Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ!
At a special meeting last evening, the Council named Pastor Nancy Connor as the Acting Lead Pastor starting August 1. Pastor Nancy will serve in this role throughout the month of August as the Council works in conjunction with the St. Paul Area Synod to interview and hire an Interim Lead Pastor, who will be in place until the Call Process leads to the calling of a new Lead Pastor.
Pastor Nancy is currently St. James Lutheran’s Visitation Pastor with extended duties. As Acting Lead Pastor, she will now be the primary worship preacher/presider, on-call pastor (24/7), Worship Team leader, conduct weekly Bible Studies at Savage Senior Living and Augustana Regents, provide hospital visitation, conduct funerals, serve on Council and Executive Mission Team, and serve as head of staff. It is a lot of work and St. James Lutheran owes a debt of gratitude for her willingness to serve in this way.
Personally, I can think of no better person to serve in the role of Acting Lead Pastor. Pastor Nancy brings experience in a variety of ministry settings, has already established significant relationships with this community, and is passionate about Christ’s church. She is a fantastic pastor who understands healthy boundaries and will be able to provide needed pastoral leadership in the gap between my leaving on July 31 and the anticipated arrival of the Interim Pastor in September.
I encourage you to join me in sharing your thanks for and to Pastor Nancy.
In these final weeks of my pastoral ministry at St. James Lutheran, I am grateful for the many conversations that I’ve had with folks regarding the ministry that we have shared together. Though the time is quickly passing, there are still time slots available for further conversations before July 31. If you would like to sign up for a conversation (in-person, ZOOM, or phone) please click here.
I look forward to greeting you in worship this week - tonight at 6:30 p.m. Worship on Wednesday, Sunday at 8 or 9:30 a.m.
In Christ’s Light,
Pastor Walt