A Tale of Two Churches: Resurrection of a Faith Community Post Mortem

By Troy D. Ehlke

A Tale of Two Churches examines the complexities of resurrecting a congregation postmortem.
While conflict is a natural occurrence in all communities, it can lead to organizational
implosion. The warning signs become blaring sirens when mistrust goes viral, rumors
escalate uncontrolled, and the people discontinue their participation. Pastor Ehlke
attempts to generate new life in the corpse of a dying church through means of spiritual
transformation. Using the Scripture as a guidepost for reform, the pastor starts a small group
designed for the sole purpose of loving the people. Trusting this will spark a revolution of
compassion, the leadership embarks on breathing new life into a community declared all
but dead by many in observance. Having worked at St. John Lutheran Church in Winter
Park, perhaps this paradigm will breathe life into other faith communities who are staring
into the darkness of death.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 20, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469150413

Troy D. Ehlke

The Reverend Troy Ehlke is an ordained pastor serving with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He has received master’s degrees in the fields of theology and divinity from Harvard Divinity School, The Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley, California), and from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is currently undertaking doctoral studies at Drew University, in the area of Systems Theory and Congregational Life. He has been in residence at Christ Lutheran Church in Charlotte, NC, since 2005 and serves as their Pastor of Care and Counseling. When not actively engaged in matters of ministry, Pastor Ehlke has employed his passion for writing and has penned two critically-acclaimed works, stemming from his knowledge of biblical scholarship: Muddy Mentors and Scaly Scholars-Animal Teachers in our Midst and Crossroads of Agony-Suffering and Violence in the Christian Tradition. In 2009, Pastor Ehlke was honored by an invitation from the US House of Representatives to be its guest chaplain, where he officiated with a prayer and invocation at the opening of a spring session. Of all of God’s blessings in his life, the greatest is his beloved wife, Cynthia; their 18-month-old son, Julian; and one child yet to be welcomed into the world. They are presently waiting, with great excitement, for the birth of their second child.

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Copyright © 2012 by Troy D. Ehlke.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2012900607

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Dedication

While this book may only contain the name of its author, it is by no means the product of a single contributor. I am blessed to have witnessed the work of the Holy Spirit moving churches to do the will of the Lord. I began my doctoral studies at Christ Lutheran Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, where I learned what it means to truly live out one’s faith with passion and vigor. Thank you, members of Christ (especially Kathy Graham, Jim & Marta Fales, The Simonson family, and David and Kathy Graham) for the love and time we’ve shared between 2005 and 2010. Rev. Dr. Scott Suskovic and Rev. Jon Bustard—you were wonderful role models for me, as well as being good friends.

If that blessing weren’t enough, I was humbled with a call to St. John Lutheran Church in Winter Park, Florida. Here I bore witness to a body of Christ who refused to let difficult times defeat their faith. Through perseverance and a compassion for one another, the congregation of St. John survived to be a beacon of hope for a world hungry for the Gospel. Praise God to the community of St. John for your Spirit of boldness and conviction! A special heart-felt thanks to Connie Hagerman, Louise Blood, the DeMarks, the Schnebergers, the Kistlers, Pohlads, and Hulkes for all that you have done to make this community thrive in the name of Christ!

Last, but not least, I give thanks to my family. Cindy is my life partner who inspires me every day and forces me to think more than any professor has done in the past. Your love of life and passion to help others serves as a testament to the beauty of your soul. Praise God that he led me to you, for I am a better man because of it. Thank you to my son, Julian, and daughter, Eliana, who light up my life with their smiles and playful energy. Mom and Dad, I could never express how grateful I am for the support you offer me. I can only hope I imitate your parenting skills to carry on the tradition of spreading love throughout the generations! May God bless you for your goodness and wisdom.

ABSTRACT

A Tale of Two Churches: Resurrection of a Faith Community

Troy Douglas Ehlke

St. John Lutheran Church, Winter Park, FL

A Tale of Two Churches examines the complexities of resurrecting a congregation post mortem. While conflict is a natural occurrence in all communities, it can lead to organizational implosion. The warning signs become blaring sirens when mistrust goes viral, rumors escalate uncontrolled, and the people discontinue their participation. Combine this with the tragic death of a beloved deacon with thirty plus years of ministerial history and there is an eerie silence within the church community whereby all begin to wonder: Now what?

It is at this point in the cycle of church conflict that Pastor Ehlke attempts to generate new life in the corpse of a deceased church through means of spiritual transformation. Using scripture as a guidepost for reform, the Pastor starts a small group designed for the sole purpose of loving God’s people. The lay ministry team functions as companions for those experiencing difficult times in their lives due to such troubles as divorce, illness, and even death of a family member. The foundational belief of the project is that love will beget love and launch the congregation on a journey of complete and total transformation. Rather than be mired in the quicksand of despair from the past, the faith community will be catapulted into vibrancy as each member answers the call to love one another as they have first been loved. This project for all intents and purposes is an extrapolation from the new commandment of Jesus Christ. Love has the power to heal the wounds of the past and regenerate relationships between hurting parties.

