Interview with Pastor Terry Schjang
New Beginnings Worshiping Community August 21, 2018 Moving forward with my Alternative Residency Formation Plan to be approved for ordination by the Rocky Mountain Synod Candidacy Committee, I will be focusing my interviews to answer the following question: What are the joys and challenges of congregational ministry? To answer this question, I will ask:
What strengths did you bring to your ministry setting? Pastor Terry brought life experience that includes working as a special education teacher in an institution run by the state of Vermont where the residents had developmental disabilities. She said she took joy in teaching individuals how to be self-sufficient so they could eventually leave the institution and live in group homes or on their own. Pastor Terry said she worked in the institution as she was working on a master’s degree in education, but she left graduate school when she had her first child. She said she secured a job where she could write advertising copy from home with an occasional trip to the office. Pastor Terry said the job was supposed to be for a year, but it turned into a 25 year career in advertising. Pastor Terry related a time in her life when she had to reach out to others for help as she found herself selling adverting for a sports station. She said she did not know much about sports, so she had to reach out to the young men who worked at the station to teach her about the intricacies of many sports. She said the experience was humbling, but she learned how to do her job by being open and creating relationships with those around her. She said forming and nurturing relationships was crucial in her work in advertising and those same skills have become extremely important as a pastor. She said she had teachers and mentors who helped her become successful in advertising and eventually she became a manager in her company where she taught others how to create clear presentations, be good listeners, and how to meet people where they were. She said it is so important how you approach people “where they are” as it made a difference for the approach is different when she had an account of a major beer distributor as opposed to a member of the New York Stock Exchange. Pastor Terry said many of the skills she learned as an advertising executive has helped her in her ministry at DWCF. What were your areas of growth? When asked this question, Pastor Terry quickly responded, “I was naïve when I started.” She elaborated her statement by saying she thought it would be a smoother process working with the Department of Corrections (DOC) she found out quickly that she had to “prove myself” to the culture within the women’s prison. She said it is a lot like the learning curve when she had to learn about the world of sports. She said she learned from her mistakes and she had to create the relationships she would need in order to succeed as a pastor in prison ministry. She said the most difficult aspect was “picking myself up” time and time again, after she was told “no” by prison officials and being told “no” by DOC administration as the “no” underscored, for Pastor Terry, the oppositional nature of the two organizations she worked with in her ministry. As an ordained minister in the ELCA, her seminary and pastoral training told her she was to forgive and to plant the seeds of love and grace of Christ; the gift given to all God’s children. As a volunteer for the Department of Corrections, she had to uphold the rules and regulations of the correctional facility and always be mindful of the fact her congregation was composed of individuals who were sent to prison by the courts and were, most likely, not entirely trustworthy. She had to learn to walk, talk, and present herself in a “certain way” in order to approach inmates and staff. Pastor Terry said she had to learn to “dance between two institutions that don’t know each other.” Do justice issues impact how you do ministry? Pastor Terry was very clear that justice issues influence every aspect of her ministry at new Beginnings. She said she interacts with inmates who are undocumented and from many different ethnic backgrounds. There are individuals who are highly educated and others who barely finished middle school. There are those who have money and others are poverty stricken. Most of the women are victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse—or both. Issues related to parenting, housing, and LGBTQ identity are prevalent. Pastor Terry made it very clear that justice issues dominate her ministry at New Beginnings. How does the geographical setting of your ministry impact how you do ministry? Pastor Terry admitted to being “a bit claustrophobic.” She said there have been times when loud noises “will make me jump and the girls will laugh” at her reaction. She said she had to get used to the noise and the fact her congregation is in a state prison. The congregation members of New Beginnings do not have the financial means to support the ministry, so Pastor Terry has recruited Partners in Ministry outside DWCF to assist her. Pastor Terry has Partners in Ministry, individuals from congregations in the synod, who lend their expertise to ensure the financial viability of New Beginnings. The skills she brought with her from advertising—building relationships, making presentations, and “selling” her ministry—are crucial Reflection For refection, I am to answer the following questions: What do they tell you about you? How does your particular lens as a Latina Transgender minister affect how you hear and see the work of other ministries in this synod, and how would a deeper understanding on the part of these ministers bless the work at hand? Where does the gospel intersect these interpretations? My conversation with Pastor Terry had a profound impact on the way I look at prison ministry. I also bring a personal view of Pastor Terry’s ministry because from 1997 to 2002, I worked as a correctional officer in the prison next door to DWCF. I have an insight into the inner workings of a state correctional facility from the point of view of an officer. When she spoke about the “culture” of the facility, I knew exactly what she meant. I know what it is like to interact with the inmates on a daily basis and I know the attitude of officers. I know that the safety and security of the facility overrides any other consideration. In my experience, innovation was not a trait fostered within DOC as new ideas may impact scheduling and the smooth operation of the facility. Schedules are incredibly important in a correctional facility. The ratio of officers to inmates must be kept to ensure the safety and security of both, so any alteration to a schedule is taken very seriously. This means Pastor Terry may be told “no” because her suggested activity may not contribute to the smooth operation of the facility; it is not a comment on the activity itself and her ministry; it is just not in the budget to schedule an additional officer for supervision. What does my attitude toward New Beginnings tell me about me? My attitude as changed considerably since I resigned my position as a Community Parole Officer in July of 2013. Yes, I can understand why DOC administration may cancel a worship service or deny a special project due to an overriding concern for safety or staffing. I understand why certain items cannot be brought into the facility as they may be considered contraband. As a candidate for ordained ministry in the ELCA, however, I want DOC administration to see New Beginnings as an opportunity for building community. New Beginnings is a community where individuals who have been subjected to violence and trauma to realize they are worthy of God’s love, even though they have been convicted of a felony. A worshiping community is a place to find solace and, in my opinion, DOC may miss opportunity for rehabilitation by not allowing a pastor to host a new project or institute a new program. Pastor Terry talked about justice issues related to women of color. As a transgender Latina, I believe I am hyper-aware of women of color and more attuned to their needs. I would like to be invited back to preach and lead worship at New Beginnings as I have a unique perspective as a former corrections officer and current candidate for ordained ministry. I know there is a need to provide a place for all women in worship, but it is so important to see women of color in positions of leadership, especially in a community where there are a significant number of women of color in attendance. Serving a period of incarceration was common in Scripture: Joseph, Samson, Jeremiah, Micaiah, Zedekiah, Daniel, John the Baptist, Peter, James, John, Silas, and Paul were locked up at one time or another. Jesus was held in custody prior to his crucifixion. Martin Luther talked about being in bondage to sin and it is our faith in Christ that frees us. It is imperative for the church to work with prisoners. We are called by God to love those who the world has rejected. I have so much respect and admiration for Pastor Terry and the work she is doing at New Beginnings. A lifetime of experience as a special education teacher and as an advertising executive to create a place where those who have little hope can actually find hope in the Word of God.
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