Making a decision on a call

What goes into making a decision when a pastor has a call to a congregation? As I write this, remember that in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, a pastor is not required to accept a call that is issued to him. He can accept the call and become pastor of the congregation that called him or he can return the call (decline it) and remain at the congregation he is currently serving. I have returned the call to Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lindenwood, IL. Why? Because I did not feel that I was the pastor to lead them in the direction of ministry that I felt that they were going.

Penny and I visited Immanuel this last week. We found them to be a friendly congregation. They had hopes and dreams for the ministry of their congregation. They welcomed us with open arms. Larry and Linda drove us around the area, showing us the different communities where folks lived. Each community seemed to offer possibilities for ministry and outreach. We spent the afternoon and evening with members of Immanuel, asking questions, answering questions, talking about their lives, finding out what their hopes for a their new pastor would be. This gave us insight into the type of pastor they are looking for as they look forward to the direction the Lord is taking them. They had a "meet and greet" time in which we sat around and visited with members, young and old. I had the chance to ask questions about this type of ministry and that type of ministry. It gave me insight into the pastoral leadership that they were looking for as well as what I felt I heard them talking about in various conversations.

As the evening closed, Penny and I had gained an insight, albeit a limited insight, into the thoughts and dreams of Immanuel. We then spend time talking about what each of us heard, what we felt it meant and where we might fit into the picture. (Remember that all through this process, we are asking for the Lord to guide us. We are praying for direction. The folks at Immanuel were praying. The folks at St. Paul's were praying. The whole process was surrounded by prayer.) The drive time gave us the chance to discuss the ministry and their needs and wants. We spend the night in Bloomington, IL so that we didn't have to drive the whole way back. After all, it was a tiring day. It takes a lot of energy and focus to go through this process while meeting new people and being "on display."

We talked more that night and into the next day. As we finished the drive home to Troy from Lindenwood on Saturday, we had more time without having to be focused on anything else. As we reached home, I had a firm direction in my mind, one that Penny was in agreement with. We then had a family meeting, to talk things over with our kids. It was a phone meeting as Rach was in Litchfield, Brandon in Collinsville and Matthew in Lincoln, NE. We discussed it over, letting them know our thoughts, getting their thoughts and coming to a conclusion on when we should announce the decision.

Since it had been made, we did not feel that it should be dragged out any longer. It wasn't fair to either congregation to withhold the decision any longer. It only causes turmoil and leads people into the "unknown." It causes anxiety among many. It also was not fair to Immanuel to continue to drag it out when the decision was to return the call. This gives them the opportunity to move forward in the call process. To wait another week or two, would only cause them to be further along without a resident pastor. We wanted to be fair to both Immanuel and St Paul's as well as with our family. So we decided it was best to announce right away. We could wait a week, but Penny would be gone to Chelsey's bridal shower in Columbus, NE next weekend and she wanted to be here when I announced the decision. Rachael will also be at that shower and she wanted to be present. That would mean 2 weeks if we waited and that was far too long to make anyone wait when the decision had been reached. So I announced the decision this last Saturday/Sunday.

In reaching that decision there is nothing against the congregation at Immanuel. They are a good congregation with good people. I just didn't feel that the Spirit was leading me to be their pastor. The ministry they need and the skills I have, were not fully compatible. Could I have done the ministry there? Yes. Was I the best candidate for that ministry? I did not feel that I was. I believed that the Lord was telling me that I was not to take that call. I thank the people at Immanuel for the honor of being considered as their pastor. I pray that the Spirit would lead them to the man who will serve them.

Here at St. Paul's, we continue to look at the ministry we have here in our community. And that is for another blog.