Pastor Matt Miklasz is stepping down at Faith Free.
Husband to wife Cyndy, father of four children, author of numerous books, and local sports coach, Miklasz has been a pastor at Faith Free for over thirty years.
Miklasz first started as an unpaid volunteer youth pastor in the 80s before being hired in the mid-90s to serve under then pastor Don Price. Miklasz is transitioning away from ministry due to health issues but will remain in the local congregation.
The Miklasz family returned to Faith Free in spring 2020 after leaving in the 2000s, first to Sparta and then to another pastorate in Cokato, Minnesota in 2014, before returning to Stanley and Faith Free in spring 2020.
“We’ve always sort of considered this home,” Miklasz said at the time of his return to Stanley-Boyd. Miklasz came north from the Chicago area in the 1980s, while his wife Cyndy is a local farm girl. The two married at Faith Free in 1991.
Hired as associate youth pastor under Don Price in 1993, Miklasz has been heavily involved in sports, including both basketball and football teams at Stanley-Boyd as well as Faith Christian Academy, both as head coach and assistant.
Now with a desire to be a shepherd of shepherds, Miklasz gave his last sermon as lead pastor Sunday, March 22 at Faith Free, followed by a catered dinner. The event had been delayed a week due to inclement weather.
Asking his children what he should preach on for Sunday, Miklasz was told to keep it simple.
“You know Dad, I think you should just keep it simple,” he said he was told.
“Well, that’s kind of where I was going,” Miklasz said.
Reference Bible verses for Miklasz’ sermon on Sunday included Romans 5:1-10, focusing on Romans 5:8.
A main takeaway from the passage was that the love of God was shown in that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.” Miklasz emphasized the need for context, with Romans 5 building on Romans 3 and 4, in which the apostle Paul discusses justification by faith.
“If God’s love was not demonstrative none of us would be saved,” Miklasz said, saying that this love was free, spontaneous, holy, and just. Even so, this was not a license for sin.
“Our attempts to make God’s love accommodate all kinds of behaviors is insulting to God,” Miklasz told the overflow congregation.
Additional Bible references from Sunday included Ephesians 2:1-4, First Timothy 1`:12-14, and Romans 8:36-37, Romans 5:6, Titus 3:5, First Peter 3:18, Revelation 1:6, First John 4:10, and Second Corinthians 5:21.
Miklasz shared a little of his own journey as well, saying that it was in 1983 in a small chapel at Luther College that he responded to faith and the Gospel changed his life. Running into a “dry heart well” after investing in sports and relationships, Miklasz sought refuge instead in God.
Miklasz quoted late evangelical Reformed theologian J.I. Packer, who said that “The nature of God’s love is to particularize its effects towards sinners.”
Following Miklasz’ sermon those present were invited to make a prayer their own inviting God into their life, if they had not already, with the congregation expressing gratitude towards Miklasz for his leadership and pastor role over the years. A catered dinner was held downstairs after the service, including chicken, potatoes, corn, stuffing, grave, coleslaw, milk, desert, and cake.

New lead pastor J.D. Foster and wife Heidy will now take over in Miklasz’s place at Faith Free.