After serving as interim pastor for the past year, Bachman was hired as the church’s pastor just three weeks ago. He credits the work he has done in the past and his relationship with Jesus Christ that led him into full-time ministry.

“I lived in Liscomb as a child and the family moved to Union when I was 13. After graduation I worked on farms, went back to school and then became a police officer in Eldora and Onawa for 15 years,” Bachman said. “But at the end of 15 years I decided that being in law enforcement was not a long-term fit for me because it was effecting me personally.”

Bachman said he worked at Lennox Industries for more than 22 years and then

was a parts man at another factory for about four years. He just finished a stint with Schendel Pest Control.

Bachman family portrait, Lora, Rachael, Rick and Amy.

“My variety of backgrounds has given me a good background for the things I deal with every day in my ministry,” Bachman said. “I became a Christian at age 17, and have been involved with the ministry council of the Friends Church interviewing and training new pastors for about 40 years. About five years ago I felt that God was calling me to be a pastor myself.”

“When I was being interviewed, it was strange answering instead of asking the questions,” Bachman said, laughing.

He also serves on the board of directors of Wings of

Refuge, an organization in Iowa Falls that help women involved with human trafficking.

“I have always had a heart for people — serving people — and ministry is just an extension of that heart,” he said.

Rick and his wife Lora.

“I feel my relationship with Jesus Christ has helped me most in my ministry, because I have seen the worst of things in law enforcement and Wings of Refuge, and those things have prepared me for things I am going to need as I continue my ministry,” Bachman said. “As a minister I am not going to change Marshalltown or the world, but if I can change one person’s life, then I have done what I am called to do.”

Bachman said he was drawn to the First United Church of Christ because it was so warm and welcoming. He added it was interesting for him coming into the UCC from a Quaker background. Bachman feels the learning curve is a two way street – him learning from the congregation and they from him.

The biggest challenge for the church today according to Bachman is the fact that it is becoming obsolete.

“We do church like we have for the past 100 years and it worked, but once we took some of the personality and personal relationship with Jesus Christ out of the church it became an institution instead of a relationship,” he said. “Young people just do not see a need to go to church anymore. We need to become less of an institution and to bring things back to a relevant relationship with God and other Christians.”

Bachman said doing church as it was done in the past is not going to work in the future. Whereby traditions are meaningful and cannot be thrown out entirely, new things should also be considered meaningful.

Contributed photos Rick at his recording ceremony with his wife Lora and daughter Rachael.

“God has never been more relevant and more poignant than he is today, yet I do not feel that enough people are concerned about their eternal choice. The world is hungry, but they do not realize what they are hungry for. We do church as imperfect people looking for that perfect God,” he said.

Rick’s love for guns started at a young age.