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Jonathan Hemphill, pastor of Another Level Ministries in Los Angeles, baptizes a new member.
T
rue story: an associate pastor in her late 20s visits “Gladys,” an older member of the congregation. When Gladys wonders why the senior pastor isn’t
visiting her, the associate explains that her colleague is on vacation. Gladys nods, smiles and remarks in an encour- aging tone, “How nice for you! You get to practice.” In one sense, Gladys isn’t wrong. To speak of “the
practice of ministry” is to acknowledge that no one ever really perfects a vocation—we are always practicing. Yet many who serve in their 20s and 30s, both inside and outside the church, sometimes encounter an attitude that assumes younger adults are merely rehearsing for the “real” work they will do when they’re older. Tough age brings experience and—one hopes—wis-
dom, not all those called by God have reached the age of Abraham. Samuel, Esther, David, Mary and others in Scripture were given weighty responsibilities at young ages: to speak truth to power, advocate for God’s people, lead a nation and bear the Savior of the world. Asked to submit to Te Lutheran names of leaders under 40 who are making a difference, one ELCA member wrote back: “Jesus Christ.” Te 10 profiles on these
pages represent nearly 100 people nominated by fellow church members for their real, concrete leadership in the here and now. Tey are artists and community activists, teachers and theologians, pastors and elected officials who are living and working in urban and rural
Rachel Wrenn, a pastor of Prairie Star Ministries in southwestern Minnesota, blesses the soil with childern at the annual “Blessing of the Seed, Soil, Water, and Tractors.”
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www.thelutheran.org
under
40
These adults are leading the church & changing the world
By Meghan Johnston Aelabouni
settings throughout the country. Te stories of these very different people echo several
common themes, perhaps giving insight into what this generation as a whole brings to the church: • A vocational identity rooted in community, both within the church institution and with neighbors beyond its walls.
• A clear understanding that the work for social justice grows out of deep faith in the Christian gospel and is essential to the calling of the church.
• An exhortation to the church to strive to reflect the increasing diversity of its contexts, recognize the changing shape and nature of “church,” and engage in issues facing communities and the nation. All the leaders profiled here are putting their ideas
and words into action. Tey are engaged in the practice of ministry but aren’t just “practicing.” Rather, they are actively responding to God’s call through their daily vocations. Tey are just a few of the many shaping our church now and for the future.
SARAH BAKALYAR
ANGELA HEMPHILL
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