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The KRLC Council will be providing updates as progress is made. Updates will be emailed to congregational members and appear on this page as well. Along the way, if you have questions or concerns do not hesitate to contact a Council member. It is important that all concerns are known and addressed as we progress forward. We are all in this together.
Pastor Susan retired on June 1st, 2025 and no longer performs ministerial functions for KRLC. The Worship Committee has arranged for coverage for worship. For pastoral care concerns please contact one of the following individuals:
Kay Bloom 218-340-0515
Randi Alreck 218-349-3788
Pastor Kris Garey 218-213-8599
The Synod has assigned Deacon Susan Williams to help us through the retirement phase and identify a suitable Interim Pastor for Phase 2. The Council will interview the proposed Interim and do the hiring. Financial implications beyond the regular budget will be subject to a vote at a congregational meeting.
After May 25, 2025 the office email address (kniferiverchurch@gmail.com) will be used only for administrative purposes. Email sent to that address will be handled by Melanie. The Interim Pastor will have their own email address, as will the new Pastor.
Pastor Mark Holman has been appointed by the Synod and will serve in a half-time capacity. He will provide pastoral coverage along with our pastoral are team. Pastor Mark serves as our temporary pastor until a permanent one is chosen by the congregation. The Interim Pastor will help the church do an assessment of its needs, wants and desires and assist in the process of finding a new Pastor.
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 a number of months.
The Interim Pastor will work with the Council to put together a Call Team (5 persons). Council members do not serve on the Call Team. The Synod will provide a list of candidates. The Call Team will review materials and conduct interviews to help them make a final recommendation to the Council. There is a delicate balance between transparency and confidentiality that will need to be managed.
KRLC Bylaws state that the Call Committee is made up of 5 active members of the congregation with the final selection determined by the congregation. Forming this group is the first step in the process of calling a new Pastor to KRLC
The Call Committee will seek input from all of our members with open discussions, a congregational questionaire, listening sessions and other tools to understand the needs, hopes and desires of our members.
The Call Committee will prepare a Ministry Site Profile (MSP) based on this input. The Interim pastor and Council will help in this process.
Pastoral candidates are identified in consultation with the NE MN ELCA synod office and pastoral profiles will be provided to the Call Committee. If you know of a good candidate please refer them to the synod office, Deacon Susan Williams. After an initial meeting with the Call Committee, Deacon Susan Williams will continue to provide support and counsel to the committee and will eventually provide names and background information for potential pastoral candidates.
The Call Committee will screen, perform interviews, and make a recommendation of a final candidate to the Congregational Council.
Candidates are interviewed
Call Committee recommendations
You can apply to be a member of the Call Committee using this online form or by submitting a paper copy (available in the church office). This form will be used to express your interest in being part of the Call Committee. It does not bind you nor does it guarantee that you will be part of the final team. Ultimately, there will be congregational approval, but we want you to be sure that all areas of the congregation are represented on the Call Committee. The top priority will be to have a diverse team of five people who represent various groups based on age, gender and longevity.
Being on this team requires a large amount of time and possibly some travel. Your work begins with the formation of the Call Committee and does not end until the new Pastor is installed and comfortable in the position. This could take 6-8 months to complete your role. Please see the previous section (above) to better understand the Call Committee process and what it would entail. As you answer the application questions, please consider how God is involved in the process of calling a new Pastor.
Thank you for your willingness to help with this extremely important process.
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. The Council acts on the Call Team's recommendation and can extend an offer to a prospective Pastor, who can choose to accept or reject it.
This process may take months. It is a slow one because we all benefit if the fit is a good one. If the offer will have budgetary implications, over and above allocated amounts, a congregational meeting will be held to make that decision. Once an offer has been extended and accepted then a period of time will be needed to get the new pastor in place.
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.
Martin Luther King Jr.
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