ELCA Mission Builders still going strong
Text by Robert Elliott Photos by Nancy Kuehn
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or 25 years Mission Builders have—literally—raised the roof on Lutheran churches all across the U.S. They have helped Lutheran congregations build or repair 157 buildings, additions, schools and Bible camps. This year they are adding four more.
To use an old cliché, Mission Builders are a gift to the church that keeps on giving. And it almost didn’t happen. In the mid-80s a small group of mission-oriented pas-
tors in the American Lutheran Church began looking for ways to help new congregations get into their buildings faster. They included James Bergquist, executive director for the Division for Service and Mission in America; Wil- liam J. Hanson, the unit’s deputy director; and Don John- son, a mission director.
The three attended a 1986 meeting of ALC mission directors, where a representative of the Lutheran Church– Missouri Synod gave a presentation on Laborers for Christ, which uses volunteer labor to help its congrega- tions erect buildings and additions. The LCMS offered to share every aspect of their program to help the ALC get started. But when a proposal for a volunteer building program was put to a vote, it lost. Of the 10 people voting, only Berquist, Hanson and Johnson were in favor. Years later, Johnson would give a presentation on the history of Mission Builders called “Not All Votes Count the Same.”
When that 1986 meeting recessed, Bergquist invited Hanson and Johnson to take a walk. Not discouraged by the vote, Bergquist suggested they try a couple of pilot projects. There was only one problem: their positions on the ALC staff made it impossible for them to manage the pilots. Johnson thought he knew someone who could. At the time, much of the attention in the ALC was on the proposed merger with the Lutheran Church in America and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, which would ultimately result in the formation of the ELCA. That diversion of focus may be what made the next step possible. Bergquist, Hanson and Johnson approached Ron Voss, then pastor of Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Dubuque, Iowa. The congregation agreed to share Voss’ time and supply administrative help because “our church wouldn’t be here except for ALC mission help.” Voss served as volunteer director of Mission Build- ers from June 1986 to July 1989. He and his secretary, Marilyn Koehler, helped launch three pilots in 1987 for
Elliott is a freelance writer living in Chicago. 34 The Lutheran •
www.thelutheran.org
Lutheran congregations: Bethlehem, Mosinee, Wis.; Our Savior, South Hadley, Mass.; and Peace, Belgrade, Mont. When Voss returned to full parish ministry in 1989, Hanson took over as program director, continuing to build Mission Builders’ strength and success. Mission Builders transferred to the ELCA at the time of
the merger. Some details have changed over the years, but the program today has the same basic goals: • Reduce a mission congregation’s debt burden by using Mission Builders to construct their first building. • Help congregations take ownership through their involvement in the building process. • Use retired people with good skill sets, who are handy with building procedures, and provide on-site training for congregation members and newer Mission Builders. Tom Chase, Mission Builders director, said the pro- gram can save a congregation between 15 percent and 20 percent of the construction cost. “But in most cases they use that savings to expand the building or include some refinement they thought they couldn’t afford,” he said. “In other words, more building for the buck.”
How it works Working with the congregation and general contractor, Mission Builders puts together a crew ranging from a couple to more than a dozen laborers, carpenters, plumbers and electricians. The mix depends on the laws, building codes and regulations that apply to each construction site.
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Most Mission Builders are retired couples who travel to and live at the construction site in their RVs, in effect becoming part of the congregation and creating a commu- nity as well as a building. Those without RVs are usually housed by the congregation’s members. Today there are roughly 100 active Mission Builder individuals and couples. They are paid minimum wage. The congregation’s members work as volunteers with the Mission Builders. They take their meals together,
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