Barrie Tritle

My family includes my wife Kae, three grown sons Josh, Jake, and Mike. We have three grandsons Preston, Grayson, and Michael. 

My faith was fostered by the spiritual environment of my grandparents’ farm and the Spirit Lake UMC. I am a graduate of Spirit Lake HS, Morningside College – BA, Candler School of Theology – MDIV, and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary – DMIN. 

My ministry calling is to lead persons to grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus and go further in their service of Christ. My conviction is that our denomination is at a critical crossroads. Together we can address the adaptive challenges which we face in these days. I live the United Methodist heritage of reaching persons for Jesus Christ, and helping them grow into the image of Christ, and transforming the world by being a living witness of Love, Justice, and Mercy. As we work at building relationships with people we can share the Good News, advocate for Justice in our troubled world and make a difference in people’s lives.

Pastoral Service: Elder of the Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church having served as: Lead Pastor Iowa City First UMC 2010 – Present, Senior Pastor West Des Moines UMC 2004-2010, Cedar Rapids District Superintendent 1997-2004. Senior Pastor Burlington First UMC 1992-1997, Minister of Church Growth, Nurture and Adult Ministries – West Des Moines UMC 1989-1992, Pastor Sheridan Park and Capitol Heights UMCs – 1986-1989, Associate Pastor Clinton First UMC – January 1, 1983- 1986, and Student Pastor South bend UMC Atlanta Georgia January 1, 1981- December 31, 1982.

Conference service: Bishop’s Operational Team, Chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry for ten years, member of the CF&A, Equitable Compensation, CCMC, Board of Global Ministries, Parish Development and DM District Mission Education/Interpreter, CCYM, Book of Resolutions Editor, Resolutions Committee and Faculty of School for Lay Ministry, Lay Servant Ministries and Licensing School.   

General Church service:  General and Jurisdictional Conference Delegate 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2019, GBHEM, GCCUIC, and Ministry Study, Academy for Spiritual Formation Covenant Group Leader for Academy #18 and #23 and Retreat Leader for #28. 

Iowa City, IA

Some of my Projects

Iowa Annual Conference UMC Bishop’s Operational Team

The conference was lacking trust in the leadership, there were divergent opinions on how to staff the conference and what direction we were called to go forward with dwindling resources. The need for the conference to make deep adaptive changes so that it can become healthier and thrive into the future for Christ was clear. This project started with a team that followed the SLI Loving Learning and Leading process and has continued to do so for 5 years which has led to many changes in our conference including: clarified vision - “God’s hope for the world made real through faithful leaders, fruitful communities, and fire-filled people.”; clarified mission - “Inspire, equip and connect communities of faith to cultivate world-changing disciples of Jesus Christ.”; realignment of Conference staffing; reduced Conference Budget; reconfiguration of conference structures and systems which includes reducing the number of Districts from eight to five and streamlining our Conference Connectional Ministries Council; creation and implementation of a new Model of Circuits for spiritual leadership development and missional accountability at the local level of the church. Circuits are now our organizational design for our Conference, and they will become our operating system from where everything else functions.

Barrie Tritle

My family includes my wife Kae, three grown sons Josh, Jake, and Mike. We have three grandsons Preston, Grayson, and Michael. 

My faith was fostered by the spiritual environment of my grandparents’ farm and the Spirit Lake UMC. I am a graduate of Spirit Lake HS, Morningside College – BA, Candler School of Theology – MDIV, and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary – DMIN. 

My ministry calling is to lead persons to grow deeper in their relationship with Jesus and go further in their service of Christ. My conviction is that our denomination is at a critical crossroads. Together we can address the adaptive challenges which we face in these days. I live the United Methodist heritage of reaching persons for Jesus Christ, and helping them grow into the image of Christ, and transforming the world by being a living witness of Love, Justice, and Mercy. As we work at building relationships with people we can share the Good News, advocate for Justice in our troubled world and make a difference in people’s lives.

Pastoral Service: Elder of the Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church having served as: Lead Pastor Iowa City First UMC 2010 – Present, Senior Pastor West Des Moines UMC 2004-2010, Cedar Rapids District Superintendent 1997-2004. Senior Pastor Burlington First UMC 1992-1997, Minister of Church Growth, Nurture and Adult Ministries – West Des Moines UMC 1989-1992, Pastor Sheridan Park and Capitol Heights UMCs – 1986-1989, Associate Pastor Clinton First UMC – January 1, 1983- 1986, and Student Pastor South bend UMC Atlanta Georgia January 1, 1981- December 31, 1982.

Conference service: Bishop’s Operational Team, Chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry for ten years, member of the CF&A, Equitable Compensation, CCMC, Board of Global Ministries, Parish Development and DM District Mission Education/Interpreter, CCYM, Book of Resolutions Editor, Resolutions Committee and Faculty of School for Lay Ministry, Lay Servant Ministries and Licensing School.   

General Church service:  General and Jurisdictional Conference Delegate 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2019, GBHEM, GCCUIC, and Ministry Study, Academy for Spiritual Formation Covenant Group Leader for Academy #18 and #23 and Retreat Leader for #28. 

Iowa City, IA

Some of my Projects

Iowa Annual Conference UMC Bishop’s Operational Team

The conference was lacking trust in the leadership, there were divergent opinions on how to staff the conference and what direction we were called to go forward with dwindling resources. The need for the conference to make deep adaptive changes so that it can become healthier and thrive into the future for Christ was clear. This project started with a team that followed the SLI Loving Learning and Leading process and has continued to do so for 5 years which has led to many changes in our conference including: clarified vision - “God’s hope for the world made real through faithful leaders, fruitful communities, and fire-filled people.”; clarified mission - “Inspire, equip and connect communities of faith to cultivate world-changing disciples of Jesus Christ.”; realignment of Conference staffing; reduced Conference Budget; reconfiguration of conference structures and systems which includes reducing the number of Districts from eight to five and streamlining our Conference Connectional Ministries Council; creation and implementation of a new Model of Circuits for spiritual leadership development and missional accountability at the local level of the church. Circuits are now our organizational design for our Conference, and they will become our operating system from where everything else functions.

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