Meet our Pastor.
Meet our Praise Team Director.
Read Pastor Dan's personal introduction.
Read Pastor Dan's "Thoughts From the Pastor".
Pastor - Reverend Daniel Horn
We are excited to welcome our new pastor, the Reverend Daniel Horn, his wife, Cheryl, and their faimly.
Rev. Horn comes to us from Thief River Falls UMC where he served from 1999 to 2004. Rev. Horn received his BA from Bethel College in 1978 and an MDiv from Bethel Seminary in 1982. Rev. Horn's philosophy of ministry is "to present the Gospel to unchurched and unsaved people in our community, to be a healing church for wounded and broken people, and to provide a nurturing and caring environment for growth within our church community."
Praise Team Director - Gail Hammond
"Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;"
Psalm 98:1
Gail joined the church staff in the Fall of 2001 and leads the praise team and each week's contemporary worship. Together with the pastor, she plans the contemporary worship services, and also helps plan and coordinate special services and events at the church.
Gail has a heart for worship that comes from a personal relationship with Jesus. Her leadership style is inviting, upbeat, and focused on the timeless message of grace and hope.
She has been active in
music programs at River Hills United Methodist Church in Burnsville, MN and Park
Avenue United Methodist Church in Minneapolis, and holds a bachelor of music education
degree from Colorado State University.
Gail helped with the startup of contemporary
worship at River Hills and the formation of the Christian rock band, Higher Ground,
which was featured for several years at the Minnesota State Fair.
She has started
and served as director of children's, youth, and contemporary adult choirs and helped
found the Dakota Valley Civic Orchestra. Gail also helped in the formation of Minnesota
Walk to Emmaus, the Minnesota branch of an international movement for spiritual awakening.
Gail and her husband Patrick live in Eagan with their two sons. Patrick is a part-time actor and director of contemporary worship at River Hills United Methodist Church.
An Introduction from Pastor Dan
In the mid-seventies I told my father that I felt called to become a pastor. Dad, having been in the ministry for over 40 years himself, challenged me to reconsider. He told me "to think long and hard before I responded to that calling and if there was anything else that I could possibly enjoy doing … follow that desire." After reconsidering I still felt drawn to that calling and reaffirmed my strong sense of calling to my Father. It was then that he gave me this advice: "Son, if you still feel God is calling you to pastor, then I have two words of advice: 1] preach the Gospel…never compromise on the truth found in scripture and 2] love your people…be devoted to the people God calls you to serve and care for them just as Christ cared for his disciples." I’ve been in ministry nearly 30 years now and I still hold to my Father’s advice. Dad modeled that love for Jesus Christ and his passion to serve those to whom he was called to serve and it has become my passion as well.
I’ve served in several churches and in many different denominations: my first, a Covenant Church as a youth pastor (1 year)…my second, an Evangelical Free Church as a youth and C.E. pastor (2 years)…my third, as a youth and C.E. pastor of a Baptist Church (5 years)…my fourth, another Baptist Church as the senior pastor (10 years)…my fifth, as a visitation pastor and as a pastor of an alternative worship service in the inner city, a Baptist Church (2 years)…and my last pastorate has been the senior pastor of a Methodist Church in northern Minnesota (5 years). I’ve served churches in the rural area, in the small town, in middle sized cities, and in the inner city and have found each church to have its own kind of charm. I have led worship in traditional, contemporary, blended, and even alternative worship settings and each has taught me to be celebratory of diverse worship experiences. God has affirmed to me that he is alive and working in his church…no matter the style or association.
God is also alive and working in our family. Being a father of ten…father-in-law to two and grandfather of a little girl and a little boy has almost created a church of its own. Our four oldest children are basically on their own having discovered the joys of freedom outside the context of our rules, but the remaining six live within the joys and sorrows of our control. Our oldest home bound child (Stephen) will be entering 11th grade this fall, followed by a soon to be 9th grader (Micah). Mariah, our to be 7th grader leads the youngest four…Kevin, 2nd grade…Martel, kindergarten…and Awna, our last who hopes to begin pre-school. Life in our home can be a bit chaotic…but filled with life. [and we’re willing to share our joys…do you want to borrow one or two?]