The Rev. Steven Delzer

Bishop of ELCA Southeastern Minnesota Synod

A quote from one of my mentors: "If you let the people love you, they will." It implies a willingness to be somewhat vulnerable with the people we serve. I am convinced that most members of congregations want to love their pastor. Too often we won't let them.

One of the greatest joys of being a pastor leader in the church is that people let you into their lives in ways no one else gets in. One of the greatest burdens of being a leader in the church is that people let you into their lives in ways no one else gets in - what I mean by that is we carry many things people have shared with us that we can never really talk about. In one congregation where I served for 17 years, in my last worship service there, as people came forward for Holy Communion, I realized that not only did I know the name of every person, I also knew something significant about their life.