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filler@godaddy.com
Pastor Susan will be retiring, effective June 1, 2025. A program honoring her will be held on May 25th after Worship. It will be followed by a luncheon.
Synod Deacon Susan Williams will meet with our congregation to help us appoint an Interim Pastor. The congregation will work through an assessment process as we prepare to call our new Pastor.
A Call Committee will be established to screen candidates. The congregation will be involved in formally calling a new Pastor for Knife River Lutheran Church
Martin Luther King Jr.
Pastor Susan's final Worship Service will be May 25, 2025. She will formally retire on June 1, 2025. A celebration is planned in her honor following worship. The Celebration Team consists of Helene Hedlund, Melanie McMillion, Ed Lee, Carol Carlson and Jim Allert. Feel free to contact them for more information.
No. In accordance with well-established ELCA policy, former pastors Susan (and Phil) will join another congregation and become active members there. They will not be attending Knife River Lutheran Church or participating in KRLC-sponsored activities.
After June 1, 2025, Pastor Susan will no longer perform ministerial services for KRLC. The Interim and new pastor will do that. This includes weddings, funerals, baptisms, counselling, home and hospital visitations and other ministerial functions of the next KRLC pastor.
The bonds of friendship are important and still continue. The only restriction is that they cannot involve KRLC-sponsored activities and should not center on KRLC concerns.
The Synod has assigned Deacon Susan Williams to help us through the retirement phase and identify a suitable Interim Pastor for Phase 2.
After June 1, 2025 Pastor Susan's official email address (kniferiverchurch@gmail.com) will be discontinued. She is available on Facebook. Another, personal email address may be established. The Interim Pastor will have their own email address, as will the new Pastor.
During this phase the Worship Committee will arrange for coverage for worship and pastoral care. When an interim pastor is appointed that person will provide coverage.
The interim period will last until the congregation calls, and the new pastor accepts, the permanent position of Pastor at KRLC. There is no set deadline. The process may take up to 6months or beyond.
The Interim Pastor will help the church do an assessment of needs, wants and desires and assist in the process of finding a new Pastor. A Call Committee will be established to interact with candidates.
The entire congregation is involved in the selection process but the Call Committee takes the lead on identifying prospective pastors and interacting with them. There is a delicate balance between transparency and confidentiality that will need to be managed.
This process may take several months. Once the Call Committee have completed their work the candidates will be introduced to the Council and congregation. The congregation will then extend an offer to one of the candidates.
It will take some time for the new pastor to become acclimated to the community and to our congregation, but in the end it will be nice to again have a pastor dedicated to us. We will all have opportunities to work together to forge a new, bright future for KRLC and our community.