Pastor's Report 2007

Dear Friends in Christ,

        2007 was a good year!  We began to celebrate God’s faithfulness for 135 years, as we came to that anniversary in late summer.  It was a year that saw the completion of the first year of U4C classes, and the beginning of the second year. It was a year of some wonderful celebrations in the parking lot.  We’re seeing a cluster of new members join us.  New ministries are springing up among us. At a time when our country is at war, facing a tumultuous election and the economy is uncertain, God has continued to care for his church.  Let’s review 2007.

135^th Anniversary

        We began to celebrate the Anniversary with many guests and greetings.  We were blessed by visits from Rev. Bob Cottingham, who was our Intern in 1977; Rev. Nancy Linn, long-time member; missionary and former seminarian Steve Ose, missionaries Carl and Cheryl Rich and Rev. Jonathan Eide, also a long-time member and missionary to the Ukraine.  Many greetings were read from former staff, members, seminary students and missionaries.  On November 16 we spent a night of remembrance, led by former staffer Steve Papillon and his wife Linda.  We also had a strange visit from a couple of old geezers...their characters “James and Birdie.”

        For the 135^th Anniversary, we hosted the neighborhood for three Wednesday evenings, with supper, music and short messages.  We had prizes, including backpacks of school supplies at the last one, the backpacks being provided by “Here’s Life Inner City.”  These small prizes doubled or tripled the number of folks showing up. Particularly enticing were the gift certificates for groceries.  For many in the city, just keeping food on the table is a challenge. 

The Neighborhood

                That being said, there are many indications that our neighborhood is changing fast.  The Portland-Franklin Gateway Project continues to move forward.  It’s been exciting to serve on the Hope Community board as this project comes into being. The “Jourdain” apartment building was completed, and construction began on the next unit this fall, directly south of our parking lot, which should be completed by this December.  The residents of our area have changed from chaotic folks in extreme poverty to a new group of  working folks.  Many of these are above the poverty level. Some, such as in the new buildings a couple blocks north of us, are of a very high economic level.  These are certainly new days for us!

        We worked hard this year to learn about our new neighbors. Our U4C Intern, Mark Johnson, spent the fall studying the demographics of our new neighbors near St. Anthony Falls.  Already 4,400 people live in that area, near the new Guthrie.  We are developing outreaches to specifically target this population.  

Lenten Series

        Our Lenten Series showed great growth.  After few years of non-traditional Lenten Series, doing home studies on books like “The Purpose-Driven Life,” last year we went back to a Wednesday evening worship service, but not a traditional one.  The soup suppers returned, with various groups of folks preparing supper for us.  Then, the worship services all looked at the Book of Jonah- we looked at Jonah’s call to the city, and how he responded.  The highlight of the services were dramas by Seminarian Arianna (Hilsen) Arends. They have so far won a Tony Award, two Oscars and are in the running for six Golden Globes!  The Screen Writers may be on strike, but Arianna’s is busy writing our ‘08 series on Nehemiah, and his call to rebuild the city. Stay tuned!

Summer Fun

        The summer saw three evenings of “Family Summer VBS”- where our families with children could come and have a Bible lesson, a science experiment, see a skit, (as the resident talking jelly fish, let me say that some of the acting was marginal,) sing some fun songs and do a great art project.  These were fun nights, and gave us a bit of fellowship as well.  Earlier in the summer, there were three kids’ nights, “Monday Madness” put together by Brenda Wells.  These included trips to the Science Museum, bowling and the Shoreview Center water park. We were assisted by several members of the congregation.

World Missions

        This fall we sent Peter Bodurtha off to Petrozovodsk, Russia, to serve with the Debelaks.  He has been a great help to them there, and we are enjoying his “blog” posts.  Our emphasis on world missions continues solidly as ten percent of the congregational giving is set aside for missionary outreach as “first fruits.” 

Growing Outreach Ministries

        Two special ministries inaugurated by Pastor Ken and others are beginning to show real fruit.  The Sunday night Deep Healing Group is touching the lives of many.  The Thursday night Holy Grounds Coffee House is opening our doors to many who would have never known us.  These are proving to be very valuable outreaches.  Our AA group is meeting a deep need in this neighborhood, and more resources are being developed in this area.

SUM/U4C/MissionShift

        We learned this past year that the U4C model works.  We are learning every week new ways to make the program stronger.  God is providing, and the housing we have purchased is actually showing a surplus!  In the future, this real estate will be an important asset to the congregation, as land prices go beyond $25 per square foot!

        SUM’s ministry took a new turn this fall as well.  Since the summer of ‘06, we produced a new educational resource, called the “MissionShift Video Series.”  We have distributed about 150 sets of the materials, which are now being used in many Twin Cities congregations, as well as by organizations in several other cities around the US.  We have been thrilled by the response, as the church begins to wake up to the opportunity presented by our millions of new immigrants.

