The World's Okayest Pastor

The things - the things. As I try to think of how I want to start this post I'm stuck on the words "the things..." Yesterday I had a member come talk to me, who was talking to me on behalf of another member, who had apparently called the vice moderator of the congregation. That's a whole lot of triangulation that I'm not even going to touch on this blog because that's a whole other blog.  I was told that because I had set out the roses for the confirmands on Sunday (because I had to set out their certificates, stoles, robes, and other gifts from the congregation) and I had filled pitchers with water and put them in the refrigerator while I was waiting on people to drop off things to the church so we had cold water for a funeral reception, I was over stepping and had offended a member. This comes flying at me after I had people write formal letters of complaint to my denominations oversight group because I wrote thank you notes last fall to members who returned...

It's the first Sunday in 2025 - it's also a Packer's home game so that means people who would normally open the church won't be here. So more work for me on Sunday. So I get to church at 7:45am to unlock the building, turn on lights, set up the PowerPoint, make sure the heat is warming up the place. And since it's Epiphany Sunday that means turning on tree and garland lights too.  One member's anxiety is untreated and so high that they arrive before 8:30 with their dish for the potluck and to question polity about them being the minister for Friday's funeral because they got ordained in the Universal Life Church. I can't believe the interim told the lay licensed ministers to go there to get "ordained." If I sat on a COM (Committee on Ministry) and that was shared, I'd have serious questions about motives. Again I reminded people that all worship services on church property need to 1) go through the church office to make sure there are no co...

 It's Saturday - my day off. Well lets be real it's supposed to be a day off but I rarely don't do something church related.  As I was slowly getting myself together for the day - a rarity lately that I slept past 7:30, I was messing with the dog and taking my vitamins when my phone starts to buzz with text alerts. Apparently part of my Worship Board wanted to go through boxes before we put Christmas away tomorrow and they don't have a key to their storage unit. I'm on it. I get it I live across the street but also ugh! So I take some stuff over to the church so I don't forget/have to do it on Sunday morning and unlock the storage room. Then it's questions about my opinions on this or that. If you've ever met me and seen the places I've lived then you know I'm not really a decorator. It's never been my thing and I don't really feel like I should acquire the skill. So I help loading up garbage and recycling bins with stuff that is just ran...

 Today started with attempting a visit of a member with Covid 19 in the hospital. The daughter wants everyone to go visit her because she's lonely. Ma'am she's in isolation because she has a contagious virus. We will call, send cards and flowers, but I will not be encouraging everyone to go visit and spread anymore germs around. So I went and masked up. Poor member was sleeping very soundly so I left my card with a small note, said a silent prayer and left. I refuse to wake someone in the hospital. It's just bad practice. Then I printed bulletins. Copiers are weird but vital. I appreciate that this one will fold the bulletin for me. However I can't get it to fold the large print bulletins. Go figure. It's been weird not doing a bulletin every week myself. It's amazing what a good secretary and an updated piece of equipment can do for you. Then there was the funeral. A former lay licensed minister was contacted by a former member to do a son's funeral. Ne...

Today started off well. It's the day after New Years so the office has been closed for two days. My secretary is taking the last of their vacation for 2024. Things are calm. There's not much happening in the life of the church. I spent the morning proof reading the bulletin and getting it ready so I can print it tomorrow.  The afternoon rolls around and my meeting for the afternoon goes well. But then a member decides to speak about a topic that does not belong in or near the committee that just wrapped. The member's comments spiral into complaints about me, complete with making personal digs at me, twice that I can clearly recall.  I'm not surprised by this behavior because it's a continuation of bad behavior that's been going on for years. I've called this member and their spouse to task for their actions and words. I get that wounded people wound other people but that is also not an excuse to refuse to have a meeting to discuss how to make amends and move...

