Pastoral Transitional Update - Updated 11/10/2025
As many of you know, we're in a pastoral transition. During this season, we are grateful for Dennis Easter’s contribution as the Interim Pastor. He has provided us all with the space needed for a thorough discernment process in the selection of your new pastor.
As a Foursquare church, we have a process for choosing a new pastor. When a pastor feels called to a new season, we move into a discernment process to determine the next pastor(s). Specifically, the Northwest Supervisory Team and the Regional Pastor work with the Church Council, as representatives of the church body.
Here is what you can expect during this transition:
- The Supervisory Team and the Church Council build a Pastoral Profile. This document, unique to East Hill, explores who the church is, who our community is, and the qualifications and gifts we're looking for in the next pastor. This was completed in July.
- This document is now being used by the District Supervisory Team to vet potential candidates. We have a variety of conversations, with the goal of identifying a candidate(s) that would best serve the church well, based on the profile, conversation and prayer.
- Once the District determines one candidate (or couple), we will present them to the church council. The church council will meet with them.
- Following this, the candidate and the church council spend a few days in prayer. The decision is a communal discerning process, led by the District Supervisor or a member of his team.
- Once a pastor is affirmed, we'll share this news with the church body. We'll also work with them on a timeline.
We have a wonderful Interim Pastor, Dennis Easter, who has been a gift to East Hill! Dennis has a great personality and a ton of experience (bio below). In addition to decades as a Lead Pastor and District Supervisor, Dennis is a gifted speaker and a gracious and warm pastor.
The role of an Interim Pastor is to lead Sunday mornings, provide support for the staff, and be available for some pastoral care. An Interim Pastor helps create stability in a transition and ensures that the church is well cared for and led during this time. Dennis is not a candidate for the Lead Pastor role, but he is committed to caring well for the church in the interim time. A picture and bio for Dennis are below.
Please know that Foursquare is committed to serving East Hill well, walking the church through this transition, and contending for God's very best to lead us into a more fruitful future. We are actively seeking God and working within our networks to identify the next Lead Pastor for East Hill. Please pray with us!
Pastor Dennis Easter
Born and raised in Southern California, Dennis is a graduate of LIFE Bible College in Los Angeles, with both B.A. and B.Th. degrees, Master of Arts in Pastoral Theology from Azusa Pacific University and a Doctorate of Ministry in Leadership and Spiritual Formation from Portland Seminary. Over the decades, Dennis has served as a Youth Pastor and Lead Pastor, including a season as Co-Pastor of Church on the Way with Pastor Jack Hayford. Most recently, Dennis was the District Supervisor for Southern California and championed the development of a “district within a district” to serve the unique needs of our Hispanic congregations. Dennis now serves as a coach and strategist for pastors and churches, as well as an Adjunct Professor at Portland Seminary and Western Ministry Institute. He and his wife, Patsy, reside in the Portland area and have 4 children and 10 grandchildren. Dennis is known as a gifted communicator, strategic leader, and mentor and sponsor of others.