Red Oak’s Rev. Pilecki honored by Iowa Methodists with evangelism award

MOLLY SKYLES
Assistant Editor

The road to God is not always smooth; just ask Rev. Fred Pilecki of the First United Methodist Church in Red Oak.

Pilecki recently received the Harry Denman Evangelism Award, which is given to one youth, lay person and clergy each year at the annual Iowa State Methodist Conference. He won the clergy award, which is given based on outstanding efforts for work on Christian Evangelism, mainly because of the number of first time believers who joined the church — 88 new members have joined during the four years since Pilecki moved here, 59 of which were through profession of faith.

“I have to pinch myself every now and then to believe it’s all true,” Pilecki said about the results of his checkered past. “I probably could have been nominated the least likely to be a minister a few years ago.”

Prior to becoming a pastor 14 years ago, Pilecki said he was an alcoholic. He went to college majoring in accounting but dropped out after three years. He then began a series of jobs such as hospital accountant, firefighter and cab driver, all of which he quit before the employers were given the chance to fire him because of issues related to his alcoholism.

Alcoholism also led to more arrests than Pilecki said he can remember, mainly due to writing bad checks at bars in Sioux City and a suicide attempt in which he shot himself in the chest. 

“I was in a really bad place and thought there couldn’t be this loving God I’d been taught about as a kid to allow me to go through a divorce and a very serious suicide attempt,” he said. “Where could this loving God be? I’d become agnostic.”   

During 1979 after a divorce, Pilecki moved from his hometown in Michigan to Sioux City where eventually joined a 12-step program that stressed believing in a higher power to remain sober. He decided to join the Church of All Nations located on the Goodwill Industries campus in Sioux City.

“That first Sunday, they preached on the Prodigal Son and it was just like it was meant for me,” he said. “That son who had taken everything and squandered it all away but was welcomed back by a loving father. So, I was stuck.”  

Pilecki then began working at the church doing odd jobs like painting. As his interest grew, he said he began to get a calling into the ministry. He went back to college then attended the Billy Graham School of Evangelism. In 1998, he started his ministries in Malvern and Strahan.

He also served as pastor in Mapleton and Ticonic before moving to Red Oak in 2008.

Aside from his involvement in the church, Pilecki is heavily involved in the community. He is a member of the Merc Coffee Club, Optimist Club, Lions Club, Masonic Lodge, School Improvement Advisory Council and many more.

Pilecki also was elected to a City Council seat in February, a spot he won with 55 percent of the votes with four candidates on the ballot. He said it was a big victory for him since he’d only been a member of the community for four years.

“God’s incredible and I certainly owe it all to him,” Pilecki said. “I don’t know if I’ll ever retire because church and family are my life. I enjoy vacations and stuff, but I really like people and being active in the community. Staying involved — maybe that is my hobby.”

The Red Oak Express

2012 Commerce Drive
P.O. Box 377
Red Oak, IA 51566
Phone: 712-623-2566 Fax: 712-623-2568

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