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The Good News Redeemer Lutheran Church

Monthly Newsletter - November/December 2026

Dear Fellow Members of Redeemer,

We wanted to update you on the call process here at Redeemer and provide information during our time of pastoral vacancy. If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact either of us or an elder with additional questions. Both this and the temporary interim minister (TIM) call process is intended to be transparent and members should feel comfortable asking questions and offering input at any step in the process.

There are two processes currently underway.

First, we are working with the Ohio District of the LCMS to secure a temporary interim minister (TIM) to assist us not only with pastoral duties for a time but to also assist our congregation in the transition as a church body after having Pastor Davidson serve for 44 years. The TIM is unique as a pastor serving 44 years in the same church is unique and we have decided to follow the District’s recommendation and seek a TIM pastor. This pastor will serve about a year, depending on our needs, but will not be the permanent pastor here at Redeemer. The Board of Elders is currently working with a potential candidate and we had a positive phone call with the pastor during our most recent Board of Directors meeting on October 29th. While Elders are driving this process, a TIM call will be presented to the congregation for a final decision. If you would like additional information on a TIM pastor generally or have specific questions, please ask either of us or an elder and feel free to visit the LCMS website on TIM pastors at https://lcmstim.org (opens in a new tab, leaving this website)

Second, while we are working on the TIM process, the Call Committee is responsible for driving the process for a permanent pastor. Once in place, a TIM pastor will assist in this process. We have up to this point had positive conversations with the Ohio District on what needs to be done. Currently, we are in the process of finalizing our congregational study. Members wishing to review and offer comment on this prior to finalization and submission to the District are encouraged to reach out to one of us, an elder, or a member of the Call Committee for more information. Additionally, members of the congregation are encouraged to share names of potential candidates they would like to be considered with the committee for submission to the District for consideration. Again, while the Call Committee will drive the process and propose candidates for consideration of a call at some point, the congregation would be responsible for choosing which candidate to offer the call.

It is our intention to offer updates to the congregation as they occur via announcements during service, short updates in the service bulletin, and periodic updates via email and US mail. If you have questions, concerns, or thoughts and ideas, please reach out to one of us or an elder or committee member. While we will endeavor to keep the congregation updated on the general process for the TIM and permanent pastoral calls, members will likely have questions that these updates may not address.

Thank you! Bryan Stout, President of the Congregation/Tim Hartnraft, Call Committee Chair, Congregation VP/Anthony Schulz, Chairman of Elders

P.S. For those wishing for more information on church experiences during vacancy, please visit https://witness.lcms.org/2026/weathering-vacancies-well/ (opens in a new tab, leaving this website) on the LCMS website for helpful information. Vacancies are not short-term occurrences and a TIM pastor will be able to assist us through this time of transition to help ensure we select the right fit for Redeemer long term.

Scripture & Reflection

“They who wait for the Lord will renew their strength...” – Isaiah 40:31

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