Southwest Minnesota Synod Fall Theological Conference, Oct. 1-4

Just returned from a few days at a conference with peers and it was nice. Prior to my call to Luther Seminary to work in the Admissions office, I was a parish pastor at Granite Falls Lutheran Church, Granite Falls, Minnesota, part of the Southwest Minnesota Synod of the ELCA. All pastors need to be rostered, (i.e. "on the books") with some synod in the ELCA, and most often it is in the synod in which you serve. Well when I came to work at Luther, I could be rostered anywhere I chose, and I chose to stay with Southwest Minnesota, primary because it was familiar. After eight years of serving in this synod I knew the bishop, synod staff and most of the pastors, and they knew me. When everything else around me was strange — new job, new co-workers, new location, new home - it was nice to keep something familiar.

Each year the bishop, synod staff, pastors and other church professionals rostered in Southwest Synod gather for theological study, worship and fellowship in the fall. This year the gathering was in Mankato, Minnesota. As usual the speakers challenged us, the worship lifted us up and the fellowship reunited us.

Pictured in the photo are some of my good friends and peers. (They preferred to remain anonymous — I am not sure they want to claim association with me.) They are all pastors in Southwest Synod. We went out on the town one night and enjoyed a delightful meal and conversation at an Ethiopian restaurant called the Nile.