It’s not every day that someone leaves the fast-paced life of a sales executive to milk cows part-time in order to serve God. But that’s exactly what Mark Hoehne did.
In 2007 the congregation of First Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Wisconsin, put out word that they needed someone to lead them. Having long relied on part-time ministers, their hope was to find a part-time installed pastor, but they were unsure if anyone would respond. And, for a time, it seemed no one would answer the call.
Meanwhile, Mark needed summer work during seminary. A farmer, Andy Buttles, was offering a position milking cows. Mark knew nothing about the dairy cows or the work, but Andy was willing to teach him.
The relationship was God’s provision for starting the tentmaking relationship between Mark and FPC Lancaster. He accepted the position with the congregation in May 2007, moving his wife, Cindy, and three teenage daughters to the area.
Although working on a farm might seem an unlikely solution, it allowed Mark not only to serve FPC Lancaster as a part-time pastor but, through his work, to reach people who rarely attended services. One such relationship resulted in a couple and their children becoming Christians and attending church for the first time in years.
Want to know more? Mark’s full story is in the 2013 Mission Yearbook. Order yours now.
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