3. Initial Interview with Tim and Kathy

Interview with Tim Megorden, Pastor and Kathy Fick, Lay Minister
Friday, Nov 17, 2000
Hal led, Amy took notes

FF: How do you operate?

Students and faculty share ministry chairing. All teams have faculty community and student representation. All 3 categories can chair, just depends on who's on the team
One team is always a venture team

FF: What's your congregation?

Primarily student community, mostly traditional students, mostly undergraduates, some med and law students and other grad students.
Connection with community churches very strong, wish for a concrete connection with kids who go to UND through those churches. When approached about partnership those congregations are always excited and surprised. This summer did a book study with Christus Rex and other church one at noon and one in the evening
For kids it's their church home - even if they don't have personal relationship with pastors. Outsiders think Christus Rex is an ELCA regular congregation. This is an outreach paid for by the national church.

Income
1/3 ourselves - w/o coffee house. Alumni friends, parents, students; support from local churches through direct offerings (not synodical)
40% synodical
30% church wide

FF: Personal history?

Kathy- previous pastors had been here 10 years, resigned at the same time. Asked Kathy to be interim. She had been regional person for LSS in this building, was working at Luther Seminary, doing CPE here as a student. The plan: work for the semester until new ministers were hired. Her focus was grief and loss issues, dealing with transition (due to Kathy's counseling background). Tim came in Jan. of 90 called as permanent position. Kathy and Tim decided it would be good for Kathy to finish out the year so Tim could settle in. Kathy applied for job of campus minister (lay position) but intended to return to Luther and finish. But - loved campus ministry. Went through the process even though it was a national search - but applied and got hired.

Strong tradition of partnership between lay and clergy here. Kathy loves preaching and that's how she got here. Didn't finish M.Div. - is glad to work here.

Tim:
12 yrs at Wis Stout before here. Followed Don Weisner who had been there 10 yrs. Enjoyed ecumenical campus min, strong worshipping community at Stout. Now Don Weisner is at Eau Claire which is an ELCA congregation with high community membership. Something that Christus Rex has explored. Students take high profile leadership roles here at Christus Rex - but in a regular congregation they have to pay their dues, so don't necessarily move directly into those leadership roles in congregations they enter after college.

Kathy:
Sees their task is primarily training leaders, which wouldn't happen if they were a regular congregation. No dues to pay. When students go out they can move into leadership positions wherever they land.

Tim:
Christus Rex has been hugely word and sacrament ministry from its inception. That aspect of the ministry has always flourished. Has led to leadership, lay/clergy modeling. Deacon - small group of students focused on Lutheran confessions, studied reformation, liturgy, confessions, etc. Bob Sorenson was on staff here had a PhD - deacons then were pretty academically focused. Deacon has evolved into peer ministry - has been up to 40, now 28 students. Students who are involved in leadership positions all over campus, are recruited and hand-picked. Look for busiest, best, healthiest we can find.

FF: Why were you attracted to Christus Rex, and did those things play out?

T: Word and sacrament was strong at UW-Stout and strong here, so that was a draw. Wouldn't have to build it - I'd have to wreck it. Excited about team ministry at UW-Stout - an ecumenical partnership with a priest and a nun. So interested in the lay/clergy male/female staff opportunity.

FF: Campus doesn't invest in Christus Rex - so really independent, yes?

YES. More a mission outreach place than a congregation tied to ELCA or UND

Collegial support situation with the U - former president very supportive of all the chapels on campus - access to state vehicles, watts line, computer system, etc.
All because the people in the President's office have been friendly to campus ministry
Campus min had primary influence in establishing the religion and philosophy department, also peace studies major est. here because of campus here at Christus Rex.

U asked if they would be interested in teaching - they both said no.:

U has no chaplaincy on its own - in cases of death etc they call Tim
Aviation - top nationally known program in the US. Had a student who was a flight instructor (post undergrad) to get time in the air to build enough hours to work for a commuter airline. Committed suicide (crashed his plane) Tim met with 3 other folks aviation, counseling, etc. Followed the process, held memorial service at the hangar.

Kathy serves on the crisis team well-oiled group that handle other situations as they arise on campus

K: So when they need a chaplain they come here and that seems appropriate. They know which one of us to call in which situations.

K: Whole theology of hospitality ministry here. It's who we are, how we live and how we shape everything - biblical, OT, we are for the stranger, that's how people in this community operate
Diff from a congregation in that it's a targeted community - leadership and worship for students who are at that place in their faith, exploring their spirituality. Hope that primary task is to help them discover and uncover their gifts, then help them to find a way to live a life that reflects that. Want to have a worship life that reflects regular congregations to enable the kids to bridge from Christus Rex to a regular congregation. Skills and community development here works well with the graduation factor.

FF: Mission statement(s)?

Pretty eclectic, typical confessional Lutherans but eclectic so that everyone has a point of entry. Tim & Kathy both try to be well read to allow contact with others and enable them to draw people together.

K: No focus on a particular scripture. Teach in a way that always listens to the question and rarely offers and answer. Always prefer to dance with the question. Living the question is much more relevant

Observations:

• Important to both Tim and Kathy that they are not a typical ELCA congregation - in designation, funding, ministry or administration
• Despite having no official mission statement, they agree that Christus Rex's ministry is about raising up leaders for the church, and encouraging a healthy community.
• They are concerned that not all of their graduates join congregations or worship regularly.
• They work well as a team
• Kathy is recognized on campus as a capable counselor, reliable in crisis situations and one on one stuff
• Tim has a more publicly recognized role as a leader and administrator.
• Both enjoy their partnership, and have divided roles according to their own strengths and gifts.
• Both focused on ministry in community rather than academia.
• Both heavily involved in the wider community.
• Christus Rex has broad support throughout the campus and community, in both finances and volunteers.