Over these years, I have grown close to the congregation at St. Stephen Lutheran in Shreveport. Pr. Joel Hicks went through the TEEM process and was ordained to lead them during my tenure. We went through discernment and merger conversations with Holy Trinity, which broke down during my sabbatical, unfortunately. COVID quarantine took a toll on the congregation and attendance. They lost some crucial leaders to death in the last year. And then Pr. Hicks got a new job in his primary vocation to be a University President in Arkansas. All of which took the air out of the sails for the congregation despite their best efforts. So they made the difficult decision to close their doors and be missional in their ending.
But first came a celebration of their life and time together. The congregation gathered for a dinner and to share memories and celebrate. They expressed their gratitude for their last pastor and his wife. Joel and Angelia are deeply loved and have both grown up in the congregation and have raised their own family there. Joel is now also going through treatments for cancer so the love is especially important to them. This was a night of love and life and joy.
Sunday morning was the final worship together as they blessed and finished the work begun in that location 59 years ago by Pr. Luther Oelke (photos on the back cover of the bulletin.) I was honored and humbled to be part of that closing commendation.
The service was led by Harold Christensen, who served them for many years as their pastor before his retirement. He is also still deeply loved there. Many former members came back for this day and were joined by members of Holy Trinity as well. It was a day of many emotions, but still with an eye toward the future.

Even as they close, the seeds planted there continue to grow. Katelyn Hicks, daughter of Joel and Angelia, is discerning her own call to ministry and has plans for seminary in the future. Long-time organist, Justin Gould, has completed Parish Lay Ministry Academy and is also in discernment about ordained ministry. The congregation still plans to support both of them financially in their training and education thanks to the pending sale of their property. The ministry of this congregation is not done either as the members are all finding new homes where they can continue to do God’s work. I will always be grateful for them and for my time with them. May God bless them wherever they all land

(Special thanks to Jacob Hicks for many of the photos here.)