 Let's open up Kate's urban dictionary. "Unbiblical-ness" - a word whose definition is evolving - means living a life I deem faithful yet other Christians find morally repugnant and  based in my assumed lack of understanding of “true Christianity” aka their version of Christianity. I’ve decided to embrace the “unbiblical-ness” my existence seems to trigger in others. By embracing my “unbiblical-ness” I mean I’m going to stand my ground as a proud ordained, woman of faith, who speaks when the Spirit compels and do the hard work of creating a space where all know love, safety and justice. My unbiblical-ness has prompted people to call me “preacher gal” even when asked not to. My unbiblical-ness has had people attempt to block me from leaving a rally/vigil because they want to try to intimidate me to take back my statements and to” re-educate” me. My unbiblical-ness has prompted me to leave two calls because in one I dared to utter the name George Floyd and say the w...

Yesterday I resigned from my current call as pastor. I have been with this congregation for 10 and a half months. When I interviewed, I knew that I would be accepting a position with a congregation that needed to do some work to revitalize itself and that was having some financial issues. But this is 2020/21 and what church isn’t having to discern both of these things? The folks I interviewed with told me of their hopes and dreams about going back to having a full-time pastor in 3-5 years, of restarting Sunday School, of wanting to try new things. They said that they had used the resources provided to them from the conference and that they were committed and just needed guidance. And while I want to believe that they were being honest during the interview process, the congregation’s behaviors tell a different story. Much was left up to me, and I’ll admit I over function at times so I’m not blameless, and there was no interest in people wanting to do the work. Sunday School: asking fo...

The following story is true. Names have been changed to protect individuals. For a Maundy Thursday service, I decided to move worship to the fellowship hall so we could have a meal during worship. As part of the service, we read scripture to move us through the events of the night as recorded in the Gospels. There were 12 readings throughout the service/meal so I had 12 candles lit on the table. As different readings were completed, someone was asked to extinguish a candle close to them. Because this was a new format for the service, the bulletins were printed differently. We started the service and get to the opening prayer. As I'm mid prayer, one congregant starts yelling the name of  another. I keep praying because I have no idea what's going on. I'm looking at people trying to figure out what's happening. This congregant never yells and definitely wouldn't be yelling at this person. Finally my congregant realizes we need more direction then him just yelling a na...

 So I haven't blogged in awhile. I just couldn't write about so much because it was too real and raw and just flat out hurt on so many levels. I'll share more about things as time goes on but not at the moment. So here's a brief life update. 2020 was a year that no one predicted. Covid 19 became a global pandemic. It meant that church had to be different because it wasn't safe to be around people for the year. Wearing facemasks and washing hands became a political issue - this I'm still trying to wrap my head around. Iowa experienced a derecho - a new word for me. It's basically an inland hurricane. The derecho devastated a lot of Iowa. Belle Plaine was without power for more than a week. I became the unofficial relief coordinator for the town and that expanded into surrounding areas. I'm really happy to not see a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for awhile but hey people got fed. I spent three weeks hosting various mission groups from the Seventh Day Ad...

During the early part of the 2018 election cycle, one of my friends ran for an office. They had a results party at a gay bar in the closest big town. I have been to other events at this bar because it has hosted public events that match my call for social justice and public ministry. Afterwards, several people just assumed that because I knew this bar and was comfortable being there, that I identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Not that it’s anyone’s business, but I don’t. I identify as a cisgender, white female who is an ally to the LGBTQ+ community. So at best I am a welcomed outsider but I am an outsider to this community. Once people got to know me better, folks started to apologize to me for labeling as part of the LGBTQ+ community.  My response was it wasn’t a big deal to me and I don’t really care that I was labeled as such. Some people accepted this but others seemed taken aback because I didn’t have a strong response of concern about being mis-labeled.  As I w...

As a pastor, folks feel the need to share things with me, whether they are appropriate or not. A common phrase I've heard off and on during my ministry, and it has gained a grand reprise now that I am the last of my siblings to be single, is "pastor, when are you going to get married?" My most "favorite" incarnation of this came when the church board was asking about my insurance coverage and it was suggested that I should get married to a guy who has a good plan I could join. Creative...maybe. Had that thought crossed my mind? Yes but I also never said that out loud and never planned on that being a solution. So if folks really want to know when I'm going to get married here is the long answer: I will get marred when I find the right person to marry. The right person will be a man who can handle and respect the fact that I am fat and an ordained minister. The right person will be a man who can handle and respect the fact that I am not here to be a challe...