Pastor Jim Cotter has been pastor of the Columbus United Methodist Church since 2005, and has been in the United Methodist Ministry since 1984.

Jim grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, where he also went to the university. He got his Masters of Divinity degree from Boston University School of Theology in 1984.

Jim enjoys being involved in the musical and educational aspects of ministry. Most of all, he is happy to be part of a church that is seeking to live out its calling.

Jim believes that the church exists to help people act out the way of Jesus: to live the way that Jesus lived and taught us to live. This includes kindness and truth-telling, a desire for justice, and compassion for those in tough situations, including ourselves.

The church also exists to help people live faithfully when things are ambiguous, and in a world that is often in tension between extremes.

In addition to serving as pastor, Jim is the coordinator of the Wisconsin United Methodist Conflict Transformation Team. This group works with churches in conflict to try to bring healing. Peacemaking is a part of Jim’s calling.

Jim’s wife of 26 years, Marianne, is the pastor at the Trinity United Methodist Church in Madison. Their oldest son, Samuel, is married to Kimberly Ferguson Cotter; they live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their younger son, Carl, is a student at Iowa State University.