I announced this past Sunday that I have received a call to First Lutheran Church in Gainesville FL. As of right now, I am still prayerfully considering the possibility that God is calling me to leave University Lutheran and lead that church. Considering a call is a torturous process for a pastor, as it is for the congregations involved. I ask that you would pray along with me that I would have wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit.
I am also not one to let a “teachable moment” to slip by when I see it, and I think this is one. To address that, here’s some answers to some questions that come up during a call.
How does this happen? Pastors in the LCMS (Lutheran Church Missouri Synod) are on a “roster” held centrally by our denomination. A congregation that is looking to call a pastor can choose to call a pastor from this roster or from one of our Seminaries. Normally a congregation nominates a few pastors that they know and then they forward that list on to the District President (ours is Florida and Georgia). The District President then may take names off the congregation’s list and/or add some names to the list. Normally speaking, there are 12-15 names on a given list. The call committee of the local congregation then works through the paperwork of the potential pastors, possibly interviewing a few, and then the congregation votes to issue a call to one of those pastors.
Does this mean that my pastor is trying to leave? Not necessarily. A pastor can inform a district president that he is ready to move to a new call and the District President may take that into consideration when recommending nominations to other congregations. However, all pastors are supposed to be ready and eligible to consider a call unless they have good reason to do so (e.g. a first child, a medical issue, etc). To be transparent, I have not asked to be placed on any congregation’s list, but I do take seriously that God may be working through First Lutheran to move me where He wants me.
What if my pastor does leave? If I were to take a call, then University Lutheran would be termed “vacant”. The congregation and the District would work together to resolve that vacancy. It has become normal for an interim pastor to be assigned to a congregation soon after it becomes vacant. This interim pastor would preach and provide the sacraments while helping the congregation through the process of calling a new permanent pastor. Some congregations do not get an interim pastor, however. These congregations would reach out to retired pastors and others to serve while the congregation was vacant.
What should I be praying for? This process is arduous for everyone involved. Pray first for peace for all involved. Obviously anxieties exist for each of the congregation but also for the pastor who is trying to make a difficult decision and discerning God’s will. Secondly, pray the Lord’s Prayer, remember that we pray together for “His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven,” and that He hears all of our prayers for “daily bread” including having a pastor.
What if I have other questions? Please feel free to reach out to me (pastor @ universitylutheranchurch.org). I am happy to answer those questions that you may have.