RIDGEFIELD – Jesse Lee Church’s The Rev. Dr. William Pfohl will accept a new appointment this summer, ending his faithful service to Ridgefield’s Methodist church and the broader local community after 25 years.
Pfohl – known to most as Pastor Bill – will begin leading a pastoral team in White Plains, N.Y., in July. His final service at Jesse Lee will be June 15.
Jesse Lee will welcome the Rev. Gene Ott as the new senior pastor beginning July 1. He currently serves as pastor of Simsbury United Methodist Church.
“This is an important transition for the Jesse Lee congregation,” said Jakob Janzon, Jesse Lee’s Church Council Chair. “Pastor Bill’s devoted ministry, invaluable service and steadfast dedication have impacted so many people throughout his long and distinguished service. It's also an exciting time for our church as we look forward to welcoming Pastor Gene and the unique gifts that he will bring to Jesse Lee Church and the Ridgefield and South Salem communities.”
Rev. Pfohl was appointed senior pastor at Jesse Lee in 2000 after serving churches in Trumbull, CT, and Mt. Kisco, NY. Aside from inspiring the faith journeys of Jesse Lee’s congregants for two and a half decades, Pastor Bill also guided the church through a major campus expansion in 2006, the 2020 COVID crisis, and on its stance of being a welcoming house of God for all. In the community, he has served as chaplain of the Ridgefield Police Department for more than 20 years, and also on the Ridgefield Community Coalition Against Substance Abuse (RCCASA).
Prior to his appointment to Simsbury, Rev. Ott served churches in South Salem and Yorktown Heights, N.Y., and Greenwich. Preaching and Methodism are in his family, going back to his great-grandfather. His mother, the Rev. Betsy Ott, previously served as district superintendent of the United Methodist Church’s New York-Connecticut district, which includes Ridgefield.
Janzon said the church is grateful to Pastor Bill for his years of dedicated leadership, excited for what Pastor Gene will bring to this new chapter, and honored to continue partnering with the Ridgefield community and beyond, as Jesse Lee seeks to support and encourage all through mission and service.
The Jesse Lee congregation and Ridgefield community are invited to an open house to celebrate Pastor Bill’s long and valued service on Saturday, June 14 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. in the church’s Carriage House.
On Sun., June 15, the 9:30 a.m. worship service – Pastor Bill’s last in Ridgefield – will be extended until 11 a.m. to honor his time at Jesse Lee.
Words of farewell to Pastor Bill, of welcome to Pastor Gene, and of congratulations and encouragement can be sent to the attention of each pastor via Jesse Lee Church, 207 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877. Or to info@jesseleechurch.com.