Holy Trinity - Pastor

A Church in the City

- Rev. Ronald K. Johnson

One of the strongest and most suggestive images within the Bible is that of Jerusalem-a city. Jerusalem was the center of Hebrew religious, social, political, and economic life; the center of an outpouring of literature and the arts. Jerusalem was, to use the expression of Lewis Mumford, "an organ of memory" for the Hebrew people that pushed minds to collect ideas and rearrange them in creative ways. The city of Jerusalem became the framework by which people of the Christian faith began to speak of the rule of God. Can there be for us a more important image for the rule of God than a city where a great variety of people live and work and play together in a spirit of trust, love, and peace?

The New Testament seems particularly strong in its affirmation of city life. Paul was the first great missionary of the church. When he established congregations, they were in cities such as Philippi, Corinth, and Ephesus. Other missionaries in the early church also viewed the urban area as a good and strategic place in which to live and work.

Without in the least depreciating the gifts of rural and small town life, we can express our great joy for the opportunity to live and work in an urban area. We are surrounded by gifts that can be well understood as emerging from God's great creativity. Colleges, universities, theaters, neighborhood, and community organizations contribute to great vitality and an exchange of ideas.

Within the midst of this kind of setting, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church lives out its life. Our location is strategically excellent. We are adjacent to several distinctive neighborhoods. Few areas have as good an opportunity to be genuinely multi-cultural and to retain a wide range of economic groups.

Holy Trinity is a substantial institution. It is blessed with fine human and economic resources. It is important to remember that the biblical story emphasizes that people are never called to special privilege. We are called to special responsibility. Thus it is that the people of Holy Trinity are working hard to be faithful and effective witnesses to Christ and to speak and act in ways that will contribute to justice and peace.

Holy Trinity is a congregation that welcomes all people. There are no exceptions. The congregation seeks to be a sign of reconciliation and hope in the world.

Pastor Update

(May 2008)

The congregation voted to call the Rev. Jay M. Carlson as its next pastor at a special meeting on May 4, 2008. It is anticipated that Pastor Carlson will be installed on June 29, 2008.

Bruce Arnevik is currently serving as the interim pastor of Holy Trinity. He served many years as the pastor of Salem Lutheran Church, Minneapolis. Most recently he has served as interim of Faith Lutheran (Waconia) and Norwegian Lutheran (Minneapolis). He assumed responsibilities at Holy Trinity on September 1, 2006 and is anticipated to continue into June of 2008.

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