Meet the local police officer who also serves as a pastor

(OLDENBURG, Ind.) – Adam Boesken always knew his future was in public service. 

He grew up in the City of St. Bernard, Ohio, where his grandfather, Bill Boesken, was a professional firefighter. 

“I was around him all the time at the firehouse and he would also take me to the police station, and just being in that environment early on got me really interested,” Boesken recalls. 

Adam moved to the Brookville area around 12-years-old and that dream of being a first responder continued. 

He spent several years working as a security officer before getting the opportunity to become a police officer. 

Over the past eight years, he has worked in several communities including Sunman, Hidden Valley and West Harrison. 

Boesken now oversees two police departments in our area: Oldenburg and St. Leon. 

He is the Town Marshal in both communities and the passion that began as a child is still there today. 

“My goal everyday is to protect people and serve others, especially in their time of need,” he said. 

Boesken’s passion for serving others goes beyond helping someone in immediate physical danger. He's also there to serve people spiritually. 

On Sunday mornings, he can be found at the pulpit of Sunman Community Church where he’s been the pastor for the past 8 years. 

Sunman is the first church that Boesken was given the opportunity to pastor at full-time.

He previously had limited preaching opportunities at The King’s Church in Port Union, Ohio, and had also volunteered to preach in some nursing homes.

He credits Dan Baker, Pastor of The King’s Church, for giving him his first real shot to preach

regularly and describes it as an honor to serve those who attend Sunman Community Church. 

“I really love it there, that church has great people who love each other and love Jesus. It’s a special group of people and we’ve been blessed with a lot of visitors and some new members coming in as well,” he said. 

Policing and Pastoring 

Boesken acknowledges that it's a unique lifestyle and knows some may question how the two careers coincide with each other. 

However, he says the two callings actually parallel each other in many ways. 

“While I may minister differently in church, being in law enforcement, or even the fire service, is like a ministry in itself. It’s a way to help people and it’s a way to serve others in their time of need,” he said. 

He mentioned, “Being a police officer makes me a better pastor, and being a pastor makes me a better police officer.” 

Boesken added that regardless of where someone attends, he strongly encourages everyone to attend a strong biblical church on a regular basis. 

“Going to church is a way of doing life together and supporting each other, and God uses us to minister to each other as we go through hard times,” he said. “Being in a church is also about accountability, because if you’re not part of a local church, it’s really easy to slip into just doing your own thing,” he added. 

When it comes to policing in Oldenburg and St. Leon, he said one blessing is the great partnerships that exist with the surrounding law enforcement agencies and fire departments. 

“There are some cities where police and firefighters may not get along, but around here that is not the case. We all work really well together and I think that’s very important, especially in a rural area,” he said. 

Adam also stays busy at home as he and his wife, Lauren, have three kids, Joseph, Judah, and Benjamin.