Each year at youth conference, Momentum Ministry Partners honors one youth pastor who is faithfully discipling the next generation and investing in the lives of students. This person is selected by a panel of Momentum staff, based on meeting certain criteria. In July 2024 the Student Ministries Pastor of the Year Award recipient was Rothan Bedford, pastor of student ministry at Grace Fellowship Church in Pickerington, Ohio.
Rothan has been leading students at Grace full-time since June 2015. Grace Fellowship has five campuses, and Rothen oversees grades 6–12 at the Pickerington campus and helps out with the other campus student ministries as well.
Rothen grew up in a home that prioritized faith. His parents were very involved at their church, hosting young adult groups and serving in kids ministry. His older sister also had an impact on his faith. As a teenager Rothen attended East Side Grace Brethren Church in Blacklick, Ohio, where he was invested in as a student leader from the age of 13 all the way through high school. The summer after his freshman year he attended Momentum Youth Conference (with Grace Fellowship), and wrestled through his own faith. He said, “While I prayed to accept Jesus as my savior when I was six years old in the living room with my mom, I prayed to acknowledge Jesus as my Lord at that Momentum.”
When asked about his journey into ministry, Rothen said, “I actually tried really hard not to go into ministry. Growing up my family had a real estate company that I fully anticipated taking over. In 2011 I went on Momentum Travel Teams, and that was the first time I remember feeling like I was called into ministry. I can remember a really pivotal conversation I had with my senior leader, TK, while sitting on top of a Home Depot bucket while we were riding in the bus one day. He talked about the significance of calling and he gave me some criteria to think through as I was processing through my calling. By my freshman year at Grace College, I decided to compromise with God. I would double major in business and youth ministry. It took me one semester before I finally gave into God and went all in on ministry. I remember thinking that if I knew where God wanted me to be and I intentionally chose not to go, that I’d be setting myself up for a Jonah situation. I am very grateful that I made that decision back then!”
Rothen and his wife, LaMarRue, met in high school and attended Grace College. They married shortly after graduating in 2016. LaMarRue has served in the youth group faithfully for almost a decade, and Rothen calls her an incredible partner in ministry.
“I feel incredibly honored to have received this award,” Rothen said. “When I went to Momentum this year I had no idea that I would be receiving it, so there was definitely a little bit of shock as Eric called my name.”
Rothen described the past year of ministry, “This last year has been a tough year in ministry. We’ve been without a high school director, so I had been filling that responsibility while continuing to lead our middle school ministry, and supporting/resourcing our campus student ministries. Shout out to Sam Vavzincak, Laura Henestofel, and Kenny Atkinson who did more than expected to keep our student ministry moving forward, even without an HSM director. We had just hired our new HSM director, Josh Lester, a few weeks before momentum, so this award was a really encouraging way to close out that season.”