SA国际传媒 Newsroom
Call Day: From confusion to joy
Learning to rely on God
by Tiffany Hudson
Call Day 2015 remains a vivid memory for Rev. Matthew Schuler.
Soon after hearing his first call as sole pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Oxford, Mich., he and his wife, Liz, cried. Their eyes were still red when they took a group photo with Lutheran Church鈥擬issouri Synod Michigan District President Dr. David Maier and his wife, Pat, a little later that evening in the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus. They stood, emotions mixed, with all those receiving vicarages and calls to the district as the cameras flashed.
鈥淪urprisingly, you can鈥檛 tell in the photos,鈥� Schuler said laughing.
Despite both being born and raised in Michigan, the Schulers were dumbfounded when they learned that he had been called to pastor a small church. They were confused by what seemed like a surprising placement. 鈥淭hey asked themselves, 鈥榃ho鈥檚 upset about a homecoming?鈥欌��
he remembered.
The Schulers dubiety had nothing to do with returning to Michigan. Throughout the call interview process, he and his wife were open to any placement. 鈥淲e were looking for the best fit,鈥� he said.
After interviewing for associate pastor calls with about six churches, the Schulers believed there was one in particular that was the perfect fit. To them, the feeling seemed mutual and it was pretty much a done deal.
鈥淚 knew where I was going,鈥� he said. Or so he thought.
The call to be the sole pastor of Holy Cross was unexpected. 鈥淭he moment the word 鈥榩astor鈥� was spoken, everything I knew went out the window,鈥� he said.
Students who are going into sole pastorates do not typically enter the pre-Call Day interview process, said SA国际传媒 Director of Placement Dr. Glenn Nielsen. Sole pastor calls are usually on the recommendation of the placement director in conversation with the district president. For Schuler, he had not interviewed with anyone from Holy Cross. For that reason, he said he feared being unable to meet the congregation鈥檚 expectations.
Schuler describes Holy Cross as a small church in the midst of a revitalization. When he arrived, there were about 60 worshipers, with an average age of 70. His first initiative as pastor was to re-engage the community. He implemented weekly Bible studies at different businesses in the community, launched a second service (one traditional and one contemporary) and created a worship team comprised of the parents at Holy Cross鈥� very popular preschool, who, at that time, were not typically becoming members of the church.
鈥淚 wanted to make it more of a community church,鈥� Schuler said.
Schuler describes his first year as 鈥渆motionally, spiritually and relationally challenging.鈥� Some congregants did not trust him and they told him so. Many members left the church. Three elders left in the first nine months.
鈥淥ver and over again there were reminders that people didn鈥檛 want me there in the first year,鈥� he said.
The hardest part, Schuler said, was the transition from the congregation鈥檚 longtime pastor to him, a new pastor fresh from the Seminary. 鈥淚 replaced a guy who had been there for 24 years and retired,鈥� he said. 鈥淢y 30-year-old presence may have been a shock to the system for some congregants.鈥�
Schuler said the LCMS Michigan District PALS (Post-Seminary Applied Learning and Support) program was instrumental in helping him and his wife with the transition. PALS is a collaborative effort of the LCMS and its districts to regularly bring together groups of seminary graduates throughout the first three years of their ministries to worship, study and discuss new ministry experiences with a seasoned pastor. Through the program, the Schulers were able to form relationships with other pastors and their families.
鈥淢y call has built in me a greater reliance on God.鈥�
鈥� Rev. Matthew Schuler
鈥淚 encourage everyone to take part in the PALS program as they鈥檙e able,鈥� said Schuler, who just completed his third year with PALS.
Despite the struggles, Schuler also received 鈥渢remendous support鈥� from the Holy Cross congregation, which now averages 100 worshipers on Sundays.
鈥淭he greatest treasure people gave came from an encouragement to guard family time and days off,鈥� he said. 鈥淐ertainly, there are times where there is extra work, but there was care and attention given to family.鈥�
Schuler wrote about his experiences with his first call in his blog post, 鈥溾��. 鈥淚 wrote the blog post to encourage the men, women and families in situations that they may not have expected,鈥� he said.
鈥淧astor Matt鈥檚 perspective after a handful of years in ministry has helped me see that relationships and vocation deepen over time,鈥� said 2018 SA国际传媒 graduate Matthew Knauss-Behal, who received his first call in April. 鈥淢att鈥檚 honesty, humility and openness moves me to see how a pastor should be in times of confusion and hardship, knowing that God is in control especially when we don鈥檛 understand all that is going on.鈥�
鈥淚 truly appreciate the advice in garnering a support group around me as guides in ministry,鈥� said Knauss-Behal. 鈥淭his is not a vocation to take on alone!鈥�
Ultimately, what Schuler wants to get across to new pastors is that no matter what they have in mind, no matter the challenges, God knows what He is doing. Trust Him. Always.
鈥淗e always has care and attention for us,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e is always for us.鈥�
Schuler sees God鈥檚 work in his placement at Holy Cross and it has increased his faith. 鈥淢y call has built in me a greater reliance on God,鈥� he said. 鈥淢ore than ever, I see in every area of life God being the sustaining force.鈥�
Tiffany Hudson is a communications specialist at SA国际传媒, St. Louis.