Calling a Co-Pastor

In its manual, On Calling a Pastor, the Church Leadership Connection for the Presbyterian Church (USA) recommends that a congregation’s Nominating Team should strive to put forward a Co-Pastor Nominating Committee that is “representative of the whole congregation.” The team should put forward “church members of integrity who are:

  • knowledgeable about the church and community and about Presbyterian theology and government;
  • spiritual leaders within the congregation and are active in the life and work of the congregation;
  • able to make a significant commitment of their time, energy, and very best wisdom;
  • willing to accept this as a task of spiritual discernment, not being easily influenced by personal desires or congregational politics, but rather listening for the voice of God; and
  • able to honor confidentiality.”        

On July 30, 2024, the congregation electing the following six members to serve on a Co-Pastor Nominating Committee:

  • Allison Bernard: A lifelong member of St. Andrew, Allison Bernard is a pharmacist at the University of Iowa. She and her husband, Kyle, have been actively involved in small group bible studies and have two young children,
  • Wes Habley: A member of St. Andrew’s Personnel Team, Wes Habley helped craft the Co-Pastor Model Proposal recently approved by the Presbytery of East Iowa as a solid direction for the next pastoral search. Wes and his wife, Katherine, have been long-time members of St. Andrew, and he served on the Pastor Nominating Committee that called Pastor Rob Martin. 
  • Mary Hausler: A returning member of Session, Mary Hausler grew up in St. Andrew. She is a physical therapist at the University of Iowa and—along with her fiancé, Jeff Ruhlow—is active in St. Andrew’s Flipping Tables, and At the Table worship services. During her first year on Session, she helped revitalize the Child Protection Policy Team by overseeing the creation of new forms and other online tools.
  • Angela Ibrahim-Olin: Angela Ibrahim-Olin began attending St. Andrew after the congregation moved to Camp Cardinal. An associate dean for Accountability and Care and the University of Iowa, Angela recently served on the Staffing Model Taskforce that implemented our current configuration for Music, Student, and Family & Children’s Ministries, and she is an active leader in BASIC, St. Andrew's middle school ministry. She and her wife, Virginia, have three young children.
  • Ted Potter: Ted Potter has been a solid, calming presence at St. Andrew, especially through his work with Stephen Ministries and the new Caring Friends Ministry. A retired law librarian and legal research teacher at the University of Iowa, he is a member of the Presbytery of East Iowa’s Committee for the Preparation of Ministry, and he and his wife, Annie, have been longtime members of the congregation.  
  • Munir Tanas: An incoming member of Session, Munir Tanas has been attending St. Andrew for a decade. An associate professor of pathology at the University of Iowa, both Munir and his wife, Jamie, received their undergraduate degrees from the Presbyterian school Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington. They have three children in St. Andrew’s Student Ministry.

St.  Andrew's Lead Pastor, Rob Martin, will also serve on the committee as they write the Ministry Discernment Profile needed to begin advertising the position. He will have limited voice, and no vote, in the discussions. 


As we prepare to say farewell to Pastor Kyle Otterbein after 25 years of ministry among us, we look forward to what God has planned next for the St. Andrew community. If you have questions about this process, please contact Session Clerk Patti Benson or the Church Office.