Interview with Pastor Diana Linden-Johnson
Peace Lutheran Church, El Paso NM September 18, 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:
I had the opportunity to visit with Pastor Diana Linden-Johnson when she was in Estes Park for Theological Conference. Pastor Diana is pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in El Paso TX. Full disclosure: I have known Pastor Diana for several years as we were both members of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Denver. I remember when Pastor Diana started seminary and her journey toward ordination. It was an incredible honor when Pastor Diana asked me to be the crucifer at her ordination. What strengths did you bring to your ministry setting? Pastor Diana began our conversation by talking about her long process through candidacy; a process she described as “challenging spiritually and emotionally.” Pastor Diana said she really was blessed to have many different leadership roles in ministry prior to ordination. She said she “showed up with a pretty good toolbox.” Pastor Diana said she spent three summers at Sky Ranch Lutheran Camp and then spent four years working for Lutheran Social Services of the South and as Director of the Border Servant Corps in El Paso. Pastor Diana moved back to Colorado after four years in El Paso to attend seminary at Iliff School of Theology. While there she became very involved with ministry at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Denver, first as an intern and then as their Minister of Education and Discipleship. She earned an M.Div. at Iliff School of Theology in Denver. For several years Pastor Diana took some time away from candidacy and worked at Planned Parenthood and obtained managerial and speaking experience in that position. When the time was right, she re-entered candidacy and she moved, with her two children to St. Paul MN for six months to attend Luther Seminary as a requirement for candidacy. She completed a Master of Arts in Congregational Mission and Leadership through Luther Seminary and a second internship at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Ft. Collins CO. After she was approved for ordination and waiting for a first call, she took on a leadership role at Lutheran Campus Ministry in Ft. Collins and helped with faith formation at King of Glory Lutheran church in Loveland. Pastor Diana said for 22 years she had a strong sense of call to ordained ministry and all her experience in many different areas of ministry prepared her for her call at Peace Lutheran Church in El Paso. What were your areas of growth? Pastor Diana said she was familiar with the city of El Paso as she spent four years in the Texas city while working for Lutheran Social Services of the South and as Director of the Border Servant Corps, but as a pastor at Peace Lutheran Church, her focus was different. She said having a family also changed the dynamics of her work in El Paso. She was going to a familiar place, but she knew she would be in store for something completely new. Pastor Diana said when she first interviewed for the position, “it was like I was in love.” She said she “couldn’t get them out of my mind.” It was apparent from her tone and words, she was excited to be the pastor of Peace Lutheran, which is wonderful to see after being at the congregation for over two years. Pastor Diana said one area of growth was learning to navigate conflict and change. She said had to get used to preaching every week and also learn to identify the gifts and talents of members of the congregation in order to build teams. She said she had to figure out if expectations were actually what the members of the congregation really wanted or if expectations were self-imposed. She said she also had to determine what she could realistically accomplish. Another area of growth was to make self-care a priority. She also had to make sure she created space for her family. Self-care and making family a priority was challenging, but it was crucial in order to be a healthy person, parent, and partner. Do justice issues impact how you do ministry? Pastor Diana said doing work related to justice was a part of her mission in life, but in her congregation, justice work is not as high a priority. She said her congregation has a great awareness around immigration issues, for example, but she admits her congregation does not get as involved as they could be. Pastor Diana said there are two ELCA congregations nearby that are very involved with issues related to immigration and she is personally invested, but not everyone in her congregation is. She expressed hope in the coming year, the people of Peace Lutheran Church will do more work around mission and vision and they will feel a stronger call to do more work around social justice. How does the geographical setting of your ministry impact how you do ministry? Pastor Diana said it is easy to preach on gospel readings when they mention being in the wilderness as El Paso is literally in the wilderness. She said Peace Lutheran is a racially diverse congregation and there is a bilingual worship once a month. She said she hopes the congregation does open their doors to other projects in the coming years and possibly be in a position to host refugees. What advice do you have for a new pastor? Pastor Diana said it is “awesome to have a list of things you want to do [as the pastor], but you don’t have to do everything right away.” It is advisable to find out what your congregation wants to do and make those items a priority. She said it is important to “make yourself a priority—take days off, take a vacation, get exercise. Do what you need to do to care for yourself.” She said is it important to learn your community and call individuals in the community for a base of support. Pastor Diana also stressed the need for a spiritual life. She said to ask yourself, “How if life impacting your spiritual life?” 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? I am thankful I was able to meet Pastor Diana in Estes Park. I admit, it would have been wonderful to take a tour of Peace Lutheran Church and see where she preaches, but a trip from Denver to El Paso and back was not possible. Pastor Diana did have a chat about the time we spent at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Denver and our different experiences in candidacy. I admire Pastor Diana’s tenacity and how she was able to be approved for ordination and be called as a pastor. It is not my place to say anything more about Pastor Diana’s personal life or her interaction with the ELCA over the years, but our paths have crossed many times and our struggles with the ELCA are similar in that we both have fought to be a part of ELCA leadership. I am grateful she persevered and is now a pastor. I have known of Pastor Diana’s work in social justice for many years. I was a bit surprised to hear her congregation does not necessarily make social justice work a priority. I readily admit my assumption that geographical location would automatically make immigration an issue in El Paso. I learned geography may have an influence in the priorities of a congregation, but geography does not dictate priorities. There are many different personalities and beliefs, both religious and secular, within every congregation. A pastor has to be able to balance the needs of the congregation with the perceived need to be a voice for issues related to social justice. I concluded the need to teach and preach the gospel is where a pastor must start. It is crucial for a pastor to be the pastor of every person in the congregation. Pastor Diana took a lifetime of experiences to El Paso and I really understood the depth of her work in ministry created a stable foundation from which she can work as a pastor to each and every person in her congregation. I heard her stress the need to listen to the members of the congregation and attend to their needs, but also the needs of the pastor must also be made a priority. The need to attend to self-care is a lesson I have been trying to learn in my own life. Hearing Pastor Diana talk about seeking balance in her life make a profound impact on me. Pastor Diana’s reference to being in the wilderness brought up images of vast plains filled with cacti and sand. The wilderness can be a very scary place to be, but it is in the wilderness where Christ encountered temptation and realized the need to keep the Lord at the center of life.
0 Comments
|
Archives
November 2018
Categories |