About Pastor Phil Butler

Pastor Phil Butler is originally from north central Iowa. He was born in Charles City and raised on a farm near Bristow.  His parents are Paul and Shirley Butler and his sister is Janell.  He was saved at an early age, baptized at age 11, and his home church is Calvary Baptist Church of Greene.  He graduated from Allison-Bristow High School in 1975.

Pastor Phil received his undergraduate education at University of Northwestern St. Paul, MN, graduating in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry degree.  He received his graduate education at Moody Seminary, Chicago, IL, graduating in 1995 with a Master of Arts in Ministry degree.

Pastor Phil has been preaching since he was in high school.  Pastor Phil has pastored 4 churches since 1981: Winslow Grace Bible Church of Winslow, Illinois; Artichoke Lake Baptist Church of Correll, Minnesota; First Baptist Church of Appleton, Minnesota; and First Baptist Church of Colfax, Iowa.

While at Winslow Grace Bible Church, Phil was ordained to the gospel ministry in April 1983. This church provided excellent experience in being a new pastor. He also worked driving school bus for the Lena-Winslow School District, and did farm labor for two Christian farm families in the area - Jerry Ann Gobeli and her sons and also Bill and Barb Duncan.  It was at this church Phil began his graduate work at Moody Seminary. 

While at Artichoke Lake Baptist Church from June 1987 - October 1997, Pastor Phil was the voice of the weekly radio program "Accent on the Bible" and the Camp Director of Big Stone Camp for Christ of Ortonville, Minnesota.  He also did farm work for one of the families in the church, Dave and Jean Jorgenson. Then the last two and a half years he also pastored First Baptist Church of Appleton as a yoked parish. 

Then he went to First Baptist Church of Colfax, Iowa, and Pastor Phil was honored to serve exactly 20 years as Senior Pastor from November 1, 1997 - November 1, 2017.  He had the privilege of working with 3 different youth pastors: Danny DuRocher, Jeriah Shank, and Randy Shideler.  A lot of the ministry changed in the 20 years, and Pastor Phil was the longest serving pastor in the 130 year history of the church. 

Pastor Phil and his wife Jeannette have been married for 47 years and continue to live in Colfax, Iowa. 

Since November 2017 he has been employed by Durham School Services as a bus driver in Colfax and in the Des Moines area,  periodically driving truck for a truck dealer, encouraging pastors, serving his family, and doing pulpit supply.

From October 2019 - May 2020, Pastor Phil served as Interim Pastor of Cornerstone Bible Fellowship of Newton, Iowa.

From June 2020 - November 2022 Pastor Phil served as Interim Pastor of Allison Bible Church of Allison, Iowa.

He currently is doing a lot of preaching at Ira United Church in Ira, Iowa (sharing the ministry with a friend of his, and the church is not far from his  home). And also does pulpit supply in various other churches, and looks forward to continuing in 2025.