The results of the project indicate that a small group centered on compassionate ministry can have a profound positive impact on the congregation at large. The masses are exposed to the actions of loving-kindness and are motivated to imitate this lifestyle in their own walks of discipleship. This impact is further enhanced by the use of Appreciative Inquiry, a qualitative research methodology that builds upon the strength of a community’s past as motivation for present day endeavors. Having worked at St. John Lutheran Church in Winter Park, Florida, perhaps this paradigm will breathe life into other faith communities who are staring into the darkness of relational disillusionment.

CONTENTS

Introduction and Overview

Chapter One  Narrative of Opportunity

Chapter Two  Engaging the Opportunity

Chapter Three  Biblical and Theological Foundations

Chapter Four  Project Design & Methodology

Chapter Five  Data, Outcome and Effects

Chapter Six  Project Reflections and Church-Wide Application

Bibliography

Introduction and Overview

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way—in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.¹

The introductory genius of Charles Dickens in A Tale of Two Cities could aptly be used to describe St. John Lutheran Church on the eve of its ecclesial implosion. The departure of Pastor Stone and the emergence of a new administration aroused sentiments of hope and budding optimism. The declining mega church poised itself for resurgence to lasting legacy and influence. The only problem was that the future of St. John was not bright, but dark with despair as civil war loomed on the horizon. Within five years of taking office, the administration under the Senior Pastor from 2005-2009 became a source of contention leaving the church divided in discord. Further complicating matters were the tragic death of the beloved deacon with thirty years ministerial history and the voluntary departure of over 60% of the professional staff. Can a faith community so badly damaged return to a state of normalcy and health yet again? If so, what changes need to be made as the third pastor enters the fray in an attempt to foster growth through renewed hospitality and loving-kindness?

These are the questions presupposing this study as A Tale of Two Churches unfolds. The first step in any study is to become familiar with the context. In this case, the Pastor-Researcher conducts numerous interviews with members of the congregation to draw out the narrative of the community. It is imperative that the interviewer gather stories from a variety of sources and not give preference to any one set of voices. This ensures all voices are treated as significant and critical to shaping the identity of the faith community. From this narrative tapestry, an opportunity for transformation arises.

In the case of St. John Lutheran Church, the glaring need that emerged was in the area of pastoral care for those who are hurting and in distress. With Stephen’s Ministry disbanded for reasons not entirely clear, a vacuum was created in which additional caring ministries were needed to fill the void, but none were enacted. This generated an atmosphere of tension and spiritual anxiety throughout the hallways of the church. This congregation needed to be loved and cherished if it were to blossom again. This became my Priority One as I set out to re-envision a lay pastoral team charged with the mission of loving those experiencing hard times (unemployment, death of loved one, illness, and divorce, to name a few). This group, supported by my caring ministry as an ordained minister, would be the catalyst to a congregation-wide spiritual transformation.

As a Lutheran pastor, I am called to a ministry of word and sacrament for the people of God. The scriptures serve as the source of revelation and hope for all work done in the Lord’s name. Whenever the pastor and the people envision a ministry, it needs to have biblical support. This ensures that the project stems from a prophetic imagination consistent with our faith forefathers. In this case, the evidence for a lay care team is overwhelming. As one surveys the scriptures, it becomes clear that spiritual growth demands a conversion experience. People are changed through an intimate encounter with God leading to a life-long relationship that re-envisions identity according to the divine presence. This changed person then enacts transformation within his or her own relationships by serving as a prophet for spiritual change. This is true for Moses and Jacob in the Hebrew Bible, as well as Peter in the New Testament. Each character functions as an agent of transformation for their community. For the members of the newly envisioned lay care team, this means they will be the voices of change throughout the various social strata of St. John Lutheran Church.

With the narrative of opportunity firmly grasped, the time came to develop a methodology for the formation and implementation of a lay care team. Recruiting and training will comprise large portions of the methodology because it is extremely important for the caregivers to be knowledgeable in the art of pastoral care. Instruction will include: referral, client termination and after care, basics of thanatology, use of scripture and prayer in care giving, professional boundaries, and expectations of compassionate care. Much of the material will be presented in either a case study approach or role-playing exercises in order to gain a working familiarity with the material. It is imperative that the pastor be attentive to the needs and concerns of those within the group, as this will enhance the ability of the team to perform their commission with greater efficiency and effectiveness. Beyond the training of the care team, it is crucial for the methodology to include congregational meetings for purposes of Appreciative Inquiry (AI). St. John has suffered extensive losses in its past decade of life and needs to recall the strengths from its past for use in constructing a strong future. In addition to the use of AI, the congregational meetings are perfect opportunities for the Pastor-Researcher to employ the use of surveys and other tools of qualitative assessment. This material will be invaluable as the next phase of the project design is data collection and collation.

The next part of the project requires pooling together all of the material produced in this endeavor and allowing the data to speak its wisdom. The vast wealth of data includes: manuscripts and/or notes of interviews with members, the Pastor-Researcher’s journal (after all, the pastor is a part of the congregation), surveys, correspondence, and historical material from the church’s archives. Processing this information is time-consuming, yet is one of the most rewarding aspects of the entire project. It is here where the aha moments arise and the pastor gains tremendous insight into the identity of the congregation at a level of unparalleled intimacy. The pastor must treasure this time as it provides understanding on where the Spirit is leading the congregation and shines the light on the preferred future of this faith community. With a humble heart and willingness to maintain open communication with his people, the pastor is ready to set a course on a trajectory of continued healing and wellness.

The last phase of the project