Pastor's Welcome

Dear Friends in Christ at Martin Luther Lutheran Church,

It will be my privilege to walk with you at the beginning of this adventure. And since we’re going to be walking together, it would be good for you to know a little bit about me, and about this strange time we will share together called “Interim.”

My name is Pastor Merle Brockhoff. I’ve been a Lutheran Pastor for 22 years, serving in Beatrice and Lincoln, Nebraska; Fulton, New York; and most recently as an intentional interim pastor for the Central States Synod in churches in Topeka, Overland Park, and Prairie Village.

I am married to Elizabeth, who is a Vocal Music Teacher in the Kansas City School District. (That‘s how I got back here, following her to a job instead of what she has done for the past 19 years, which has been to follow me!) We have two children, Carl who just graduated from Luther College in Decorah IA, and Nyssa, a Junior at Park Hill High School. You may see them on occasion, but our “home congregation” is St. James in the Northland, and that is where they are actively engaged in mission and ministry.

The task of an interim pastor is to walk with you in this time of transition. I’m here to make sure things happen in good order, but also to help you assess ministry, and what God is up to in this area and how you fit into that larger scope of God’s redeeming work.

I won’t have anything to do with the call process, and will not be available as a candidate for call to Martin Luther. Pastor Janice Kibler from the Central States Synod Office will be working with your Council and Call committee in that area as we get down the road a bit.

At this time the Council and I have worked out a plan to be with you about 3/5’s time, which will look something like this. We may have to adjust and tweak the schedule as we live into it, and our hope is to get the congregation into the kind of

I will be in keeping regular office hours on 3-4 days a week, and we’ll set up that schedule once I get a feel for evening demands. I will also be here for Sunday worship, and will be making my way back and forth for various special events and needs on the other days of the week from time to time, and “flexing” some days as those demands take place.

Since I am not on location all the time, I need to let you know how to reach me for pastoral care and planning. There are four excellent ways to make that happen.

1) You can call the Church Office and leave a message with Celia She will get the message to me, based upon its importance, and I’ll get back to you as soon as it is deemed appropriate.

2) You can set up a time to visit with me on my office hour days, once they are determined. I’m always good for coffee, lunch or just to sit and chat. Again, Celia is the contact person. She’ll have my calendar and will schedule me.

3) You can contact me via e-mail. I check it multiple times a day. My e-mail address is mbrock45@sbcglobal.net.

4) You can also call me directly. My home phone number is (816) 505-0822. My cell phone number is (816) 896-4961.

Which brings us to another matter, “When should I contact the Pastor?” The answer to that is simple. When you need to! Despite years of trying to develop it, I still have not yet been able to master any psychic abilities. I cannot tell when you are hurting, lonely, depressed, upset with something that may have been done to you unintentionally, when you get sick, or when you have a grievance that needs discussion. So, you will have to tell me!

This is particularly true about such things as hospitalizations. The Recent HIPPA regulations have made it much more difficult for clergy to access medical information, and hospitals do not call anymore to tell us when a member has been admitted. Clergy no longer have full and open access to hospital census lists. (Besides, I wouldn’t know who to look for yet!) So, please use any or all of the contact methods above whenever you feel the need!

I also recognize that there is a significant drive time, so I’ve made arrangements with some colleagues in neighboring churches as closer contacts in the event of an emergency until I can get there.

I’m looking forward to the great adventure of faith together. Christ is coming, and we have much to do to prepare our hearts and lives and places for him. Let the adventure begin!

Pastor Merle