Rev Kenn Leischner

Meet Our Interim Pastor – Rev. Kenn Leischner

Kenn is a native of Parkston, South Dakota where he and Kathy grew up together. They both graduated from Parkston High School. They were married in 1970 while attending the University of South Dakota, Vermillion. They lived in Sioux Falls from 1975 until 1983 when Kenn entered United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. He served as a Student Associate Minister at First Congregational Church and in 1984 the family, that now included Grant, Jessica, and Abbie, moved to Sandstone, Minnesota where Kenn had been called to be pastor at Sandstone UCC and Finlayson United Methodist Church.

In 1989 the family moved to Columbus, NE which remains the family home. Kenn served as Senior Minister at the Federated Church, UCC-PCUSA until 1994 when he was called to be Interim Associate Conference Minister for the Nebraska Conference. Since that time Kenn has served interims with the Michigan Conference as Association Minister; St. Edward, NE United Methodist-Presbyterian Church; The Penn West Conference as Conference Minister; the Rocky Mountain Conference as Conference Minister; Peace UCC in Hartsburg, MO, Salem Evangelical UCC in Quincy, IL; First Congregational Church, Norfolk, NE; Zion UCC and First Christian Church, Falls City, NE; and most recently as Interim Ministry Team Leader at Holy Trinity Community UCC in Memphis, TN.

Kenn and Kathy family includes Grant and Mykin and their two children Meadow (3) and Brock (6 mos) in Omaha, Jessica in Alexandria VA, and Abbie, also in Omaha. Kathy is the HR administrator for Columbus Public Schools.

Rev. Leischner shares - Each year our family Christmas gathering includes an ‘ultimate gift’ exchange where each family member and partner tries to outdo the others with a special gift. At the end of our gift exchange this year I informed our kids that I would be moving from Memphis (a thirteen hour drive with exorbitant airfares) to Sioux City. My daughter Abbie, came up, hugged me and said, “Dad, that is the Ultimate Gift!” I look forward to meeting you and getting to know the ways that First Congregational makes a difference in the lives of its members and the community.  Faithfully, Rev. Kenn Leischner