WHO WE ARE
About Cities Frontline Fellowship.
Cities Frontline Fellowship helps frontline professionals and their families find full life in Jesus. Through gatherings, events, and personal support, we make room for people to build relationships, talk honestly about what they face, and grow in faith together.
First Responder Marriage Retreat — October 9th · View Event Details
OUR STORY
A New Name. A Growing Mission
The vision for a new kind of ministry began in 2018 when retired Wisconsin police officer Glenn Herschberger (24 years in law enforcement) met Chief Tony Paetznick at a Converge North Central conference. They began meeting, praying, and planning a church tailored to the unique needs of first responders in the Twin Cities.
In 2020, Herschberger, retired officer James Olsen (22 years in law enforcement), retired Police Chief Dan Vergin, Financial Crimes Executive Tony Ofstead, and Dr. Joel Nelson formed a ministry team with about two dozen other first responders and supporters to develop a launch team. They spent the next year planning and praying.
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Cities Cop Church held their first worship service on October 3, 2021. They began meeting on the first and third Sundays at 6 p.m. at Bethel University’s Anderson Center in Arden Hills.
In April 2025, the church opened a second location at Woodcrest Church in Eagan, meeting on the second and fourth Sundays at 6 p.m. This allows weekly Sunday-evening services across the two locations. The Eagan site is hosted by Woodcrest Church (itself planted years earlier by Wooddale Church, another Converge North Central congregation).
In March of 2026, the Advisory Team, including Pastor Herschberger, Susan Herschberger, Tony Paetznick, James Olsen, Dan Vergin, Joel Nelson, Ralph Johnson, and Ryan and Kelli Coughlin met to discuss ways to reach more first responders in the Twin Cities. To better reflect their reach to firefighters, EMS personnel, and dispatchers, they decided to change the name to Cities Frontline Fellowship beginning on the fifth Anniversary of Cities Cop Church.
OUR MISSION AND APPROACH
Helping Frontline Families Find Full Life in Jesus
The church’s stated mission is to be “a church for first responders and their families to find full life in Jesus.” It’s a safe place for first responders and their families to gather, grow in their faith, and do life with others who understand them. Core beliefs center on the gospel of Jesus Christ, with a standard believers’ statement of faith (one God in three persons, salvation through Jesus Christ alone, etc.).
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The church has held events such as family fun days, baptisms, REBOOT Trauma Recovery courses, and teachings on trauma from a biblical perspective.
The church addresses the specific challenges first responders face: frequent exposure to trauma, violence, and “the underbelly of society”; high rates of PTSD, substance issues, divorce, anxiety, and suicide; trust barriers with civilians; and difficulty opening up in traditional church settings. Services incorporate authenticity (including “dark humor” common in the profession), empathy from those who have “walked in the same shoes,” and a nonjudgmental environment. Sunday evenings were chosen so shift workers could attend without leaving existing churches and so members could invite colleagues more easily.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE FELLOWSHIP
Meet Our Team
Our pastor and advisory team bring experience in frontline work, ministry, and life alongside first responder families. Get to know the people helping guide Cities Frontline Fellowship.
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Glenn Herschberger
PASTOR
Glenn served in law enforcement for 24 years and has spent much of his life planting churches and serving in ministry. His experience in both fields shapes the way he serves frontline professionals and their families.
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Susan Herschberger
ADVISORY TEAM ADMIN
As the spouse of a law enforcement officer, Susan knows how frontline work can affect family life. She has served in several church plants and helps support the fellowship’s work.
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Tony Paetznick
ADVISORY TEAM
Tony brings decades of law enforcement experience and more than 20 years of volunteer firefighting service. He also works to support the spiritual well-being of first responders.
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James Olsen
ADVISORY TEAM
James served as a police officer for 20 years. He cares about creating opportunities for frontline workers to connect with one another and worship together.
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Dan Vergin
ADVISORY TEAM
Dan served in law enforcement for 31 years, including 17 years as a police chief. He brings experience in police leadership and church ministry to the advisory team.
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Joel Nelson
ADVISORY TEAM
Joel has served churches across the Twin Cities as a pastor and church planter. His work has also included helping churches grow and strengthen their communities.
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Ralph Johnson
ADVISORY TEAM
Ralph served for 25 years as a special agent with IRS Criminal Investigation. After retiring in 2002, he worked with anti-money-laundering departments at major financial institutions and served as a financial crime consultant for another federal law enforcement agency.
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Grant Breems
ADVISORY TEAM
Grant Breems and his wife, Pam, have been married for 29 years and have two adult children. Grant retired from law enforcement in May 2026 after a 32-year career spanning two departments.
WHAT WE BELIEVE
Our Statement of Faith
Our faith in Jesus shapes the way we gather, serve, and care for one another. Open any topic below to read more about what we believe.
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We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
(John 17:17, Romans 15:4, II Timothy 3:16-17, II Peter 1:19-21)
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We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons, that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption.
(Matthew 28:19, John 1:1-4, I John 5:7)
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We believe in God, the Father, an infinite personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of each person, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
(John 3:16-17, John 4:24, John 17:5)
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We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.
(Isaiah 7:14, John 1:14, Philippians 2:5-11, Hebrews 1:2-3, I John 1:7)
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We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide.
(John 14:26, John 16:7-15, Romans 8:14-17, Ephesians 1:13-14)
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We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
(John 1:12-13, John 3:3, 16-17, Acts 20:21, Ephesians 2:1-9, Titus 3:5)
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We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible confession of faith, and associated for worship, work and fellowship. We believe God has given the members of the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
(Matthew 16:16-18, Acts 2:38-41, Ephesians 2:19-22, Ephesians 5:25-27)
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We believe that Christians should live for the glory of God and the well-being of others; that their conduct should be blameless before the world; that they should be faithful stewards of their possessions; and that they should seek to realize for themselves and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.
(II Corinthians 9:6-8, Ephesians 4:11-16, Philippians 2:14-16, Colossians 3:17-23, I Thessalonians 5:17-18)
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We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ to commemorate His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:41-42, Romans 6:3-5, I Corinthians 11:23-32)
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We believe that every human being has direct relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other.
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We believe that the local church can best promote the cause of Jesus Christ by cooperating with one another in a denominational organization. Such an organization, whether a regional or district conference, exists and functions by the will of the churches. Cooperation in a conference is voluntary and may be terminated at any time. Churches may likewise cooperate with inter-denominational fellowships on a voluntary basis.
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We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal joy of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.
(John 5:28-29, Revelation 20:1-15, II Corinthians 5:10, Matthew 25:31-46)
We believe this Statement of Faith to be an accurate summary of what Scripture teaches. All members shall refrain from advocating doctrines that are not included in this Statement of Faith in such a manner as to cause dissensions and divisions.
COME CONNECT WITH US?
There’s Room for You Here
You can visit a gathering, join an upcoming event, or reach out to our team with a question. We would be glad to hear from you.