couldn’t ask for a better leader for our church during this time of transition. I would highly recommend IPM and Pastor Adam Wolfgang to any church."


Jennifer Smith 

MVBC Secretary/Manager 

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"I am writing this letter of recommendation for Adam Wolfgang. Pastor Adam, of Interim Pastor Ministries, was hired by our church in July 2019 and will complete his time with us in January 2021. During his time here, he and Stephanie have become very dear to us, and we will sorely miss them. 


In short, our church has been “put through the wringer” over the past decade. When Adam arrived, we were discouraged, but our leadership is tenacious and deeply desired to find qualified help and coaching to correct, strengthen and assist us as we endeavored to search for yet another pastor. Adam and Stephanie opened their hearts to listen to everyone, their stories, their pain, their perspectives and valued each person. He has a deep and sincere love for the body of Christ. 


We are a tough crowd here in New England, and I watched as he gained the respect and trust of our leadership. The elders rely on him for guidance and direction and value his wisdom and insight in the highest regard. 


Pastor Adam’s greatest strength is his interpersonal skills. He reads people well, adeptly listening and observing nonverbal cues. Pastor Adam does not avoid conflict; he is perceptive, yet patiently gets to know each person, gains their trust and is then able to address issues in a loving, gentle manner, all for the purpose of what is best for the entire body as we aim to glorify God in all things. 


Pastor Adam is an adept teacher of the Word. His sermons are organized yet not stagnant and well-timed. He knows exactly when to insert a practical example or story to keep his audience’s attention. He reads his congregation well and uses illustrations based on our cultural context. 


He is thoughtful and strategic and communicated pertinent information to our church in detailed emails each week. He eagerly desires the church members to get involved and participate in the various trainings and teams designed to take us to the next level. 


Pastor Adam embodies the meaning of “shepherd” as given to us in the Scriptures. Our church is in a much healthier state due to his and Stephanie’s guidance and coaching. He is a wise counselor and pastor, and I highly recommend him as an interim pastor for Christ-centered, gospel preaching churches." 


Sincerely, 

Andrea Lyford 

Pastor Search Committee Member, Music Team Member 

Machias Valley Baptist Church 

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