Vicars have been blessings
For the past 6½ years, I have had the pleasure of ministering to a dual-site congregation — Bethel in Galesville and Arcadia, Wisconsin. Our gracious Lord has blessed us more than we could have asked or imagined. We have grown from just over 100 members to over 200 in about seven years. We have moved from sharing a pastor with a neighboring congregation to supporting a full-time pastor. We have begun discussions on calling a second pastor, tripled the size of one facility, built another facility, and established a second campus for our congregation. But of all these blessings, having vicars serve at Bethel is at the top of the list.
The main purpose of the vicar program is to help the seminary train pastors and to give vicars practical parish know-how. Our vicars have gained great experience. They have preached, taught adult Bible study, taught catechism classes, taught several BIC classes every week, visited shut-ins, made evangelism calls, and worked with a congregation that has been delighted to have each and every one of them. Several vicars have assisted with one of our building projects—some even swinging hammers with volunteers from the congregation and Builders For Christ. Some have assisted with Hispanic outreach and all have headed up our summer VBS program. We feel confident that we have been God’s tool to help send out pastors who will be excited about serving our Savior and reaching the lost.
As vicars grow in their understanding, they will also help their congregations in overall ministry. This certainly has been true for us. Our congregation has been able to reach more people with the Good News. In the first 20 years of our congregation’s existence there were 20 adult confirmations. In just over five years of having vicars, we have had 48 adult confirmations. Our congregation was about the same size for many years, but in the five years of having vicars we have doubled our membership.
Our congregation has also grown into two sister campuses. When our first vicar arrived, mission work in Arcadia had just begun and that campus of our congregation had only 20 members. Now there are nearly 100 members in Arcadia and 120 in Galesville. Arcadia is no longer the little baby, but a growing sister and equal partner in our mission work of saving souls.
Our congregation has grown in its appreciation of being part of the synod. This is very important in a congregation with many people new to WELS and even to the Christian faith. A decade ago our synod mission offerings were not always given. Now we give annually and continue to regularly increase our synod support. Working with such gifted and talented young men continues to strengthen our congregation’s connection with the synod. We trust in our synod’s worker training program. Some pastors of other church bodies in our area have little or no formal training. We have experienced the thorough training our future pastors receive. We have great confidence in calling a pastor in the future.
I have to say thank you to our seminary and district president for consistently sending us qualified vicars to learn and to serve. Our seminary does a superb job in training these men to serve our Savior. Our district presidents are truly the instruments of the Holy Spirit matching congregations and vicars. I know that the Church is in the hands of our Savior—a Savior nailed to a cross and risen in blessing. I know the Savior has placed those hands on our vicars and made them a great blessing to us.