A Decade in Review
Decades, like years, are arbitrary markers of time. That said, they do offer opportunities to look back and review from whence we came, and possibly reflect on lessons learned. 2010 will remain for me, personally, a more decisive marker than 2020 may possibly be. It became a turning point in my ministry and my life. In the decade prior I dealt with on again, off again, conflict at my church, especially with just a few. I had also been under the cloud of a lawsuit since the spring of 2008. By 2010 the stress had reached what began to feel like a breaking point. In 2010 those opposing my ministry left the church and by the end of fall my lawsuit was settled. I also applied and was accepted at Nashotah House Theological Seminary and began my first classes that summer. It had been 23 years since my graduation from the seminary in Ft. Wayne and I was ready to begin a new chapter. My hope was to possibly teach at a collegiate or post-graduate level and I realized that my M.Div was not enough to necessarily gain entry into the world of academia. That said, given that I was closing in on my 50th birthday by year's end, I realized that age-wise I was past the point of being competitive in that arena. Nevertheless, I invested myself in the course work (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and although that phase was finished by the end of 2011, it would take another 5 years to finish the thesis. Readers of this blog will remember my chronicles of that experience. Two proposals, significant changes in staff at the seminary, and the long, hard road of writing what became a 124 page tome, which was a milestone for me. In May of 2016 I graduated with my family present, something my own three children witnessed for the first time (I graduated from the seminary a year before my eldest child was born). I now have an earned Master of Sacred Theology degree (STM) and the credentials to advance further in teaching.
In the year to come I would find an opportunity to put this education to use when the academic dean at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne offered me the chance to teach homiletics as an adjunct professor for the SMP (Specific Ministry Program). I designed the entire 10 week course and have taught it now for three summers. I also was offered a chance to teach for Concordia University - St. Paul as an online contracted faculty. My first course will be yet this month. My goal for the coming decade (where I will hopefully retire from full-time parish ministry) is to increase my opportunities to teach. While I have been tempted from time to time to go back to school one more time to complete a doctorate, I believe that this temptation may be finally laid to rest. Given my age and the cost involved along with the nearness of a possibly retirement, going back to school seems impractical. At this stage of my life it will not offer much in terms of additional work outside of the parish. Most new tenure-track hires understandably come from the younger ranks.
In this past decade I also experienced a major change in my involvement with the North Wisconsin District of the LCMS. Having served as a circuit counselor/visitor since 2006 I was ready for a change but often wondered if I could actually be elected beyond my current position. Over the years I have been nominated to a number of positions including president, vice president and district secretary, yet always fell short of a winning vote. In the summer of 2018 I was surprised when I won the election for district secretary, ending a 12 year term as circuit counselor/visitor. In the last year or so I have experienced a whole new area of work in the district serving on the board of directors and as a member of the presidium. I look forward to continuing this work as we start a new decade, leaving it to the will of God as to what the future of that work will be past 2021.
While this decade has seen significant changes in each area of my professional activities mentioned so far (parish, district, academic), it makes sense that the final area, my chaplaincy work with emergency services, would also experience a development. In the last few years local law enforcement wished to start a chaplaincy program, for which I applied. While I was not selected in the end to fill that position, they did recommend to the chief at the Antigo Fire Department that they should consult with me about starting a program there given my experience. I did consult with the chief and ended up being chosen as one of the first two chaplains for the city’s department. This is a new program, so the coming years will demonstrate how it will evolve. I am hopeful that it will be a positive addition to their department. As for Town of Antigo Vol. Fire Department, I mark my 17th anniversary this month, having attended my first meeting in January of 2003. Over the years I have taken training in a number of areas, including emergency vehicle training, and continued to serve in the dual position as chaplain and firefighter. With a change in the position of chief in the last couple of years I find myself more and more in an advisory role to our officers, as well as a resource to the regular firefighters for emotional support and religious help. The position is now well established and valued and I feel fulfilled to have had a role in this as I am the first the department every had. I pray that the foundation I laid will benefit those who may come after me.
On a family front we also had developments in the last decade. My eldest daughter graduated from college and then received her master’s degree. She is now in the dissertation phase and will hopefully complete her Ph.D in this coming year. My youngest graduated from high school and entered the deaconess program at Concordia University – Chicago. She is my only child to go into church work. My middle child became engaged and plans to be married this coming year, so by year’s end my two eldest will be married. Our family continues to develop and expand. Encouraging and exciting times.
As I look to the decade to come, I realize that when I write the summary for that one, I will have already retired from active parish ministry. I turn 65 at the end of 2025 and will be eligible for Social Security and Medicare at that time. It seems likely that I will still be at my present church 6 years from now, but we can never predict the future. I would surely be open to another call outside of parish ministry. We’ll see.
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