The Evangelical Covenant Church announced the hiring of three new directors on its denominational team.
Kreig Gammelgard is now serving as director of donor engagement. He began his position on November 1. He will engage with Covenant individuals and churches to inspire and increase support of Covenant mission and ministry with a focus on individual support.
An ordained Covenant minister, Gammelgard has served as a youth pastor, church planter, and executive pastor. He mostly recently served as the associate superintendent and director of missional health for the East Coast Conference. He also has started two businesses.
“I am delighted to join the Mission Advancement team and to help move our common mission and his kingdom priorities forward so the Lord’s will can be accomplished here on earth, through his church, as it is in heaven,” Gammelgard said.
He is married to Sandy, and they have three adult children and five grandchildren. He plans to settle in Southern California.
Keith Carpenter has accepted the call to serve as director of church engagement for the Mission Advancement team. In his role, he will connect with churches, pastors, and leadership teams to inspire deeper mission and ministry partnership with the Covenant through the 3StrandStrong initiative.
Carpenter recently retired as pastor of Kent (Washington) Covenant Church and previously served at First Covenant Church in River Falls, Wisconsin.
He has served on numerous conference and Covenant boards and committees, including the Covenant Constitution Revision Commission, Covenant Executive Board, Covenant World Missions Committee, and the Paul Carlson Partnership Board.
He co-founded and continues to serve as vice president for Reach the Nations Nepal Ministries, a nonprofit that trains pastors, supports evangelism, and provides humanitarian relief to Nepal.
Keith and his wife, Michelle, live in Kent. He began his role on February 1.
“I have always been a strong supporter of the Covenant and our united mission,” Carpenter said. “I came to the Covenant as a young adult and received my call to ministry here. I have learned that people are far more generous when they are well cared for as whole persons. Taking interest in people and caring for them is a yearning in my heart. Connecting people with a visionary cause they can believe in and give to with joy is a personal passion.”
Karen Ingebretson has been hired as the new director of pastoral support and practice for Develop Leaders.
Ingebretson most recently served as pastor of community life at Thornapple Covenant Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She previously served as director of mission mobilization and connection for Serve Globally, as faculty and director of outreach for Covenant Bible College – Midwest, and as youth pastor at Glen Ellyn (Illinois) Covenant Church. She has served on the Board of Ordered Ministry for more than four years.
In her role, Ingebretson will develop and implement strategies for ministerial health and wholeness across the continuum of care for pastors and laity.
“I’m excited to be part of a team that wants to serve pastors and their families as they engage in their important ministries,” Ingebretson said.
She and her husband, Ben, will continue to live in Grand Rapids.
“We are grateful to God for calling these Covenant leaders to serve the Covenant Church throughout North America and Canada,” says Rebecca Gonzalez, chief operating officer of the Covenant. Because of the field-staff nature of their work, relocation to Chicago is not required.
