Is it all worth it? 2.0 — Reflections on three and a half years

by David Haberstock

In January 2019, the second phase of Lutheran Church–Canada’s new structure rolled out as the District corporations stopped providing ecclesiastical oversight and three newly elected Regional Pastors took up the task. In my first column as Regional Pastor, I asked, “Is all this worth it?” regarding the time, energy, and emotional labour that has gone into this. 

As I write this, our first every-congregation Synod Convention is weeks away, and it is a good time to reflect on this. I speak primarily from what I see in the Central Region, as well as from conversations with the President’s Ministry Council (the President of Synod, Vice President, and three Regional Pastors).

Our term of office began in 2019. That year was a whirlwind for me as I tried to visit the churches and pastors of Central Region, and tried to get the Regional Mission and Ministry Council together for its inaugural meeting. I did okay at the visitation and really enjoyed it. 

As I write this, our first every-congregation Synod Convention is weeks away, and it is a good time to reflect on this. I speak primarily from what I see in the Central Region, as well as from conversations with the President’s Ministry Council (the President of Synod, Vice President, and three Regional Pastors).

I posted on Facebook pictures of the congregations I visited during that first year. I got to exactly two-thirds of our congregations that year (56 out of then 84 congregations), plus three old churches, five installations, two pastors’ conferences, two combined ordination-installations, to StreetReach in Thunder Bay, the synodical office in Winnipeg, Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton, an LWML convention, a 100^th anniversary, and Bethany Pioneer Lodge in Middle Lake, Saskatchewan (which was started by Faith, Middle Lake).

Of course, no one knew what would descend upon us mid-March 2020, but prior to that, I visited five more of our congregations, plus one old church building, and presented at the Sabbath Conference for deacons held at Concordia Lutheran Seminary. During the rest of 2020, I made it to six more of our unvisited congregations (and nine old buildings and/or cemeteries), three combined ordination-installations, and three more installations.

In 2021, I presided at one church closing, got to six more unvisited congregations, presided at two installations, and visited two out of three Bible camps in the Central Region. Of course, by this time, there were countless online meetings, and I’d visited more than 90 percent of our congregations, so visiting more unvisited congregations was getting rarer, despite travel restrictions. Another focus of my work in the last year has been pre-call meetings, and helping congregations through the call process (and there are several pastoral installations coming up this summer!) But these details illustrate the difference.

This renewed focus on our life together as Synod has been a blessing to me, and I pray it will bear much fruit in the days to come. 

With nearly five months of 2022 in the bag, I have visited only one unvisited church, and not been getting out much in the Region both due to COVID and my father’s death. Many in the Region are aware that my father died in January. I’ve been working from his house in Edmonton since last August, as my wife, daughter, and I helped my siblings take care of him here in Edmonton for his last six months. 

I want to say a massive thank you to Synod’s staff and to the members of Central Region for allowing me to serve my father and family in this way, and allowing me to be less accessible to the Region throughout this year. 

But I return to the question: has it all been worth it? It’s been an adventure these last three and a half years. But what I have seen, other than that the RMMCs are still a work in progress—especially in Central, in part due to my not being an organizer—is that this position is accomplishing what we hoped! The lessened focus on administration of the District and the expectation of visitation of pastors and congregations has been really positive. 

I have received a lot of feedback of appreciation for the availability I have to pastors. The fact that this position is called Regional Pastor has been a net positive. I still tell people outside of LCC that I am “like a bishop” because that is a word they know and understand. But a number of pastors have commented that the name change for this position (from president to pastor) has caused them to interact with me as a pastor rather than as an administrative official. This is excellent.

The President’s Ministry Council and the Regional Pastors have also forged a real bond where we collaboratively discuss what is best for the whole of LCC, rather than just what is good for just one Region. This renewed focus on our life together as Synod has been a blessing to me, and I pray it will bear much fruit in the days to come. 

Our church has ongoing challenges that can be addressed in another column, but at the present time, has it been worth it? I would say yes. 

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Rev. David Haberstock is Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC)’s Central Regional Pastor.

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