On the occasion of 14 years

Well, this past Sunday I marked my fourteenth year as pastor at Trinity. I don’t deserve this calling or office, but God has given it to me by his grace and his choice. In gratitude for this choice, I’d like to name 14 choices the Trinity congregation made for which I am grateful.

1. I’m grateful a group of Norwegians decided to begin meeting and studying the Bible, constituting as a church in 1921. I’m also grateful for the supportive pastors who served different congregations but helped serve this fledgling congregation in the early years.

2. I’m grateful they chose the name Trinity. St Olaf’s and Our Saviour’s were also in the running, but Trinity is my favorite name in the whole cosmos.

3. I’m grateful for when they decided to hold services in English (1937). This would be no parochial ethnic-oriented cultural club. This would be a church in San Pedro that spoke the language of San Pedro.

4. I’m grateful they called Rev. O.J. Edwards, the pioneer (1934); and Rev. Dr. Melvin Andrews, the academic (1941); and Rev. Les Hoffmann, the evangelist (1956); and Rev. Larry Christenson, the teacher (1960); and Rev. Paul Anderson, the apostolic (1972); and Rev. Curt Peterson, the healing and caring (1990); and Rev. Bill Sy, the creative (2001); and me (2005). These pastors, and the other assisting pastors through the years, have been servant shepherds and have left a good and godly deposit.

5. I’m grateful that at the dawn of the Charismatic Renewal, the congregation rejected Pastor Christenson’s resignation, and embraced the move of God.

6. I’m grateful that God raised up Sandra Hall to help Pastor Christenson develop a three-year catechism program that trained me when I was in 4-6th grades, and is still training up children in the Way they should go, including the recent 8 who confirmed their faith in Jesus Christ this past Sunday.

7. I’m grateful for the risks that Trinity has prayerfully taken over the years. Trinity School. Trinity co-op. Project Servants. Bookstore. The Crossing. San Pedro Fellowship. INTERNS! Church Planting? Spanish language? Who knows what the future holds? I know who holds the future!

8. I’m grateful for the consistent alignment with the authority of Scripture that Trinity has chosen, even when unpopular.

9. I’m grateful for the way Trinity chose to live unoffended and chose reconciliation even after various disappointments and disagreements.

10. I’m grateful for the way Trinity chose to give a chance to a 30-year-old with more vision than wisdom, more pride than he realized, and who needs more grace than the average pastor.

11. I’m grateful that when Trinity is given an option to chose themselves or others, they nearly always choose others. Almost our entire campus needs upgrade, and yet Trinity, you preferred girls in Tanzania who needed a home over-improving your own home. God noticed!

12. I’m grateful that Trinity chooses to worship God with voices turned up to “10.” Especially on songs that are not your favorite. What a sacrifice of praise. I love watching your face when we start singing your favorite song too!

13. I’m grateful that when Trinity is doing fine financially, we pray. I’m grateful that when Trinity is struggling financially, we pray. 

14. I’m grateful that Trinity chooses to look ahead with profound hope, even though we have so much good behind us. It is good to glance at God’s great faithfulness in our rear-view mirror. But, I can tell that we have heard the voice of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit saying, “Come, follow me.” Let’s go!

Trinity, it is an honor to serve as your pastor. Love, Nathan