The Call is out for a New Pastor!

In Lutheran understanding, God calls each mature Christian to work on God’s behalf. The Latin word for “call” is vocare — from which we get the English word “vocation”. According to the Oxford dictionary of the English Language, your vocation is work that is particularly aligned with you talents and passions — gifts from God that equip you for your vocation. Every Christian’s call is sacred. Your call might be to the same work by which you earn your living. Or, you may labour honourably for your wage and salary, in order to enable an unpaid vocation. Only you and God know how you are being called, and whether you are answering the call.

The work of a pastor — to care for the church in the same way a shepherd cares for a flock — must always be a vocation. Scripture teaches that “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain…. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?  Those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings. In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.”1 Cor 9:9-14  So Pastors are paid as professionals for their work. But they aren’t just employees; their profession is also their vocation. So instead of extending a “job offer”, as we would if we were hiring a lawyer or a ditch-digger, we add our voices to God’s voice, and Call a pastor to take up the work of shepherding our congregation.

On May 5th the congregation met to vote on calling Dr Laura Holck to be Emmanuel’s half-time pastor. Pastor Daranne Harris, acting on behalf of the Bishop’s office, chaired the business portion of the congregational meeting. She read the Memorandum of Understanding that was negotiated between the Call Committee acting on behalf of Emmanuel, and the Bishop’s office acting on behalf of Dr Holck; which passed a simple majority by a show of hands. She then read the proposed employment agreement, and offered the opportunity to ask questions or move any changes. The employment agreement was approved unammended with the required two-thirds majority.

Following the meeting, the Bishop’s office passes the offer of employment to the call candidate. We now wait for Laura to consider the agreement and make a decision whether to accept it. If Laura does accept it — and we certainly hope that Laura will — Laura will become our pastor effective August 1.