Memo
To: The First Lutheran Members Who Endorsed the Concerns Letter dated July 25, 2013
From: Tom Whittaker
Subject: Response to Your Letter Dated July 25, 2013 detailing concerns About the Direction of First
Lutheran Church
Dear Friends and Fellow Members of First Lutheran Church:
I have read the subject letter many times. I have chosen to consider it a constructive criticism of
changes in church direction espoused and/or endorsed by church leadership since we called Pastor April
Larson in November, 2008. I am writing, as an elected member of the Executive Committee during that
time, to provide my perspective on the concerns that have expressed.
If the letter is intended to blame Pastor Larson for all of these concerns, it is not properly directed.
Nothing was done during that period without the approval of the Executive Committee and/or the
Planning Council-and in many cases the congregation. We called Pastor Larson to be our Pastor, our
leader, and the Chief of Staff-within our governance structure; and she has respected that arrangement.
After 16 years as an ELCA Bishop, she had a great grasp of what we must do to survive and grow in our
current environment, and she has been a very forceful advocate for changes she believes in, but she was
not-and is not-the sole decision maker.
As regards the concerns you expressed:
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Opus 1: Opus 1 cannot be sold without the approval of the congregation. I don’t personally care if
this wonderful instrument is kept, sold, or donated; but it is a shame to see it sitting unused in the
front of our sanctuary. We must create a compelling contemporary service in order to attract young
people to our church; we must attract young people to survive; the people who attend such
services want contemporary music, and they want it facing them from the front of the church. The
best place to put a contemporary music group is to the west of the altar in the area currently
occupied by Opus 1. As a minimum, we must put Opus 1 somewhere other than in the front of the
sanctuary. The fact that the Vision Council has been discussing the relocation, sale, or donation of
OPUS 1 is a tribute to their focus on strategic issues, not evidence of dictatorship by our senior
pastor.
A relative lack of Lutheran liturgy in our services: I’m not an expert on Lutheran liturgy, but it
seems to me that Pastor Larson is more knowledgable about the subject, and more focused on
Lutheran liturgy, theology, and traditions than any senior pastor I have seen in my 20 years at First
Lutheran. We discussed the subject with Pastor Larson on September 5. The tradeoff is the length
of the service. Frankly, I trust the seminary educated pastor with over 25 years of experience to
make that tradeoff.
The dwindling number of confirmation students: Reference was made to the fact that we
confirmed 4 students last year vs “ an average of 25 to 30 students in each class 5 to 6 years ago”.
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The facts, re the class that we confirmed in 2012, are that said class was formed in September,
2008-before Pastor Larson, or any of our current program staff members were in place. There were
10 kids eligible for confirmation. Of those 10, 6 chose to participate in confirmation, and 4 met the
minimum standard for graduation. Currently, in 8th grade confirmation, there are 13 kids eligible,
and 8 active. Unlike the days we all remember fondly, all confirmands can now write a faith
statement; all can discuss their faith; and all have done their homework. By the way, per the ELCA
Trend Report, FLC confirmation classes from 2005 through 2012 were, respectively, 27, 24, 22, 29,
18, 14, 18, and 4. The reduction in confirmation students started long before 2012, and it probably
had more to do with ELCA policy and the change in FLC’s second service from contemporary to
blended.
People forget that First Lutheran, like most of the ELCA, concluded that the key to passing on the
faith was, and is, parental involvement in faith development for their children. Church leadership,
with Pastor Larson’s urging, convened a youth and family strategy task force headed by Brian Bich,
to lay out a youth and family vision. They did so, and the Planning Council embraced their vision.
Chad Christianson and Sara Gunderson, with the support of the chairs of the boards of Youth and
Education, developed a confirmation program based on the highly successful model employed by
Grace Lutheran in Hermantown to implement the vision, which started kids in confirmation in the
third grade, confirmed them in the 11th grade, and required extensive parental involvement.
