Janesville couple 'Aware of the call'
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Dave Nelsestuen
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Lisa Konzen
Lisa Konzen’s background includes highly developed communication skills, experience with nonprofits and an understanding of families struggling with suffering and loss.
Here’s what they have in common: Both entered Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, at midlife.
Why start over again in such a difficult profession?
Both pastors and seminarians say it’s not about a job; it’s about a call.
“Some people are older before they became aware of the call in their lives,” said the Rev. Steven Ekblad of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Janesville. “But many times, they’ve always known the call was there, but couldn’t do it.”
Roped in, midlife
Nelsestuen, 53, and his wife, Mary, live in Janesville and have two grown daughters. For 32 years, he worked for the Lutheran Brotherhood, which later became Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.
“I had a very successful career there,” Nelsestuen said. “But about six or seven years ago, I started getting restless.”
He had been active in his church, Faith Lutheran of Janesville, serving on committees and councils, taking classes and working with church-sponsored ministries and camps.
He was so involved people sometimes jokingly called him “Pastor Dave.”
A few years ago, he signed up for the Lay School of Ministry through the South Central Synod of the Lutheran Church.
He considered keeping his business and becoming a part-time lay minister.
At one point, a church official said, “Why don’t you go to seminary?”
This spring, he’ll graduate. He hopes to find work in southern Wisconsin or northern Illinois.
“I think everything that’s happened in my life was preparing me for this,” Nelsestuen said. “I think God’s had a rope around me for years, and now he’s pulling it in.”
Family first
Konzen, 43, of Janesville has been dealing with her “call” since she was a child.
“When I was little, I would bring home the misselette, scrounge up some grape juice and some of those ice cream cones with the flat bottoms for wafers and perform the mass for my Barbie dolls,” said Konzen, who was raised Roman Catholic.
She toyed with becoming a nun, but during her adolescence, she began to question the tenets of the Catholic faith and eventually left the church.
She attended a Baptist college, where she majored in English and minored in biblical languages.
“I had a strong sense of being called to do something,” Konzen said.
Instead of being called to ministry, she was called home to Janesville to care for her parents.
“Dad had diabetes, and for a long while, he had it under control,” Konzen said. “But then he had to have dialysis—that’s three times a week for three to four hours each time.”
During this time, she and her parents found a new spiritual home in the Lutheran church.
“I told my parents, ‘We’ll give this one try,’” Konzen said. “We landed at Good Shepard, and I finally felt like all the pieces had been put into place.”
Her father eventually ended up at Beloit Health and Rehab—as did her mother, after she had a heart attack.
“Taking care of him and Mom, I knew I was needed where I was,” Konzen said. “I didn’t see it as anything heroic. I got as much out of the relationship as they did.”
Her father died from pneumonia in June 2006, and her mother died three months later. She didn’t want to make any serious decisions while she was grieving for her parents.
She also was a little afraid—afraid of making the right choice, afraid of the challenges of a new life and afraid of life’s practicalities.
In September, Konzen started seminary.
“The fear doesn’t go away. It morphs into excitement,” Konzen said. “It’s going to be hard, but it’s going to be good.”
Both rookie and veteran
Becoming a new pastor in your 40s or 50s has some advantages.
“What’s powerful about this is that they’ve had a whole bunch of time to think through what matters and what doesn’t,” Ekblad said.
At the same time, pastors used to the pace of the business world will be startled to find how small changes in church routines can cause major upsets.
“You cannot let your feelings become the focus,” Ekblad said. “And you’ll be more effective if you don’t have an ego problem.”
The key to success?
“Try to get out of the way and let Christ’s light shine through you,” Ekblad said.
