Posted: 9/22/04
Husband and wife leading St. Luke's UCC
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
ìYouíre getting a bargain,î Debbie Meyer said as I left St. Johnís United Church of Christ (UCC) on September 15.
The friendly new pastor there ñ one of them ñ had just invited me to come worship at the big brick church in Eitzen.
I had to smile at the comment, which was made in reference to the fact that she and her husband, Kent, share the job of pastor of St. Johnís.
After visiting with the couple for an hour, I had the feeling that the 390 members of the church are getting a good deal not just in the general ledger column, but in the spiritual one as well.
Kent, 49, and Debbie, 48, came to the job on August 27 from a smaller church in St. Joseph, Michigan, where they served for the past nine years. They have worked together as pastors for 16 of the past 20 years.
Itís a good fit for them, Kent said, because they have different areas of interest and different styles, and therefore can relate to a wide range of people.
Debbie likes the fact that Kent has strengths that she doesnít. She said her husband is more of a teacher and educator. ìVery thought-provoking types of sermons.î
Debbie described herself as preaching more from the heart as she walks up and down the aisle. ìMy son says nobody falls asleep when I preach,î Debbie said with one of her frequent laughs. ìIím always asking people to search themselves and see where theyíre at with God.î
For funerals and weddings, the Meyers tell their parishioners, ìChoose who you want. Neither of us will be upset.î
Debbie does more of the youth and fellowship activities, while Kent will do more administrative work. ìI play more,î Debbie said with another laugh.
They alternate days that they work at the church during the week. On Sundays, just one of them does the service. The other will sit with their daughter, Serenity, 12, in the congregation.
Communication, and knowing when not to talk, are key to their success, they said. For example, they have learned to avoid what Kent calls ìthe 2 a.m. staff meeting,î where they would wake up at night and talk about work. ìWe decided that was injurious to our health and marital well-being,î Kent said.
And there are those times when Kent will visit someone in the hospital and not tell Debbie. People will automatically assume that Debbie knows how the person is doing.
Things that are told to one pastor in confidence, such as in a counseling session, are not told to the spouse unless permission is given, Debbie said.
Why Eitzen?
Debbie Meyer said they came to Eitzen for a couple reasons. First and foremost, they prayed for Godís will, and feel it was answered. Godís will is a phrase that Debbie used more than once in our conversation.
They were impressed with the friendliness of the Eitzen people too. For example, the cost of moving was huge, so eight parishioners drove to St. Joseph with a semi- truck, loaded up the Meyerís belonging, and brought it back, where 43 people helped unload it.
Welcome to Eitzen.
ìThey treated us with open arms,î Debbie said. ìI have never felt so welcome or warmly received. Itís like we came home to Eitzen.î
Itís a smaller home. Eitzen has a population of 232, compared to 8,789 people in the resort city of St. Joseph, Michigan. But the Meyers feel this will not be a problem, because the people are straight forward and down-to-earth. ìItís very refreshing to be in a small town,î Kent said.
Another good fit for the Meyers was the Caledonia public school system. Debbie had told church leaders about the importance of finding a good school for their daughter, who has dyslexia. The churchís call committee invited the Meyers to bring Serenity along. They then arranged for the Meyers to meet with Caledonia Middle School staff members. That astounded Debbie.
The three-hour-long session that followed at the school impressed the Meyers. Debbie feels the district does an exceptional job for children with special needs.
Debbie is a certified instructor in the Orton-Gillingham teaching approach, a language-based, multisensory teaching method. She might take in students as a private tutor. ìEducation is a passion for me,î she said. Thatís especially true for children with learning disabilities, she added.
Kent has done educational things outside of church also, such as running a training program for lay leaders and licensed ministers in Michigan.
Both Kent and Debbie received their Masters of Divinity at Chicago Theological Seminary. Kent also has a doctor of philosophy degree from the University of Chicago.
Kentís interests include cross country skiing, playing guitar, and building scale model World War II jet aircraft. Debbie likes to cook, quilt,and sew.
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