Mike Bechtold, Senior Pastor

Mike Bechtold grew up in central Minnesota and has been a follower of Jesus since a very young age. God then called him to ministry as a high school student, which led him to pursuing his Bachelor's in Biblical Studies with a minor in Youth Ministry from Oak Hills Christian College, and later his Masters of Divinity from Bethel Seminary. Mike was then ordained in the Evangelical Covenant Church in 2021.

Prior to his time at Prairieview, Mike served in a variety of ministry contexts. He spent over a decade working with youth and young adults at a few Covenant churches in Minnesota, as well as had the privilege to be a guest speaker at various camps and colleges. Mike has also been heavily invested in equipping other pastors for ministry; having developed and co-led a Youth Ministry Coaching Cohort and participated in various leadership teams for the Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Now, Mike joins us at Prairieview as the Senior Pastor. He is excited to use the gifts God has equipped him with these last several years to serve Christ’s Church, and is most passionate about going deeper in Christ and investing in ministry opportunities all in the New Richmond community. Mike is married to Anna and together they have three children: Annika, Molly, and Andrew. Mike also enjoys golfing, relaxing outdoors, playing games, watching a good movie (especially anything Star Wars), and spending time with his family.