ICCM  

        Our relationship with our sister congregation, the Iglesia Centro Cristiano de Minneapolis continues to prosper.  It has been a busy year for them.  Pastor Ramirez launched a Saturday seminary for Hispanic pastors here at the same time as planting a new church on the East Side of St. Paul.  We rejoice in seven years of shared ministry!  We have shared ministry several times this year, including a bilingual service focusing on world missions on November 18.

Our Building

        This year our Property Management committee made great gains in getting our building into shape.  Several months were spent cleaning out closets and junk.  Unneeded furniture was dealt with.  A new Sunday School Office was set up in the upstairs, a bit more handy for our teachers.  New windows were put in the upstairs, and a great number of modifications were made to our heating system, with the addition of a new temperature balancing system, new room valves and a new automatic thermostat in the Sanctuary.  These last improvements should not only make the building more comfortable, but also save precious energy. Thank you P&M committee, and to all our committees for their hard work!

The ELCA

        Our denomination continues to writhe as many of its leaders try to “sell” the gay agenda to the church.  The latest attack is at the core- to try to teach a new view of Scripture to the laity as a hurry-up means of passing their agenda.  The Churchwide Assembly in the summer of 2009 will make the decision. Depending on exactly what their action is, we will then have to decide what our response will be. Many years ago our Council made a resolution that if the ELCA officially sanctioned the ordination of practicing homosexual persons, we would immediately begin action to withdraw.

        We began to make a tiny change (dropping one word) in our Constitution, a vote that will be ratified today.  This minuscule action may trigger action by the Synod to force us to accept the entire ELCA Model Constitution.  We will not accept that. We will not accept its statement on Scripture.  We will have to see what the Synod does. We have done what we can to protect ourselves by filing for our own 501.c.3, which we have now received. (Even though the State of Minnesota still cannot find record of our incorporation!)  Please pray for the ELCA

The Future

        For a paper I wrote a few years ago, I read all of our Annual Reports since the early 1950's.  I was noticed that in the 50's in the annual reports there was a great deal of talk about the future.  However, once the move to the new site was made in 1964, the future was never again addressed!  At this point of our history, St. Paul’s remains obsessed with the future.  ‘Way back about 1992, we began to talk about an invisible sign that stretched across the north wall of my office. That banner read “It’s 2010, Stupid!”  What that sign refers to is that by 2010, the majority of the congregation I began with in 1988 would be on the Other Side, cheering.  Back in ‘92 we began to plan for how God was going to rebuild the congregation.   Even though we were still five years from the lowest point of neighborhood chaos, we could see that the renewed downtown had to come our way. 

        Back then, houses could be bought on our block for $20,000-25,000.  A lot has changed.  Those houses are worth ten times that now.  We have some nationally recognized programs of excellence.  We have strong strategic relationships with many denominations, colleges, community, church and ethnic leaders, non-profits and congregations.  Most excitingly, we are beginning to see the congregation grow, with God sending more and more key, solid members into our midst.  As I wrote in my January newsletter front page:

        As I look at my eleven or twelve years until retirement, I am now convinced that God’s call for my work  has three goals ahead:

        1) Make sure that when I retire, St. Paul’s is a strong, self-sustaining congregation with attractive ministries of excellence, and ready for a transition that will keep its ministry intact.  We will have trained, committed leaders who will carry on St. Paul’s traditions and ministries.

        2) As one ministry of excellence, we will educate folks in various ways, to equip the church in America so that every congregation will have its own cross-cultural ministry, just like it has a Sunday School or property committee.

        3) And we will work to spread the School of Urban Ministry globally so that we can equip thousands of workers to build their own small tent-making, cross-cultural ministries.

        I believe that we are right on schedule.  God is faithful.  He has not led us this far to fail.

        Sure, we had a deficit this year. We thought it was going to be more than $50,000 at the beginning of the year, and because of God’s faithfulness and your faithfulness, it ended up at about $16,000.  We can handle that for a couple years.  The last two years we “balanced,” but we’re still on track.  It’s time to continue to joyfully roll up our sleeves, seek God’s will and boldly do it.  2008 will be another financial challenge, but it keeps us on our knees.

        The upcoming year will have many challenges.  At the end of March, Patricia Lokke will begin a medical leave to get her knee replaced.  In early April, Misrak Adoga will take a two month leave to visit Ethiopia.  In May, Pastor Kenath Harris will leave us to begin to serve in Iraq.  This will be a very busy spring for me!  But, I believe with all my heart that God is up to something in our midst.  I believe that God will put St. Paul’s in good shape in the next few years. 

        The bottom line is that our God is faithful. I am reminded of Paul’s words to Timothy, perhaps an early hymn:

        (2 Timothy 2)

        11 The saying is sure:

        If we have died with him, we shall also live with him;

        12 if we endure, we shall also reign with him;

        if we deny him, he also will deny us;

        13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful -- for he cannot deny himself.

        He remains faithful.  Isn’t that the most important thing? 

Even though at least five historic Lutheran and Evangelical churches within a couple miles of us are now closed or closing, we stand strong.  Our Lord has been faithful, and will remain faithful. Happy 135 mighty little band!

-Pastor Roland J. Wells, Jr.