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Mind, Body, Spirit
August 18, 2016
August Issue
Long-time staffer ordained at St. Andrew Lutheran BY SUE WEBBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER By the time you read this, the Rev. Gail Bach will have been at her new assignment for exactly four days. Bach was ordained Aug. 14, 2016, as a minister at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie, the fourth minister called to serve the 6,000-member congregation with three other staff pastors. She received a call from the church in June to be its minister of stewardship and evangelism. “I’m very excited and grateful for the opportunity,” said Bach, who has been a member of the church with her husband, Jim, since 1982. “My responsibilities will include making sure the property is in good shape and that we are using the resources people have provided to us,” she said. “I’ll be overseeing our camp and early learning ministries and evangelism.” The church sends between 800 and 900 youngsters to camp each year, and more than half are non-members. “It’s a huge ministry for us,” Bach said. “The same is true of our early learning programing. It’s an outreach, and half or more [of the participants] are non-members. It’s all faithbased, reaching into the community.” Bach isn’t new to the church by any means. Bach has been on the staff at St. Andrew since October 1995, first as codirector of the Sonshine Singers and then as a fulltime executive director of Program
“It’s not me making all the decisions. You have to let God guide you. The how and why is God talking to you. You have to learn to listen. It feels like the right thing now.” Despite the size of the congregation, Bach said, “We find amazing ways to be small. We have a lot of small groups.” Although the congregation serves primarily Eden Prairie, it also draws about 15 percent of its congregation from Chaska/Chanhassen, and others from Shakopee, Minnetonka and other surrounding communities. The church employs 90 people, a number that increases during the summer, when college The Rev. Gail Bach was ordained Aug. 14 as the fourth called students help out with minister at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie. She will the camp. serve as the church’s minister of stewardship and evangelism. “We have a fabulous (Submitted photo) staff,” Bach said. “They know their roles and responsibilities.” A native of LeSeuer, and Staff Ministry, beginning in 1996 and continuing until now. Her job has involved Minnesota, Bach was married and had a variety of duties, including ministry with two children when she returned to college adults and children, teaching Bible studies, to get a degree in accounting from Augsleading worship and preparing financial burg College in Minneapolis. She previously worked in finance and accounting at statements. Pillsbury, Inc. and Jostens. Bach received
a master’s degree in divinity from Luther Seminary in 2009. “My kids have always known me going to school, and that’s not a bad thing,” Bach said. “I was still very much involved in the kids’ activities.” When she graduated from the seminary, Bach requested restriction in regard to assignment, because of her husband’s job in the Twin Cities, because the couples’ two children were in school, her parents were aging and she wanted to remain close by. Her request was denied, which is not uncommon, Bach said. “Everybody and their brother wants to work in the Minneapolis or St. Paul synod,” she said. “They get paper work from people from all over the country who want to get back here.” After four years, Bach reopened talks with the synod and received permission to consider a call. However, St. Andrew Lutheran Church had just undergone a huge changeover and transition at that time. “I didn’t feel called to leave then,” Bach said. “I felt I had a lot to offer the congregation in terms of stability.” She added, “It’s not me making all the MINISTER - TO PAGE 10