Pastor Chris Christianson took over as pastor of First Evangelical Lutheran Church in La Crescent Dec. 13 during a small installation ceremony. Christianson, with a talent in music, is close to releasing his first album of original Christian-based music and hopes, within the next few months, to put on a concert at the church for community members. He also wants to incorporate his music into worship services. (Henry-HCN)
By Ryan Henry of the Houston County News
"It’s been a blur, when you move right before Christmas," he said.
Nevertheless, Christianson was officially installed Dec. 13 as the new pastor at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in La Crescent. He led his first service at the church on Dec. 20 before jumping into the holiday schedule.
Christianson takes over for long-time pastor Paul Ibisch, who retired from the ministry after 14 years as pastor of the church to, among other reasons, pursue a run for the Minnesota State Senate.
Christianson and his family n wife of 15 years, Elizabeth, and their children Christian, Samuel, Jonah, Phoebe and Obi n arrived in town just before an early December snowstorm n a blessing in itself n to a congregation awaiting the welcome of a new permanent pastor.
"The people have been super," he said. "They’ve made the transition for us very easy."
It’s the second transition Christianson and his family have made during his seven years in the ministry. His first assignment out of the seminary was at two rural parishes - both named Trinity Lutheran Church n in Lake City and Millville. While at the two churches, he also helped start a mission congregation called Living Word in Plainview.
After that, he served a call at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Freedom, Wis., before moving to First Lutheran. It can be common, he said, to move from parish to parish every couple of years. When a pastor is called by a congregation, he has the option to stay at the church he is at or answer the new call.
"I’ve known some pastors who’ve stayed at their church 30 or 40 years and then there are some guys who move around a lot more," Christianson said. "I have a feeling we’re going to be here awhile, though. We really like it here."
Christianson took the road less traveled to becoming a pastor, especially one in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, primarily to play football, where he started his freshman year.
During that experience, however, he realized there’s more to life than football, so he left UMD after his first year to join the Army, where he served the next three years as a paramedic in Fort Detrick, Md., near Washington, D.C.
After his time in the service, he moved back to his hometown of New Ulm and enrolled at Mankato State University with the goal of becoming a social studies teacher. During his time at MSU, he decided he would go into the ministry, so he finished his bachelor’s degree and then enrolled at Martin Luther College in New Ulm to complete two years of Greek and Hebrew before entering the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon.
"It’s a little different path than most traditional WELS pastors," he said. "We have a great feeder program in our synod where a lot of guys end up going through the prep school system so they’re already doing some of their class work in high school. Then they’re hitting college and right into seminary.
"As of late, we’re seeing some more nontraditional students ... like me, who are taking a different path."
Although his way to the pulpit didn’t mirror the path of others, he always thought, even as a young boy, that he would like to be a pastor. He said much of that had to do with the strong Christian upbringing his parents provided, but also the deep respect he had for his pastors and "the work of the Lord." But he had other aspirations at the time.
"When I was 7 or 8 years old, I asked my father if I could be a pro football player and a pastor at the same time," Christianson said. "I asked him if I could be a pastor on Sundays and play Monday Night Football.
"He said I could."
To some extent, he fulfilled that dream while in Lake City, where he played for the semi-pro Lake City Legends.
Christianson said he’s excited for the challenge of getting to know the members of First Lutheran.
"I’m more of a people person," he said. "I really enjoy building relationships and making connections with these people and getting to share their lives.
"I’m really excited for the opportunities the Lord has for me to serve the people of this congregation."
It’s his job, he said, to be faithful to the Word of God while serving the people in word and sacrament.
"First and foremost, I want to be proclaiming God’s Word in all its truth and purity so the members of this congregation can be nurtured," he said. "That’ll be my first priority."
But Christianson would also like to provide another form of worship for his parishioners.
He hopes to incorporate his love of performing and writing music into the church’s way of life. Already on Christmas Eve, he sang one of his original Christmas songs at the service.
"The congregation seemed to really enjoy that," he said.
Christianson recently finished his first album of Christian-based music and is entertaining the possibility of playing a concert at the church within the next couple of months for the entire community.
"That’s in the background, but if the Lord so blesses it, I’d love to see it," he said.
Though it hasn’t yet been a month, Christianson has already gotten to know several of his congregants by name and has settled his family into the city. It’s a place he can see himself staying for more than a couple years.
"It’s great. You look out and see the bluffs behind you, and what a great community, too," he said. "I told my wife, ’This feels like home.’"
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Freedom from St. Peter, Freedom":
Let's face it. WELS was pietist, is pietist, and will always be pietist. This second-career guy can move from one church to another within months, but confessional pastors who went through the WELS system but are suffering at their CG churches are stuck...until they finally give up and and give in? At least the LCMS, regardless of its faults, has more confessional pastors and parishes than the WELS. I'd rather have that in LCMS than true doctrine on paper, but an in-bred overwhelming spirit of anti-confessionalism in WELS.
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GJ - My intuition: this quickie call had more to do with Ron Ash's clout than with the pastor's ability to get called. Something happened and the guy was out of the state, pronto. Ron has to protect his Shrinker empire, so absence makes the heart grow fonder. When I found out the truth about Columbus, the first thing VP Kuske said was, "Do you want a call?" Why deal with doctrinal issues when a moving van works so well?
All the synods are alike that way. The Indiana-Kentucky LCA bishop talked about swapping pastors with another bishop. He leaned over, in front of a group of laity, and said, "You didn't know we made deals?" I said, "I know all about the alcoholic pastors Indiana has sent to Michigan." His face turned pale and he dropped the subject.
Does this happen in the Holy Spirit Room at the Sausage Factory, not to mention various bars around the Upper Midwest? God forbid, as Paul often said.
I do think there are major changes, for the good, happening. WELS needs a bunch of male leaders, doctrinal leaders, at all levels. That mostly excludes the Boomers.
