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The United Methodist Church of Albert Lea this week announced its new pastor, Gad Maiga, by appointment of the Minnesota-Dakota Area Bishop Lanette Plambeck.

Maiga preached his first service on June 30, and began his formal appointment with the Albert Lea congregation July 1, according to his District Superintendent Rev. Dr. Woojae Im of the Southern Prairie District of the Minnesota-Dakotas Annual Conference.

Maiga comes to Albert Lea following his graduation from Drew Theological School in New Jersey with a Master of Divinity degree. He will be ordained as an elder in the United Methodist Church within the Kenya Ethiopia Annual Conference in August. This will be his first appointment as lead pastor.

Prior to his studies in the United States at Drew, Maiga graduated with a Bachelor of Science in agribusiness management from Africa University. He has also served as a conference youth coordinator and a conference communicator at the Kenya Ethiopia Annual Conferences between 2019 and 2023.

Most recently he has served as a youth pastor at First United Methodist Church in Union City, New Jersey, while completing his divinity degree.

Maiga was raised in a family of seven children. His parents are the Rev. Linus Anthony Maiga and Jentriex Tabu, and he is originally from Funyula, Busia County in Kenya. He is married to Cynthia Achieng, and they have one young daughter, Alia Amour Maiga.

Maiga replaces John Mitchem, who was appointed to First United Methodist Church in Worthington and Adrian, and began his appointment there July 1.