The bottom line regarding the decline in confirmation attendance is that it started long before
Pastor Larson ever got here. The quality of the program improved immediately when she arrived,
and the numbers are creeping back up. The only valid criticism of the changes in confirmation is
that we collectively could have done a better job of selling it to the parents.
A diminishing Sunday School: The real question is not why “four and five year old enrollment in
Sunday School has dropped by an estimated 50% in the past 6-8 years, with a previous average of
75 students to approximately 34 students this year”, but what has attendance by grade been per
year for the past 8 years. My guess is that it will show a dramatic decline in the first 3 to 4 years of
that period, and a gradual improvement since. This is the result of the youth and family strategy;
the new family focus on Sunday school under the leadership of Sarah Gunderson and Ann Beck; the
continued dedication of people like George Rennan, Carol Anderson, and Berle Bredesen; and-in no
small way-to Pastor Larson’s focus on keeping Promise Preschool at First Lutheran when others
wanted to reclassify them as a tenant and charge them rent. Have you seen how many little
children come up for the children’s sermon during the late service on Sunday morning (typically 15
to 25)? For that matter, did everyone enjoy the participation and the enthusiasm of the children
and their parents on Rally Sunday. Brian Nelson said it was amazing.
We question the planned use of TFR monies to fund a mortgage reduction campaign: If by this you
mean hiring a consultant to help us raise enough money to pay the mortgage left over from the TFR
project, I-as a TFR pledger and donor-am wholeheartedly in favor of this decision. We must find a
way to cover the mortgage payment, or cut way back on ministry.
Increased fees for funerals held on Saturdays: This is an incorrect conclusion drawn, according to
Becky, from an incorrect statement in the Vision Council meeting minutes. She apologized for the
error.
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Furniture in the Gathering Space: I tend to partially agree on this one. There has to be a way to
open up that space on Sunday morning, but provide seating for those in our aging congregation
who need it. I, personally, can’t stand for 30 minutes. Pastor Larson has a lot of data on how
gathering spaces should be used, and it is my understanding that the architect in charge of TFR
agrees with her. Lets discuss.
The loss of membership at FLC: This is the most critical point in the letter. FLC’s average weekly
worship attendance from 1990 through 2012, per the ELCA Trend Report, was as follows:
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
594 567 605 574 641 671 541 557 545 532 518 390 372 476 478 471
The bottom line; First Lutheran, under the leadership of Pastor April Larson, has started to grow.
We must keep doing so in order to survive.
A decline in giving units. My data says that we have seen a decline in Pledging Units, but an
increase in giving. Total giving has increased from $820K in 2009 to $858K in 2012, not including
contributions to TFR. Once again, the leveling off is cause for concern, but I suspect the reason is
the relative age and income levels (not to mention pledging tradition) of the young families that
constitute our growth. My guess is that giving will grow as worship grows.
The relevance of sermons: I know that some would like to see a better connection between
scripture-based preaching, and today’s news. I also know that we asked for Bible-based preaching.
Many complained that previous pastors preached about whatever book they read during the week.
I happen to like the Bible study on Sunday morning, and I know others who do as well. I believe that
Pastor Larson is the best orator we have ever had; and that her constant challenge is to keep
everybody happy about the message.
The new governance structure curtails member input: I suspect this is true, but I think we have to
give it more time. The new structure has dramatically increased member input at Good Shepherd in
Mpls, and at English Lutheran in LaCrosse. I expect it will do so at FLC once we get used to it. In any
event, it has done away with the board structure whish Pastor Garlinghouse described as “10
stovepiped boards fighting with each other for resources”. As chair of the Youth Board, I assure you
that is exactly how I approached it.
It is tempting to react negatively to the letter, but I am personally grateful to those who wrote itassuming the purpose is to make the Vision Council aware of member concerns. I don’t understand
why the Bishop was copied, or why a copy was given to an organist who is not even a member of
our church, but I believe we are far better off having the concerns on the table, and not being
whispered in the parking lot.
Thank you for your commitment to First Lutheran Church!
Tom Whittaker