Meet the new pastor in town

She is dynamic, energetic, animated and very youthful.

The United Methodist Church here in Cheney has a new pastor, and like a whirlwind blowing into town, pastor Alissa Bertsch Johnson arrived at the Cheney church one year ago and "hit the ground running," as she described it. She was able to make such a speedy and smooth transition into her new role as pastor because "there was such a strong core of lay leadership here, and they were all very supportive."

She inherited a vibrant, growing and dedicated congregation that has a long history in Cheney. The congregation began meeting in 1880, and...