By Keighla Schmidt, Staff Writer

A new face, as well as a familiar face, can be seen preaching from the pulpit at St. James Lutheran Church in Burnsville.

Longtime Pastor Will Nordmark will continue to serve at the church. The new pastor, Walt Lichtenberger, has relocated to Savage from New Providence, N.J., and steps into a spot that was filled by an interim pastor at the church for two years.

While Lichtenberger will come new into the church and serve with the existing pastor, the organization has dropped the titles of “senior” or “associate” pastors and taken on a dual approach to ministry.

“We got rid of the hierarchical titles and instead Walt is the lead and I am the pastor of congregational life,” clarified Nordmark, who has been at the church for 19 years.

The format is one not typically followed in the nation’s churches, but is one the two are embracing.

Lichtenberger and Nordmark agreed the lack of distinguishing titles will allow them to work together and collaborate on duties, responsibilities and being a pastor of a large church. The church has about 2,000 members and was originally located in downtown Savage where the Dan Patch American Legion now stands. St. James pastors: Pastors Will Nordmark and Walt
Lichtenberger will lead the congregation at St. James
Lutheran Church in Burnsville.

The pair will split many responsibilities down the middle; including giving sermons, administering the sacraments and marrying couples.  

On the other hand, Lichtenberger will handle the planning for worship, the staff, the growth and direction of the church, stewardship and administrative duties. Nordmark will organize educational opportunities, youth and evangelism.

“People are priorities in all aspects,” Lichtenberger said.

Duties specific to the two will take up about 30 percent of their time, the rest will be dedicated to the shared duties, Lichtenberger said.

Nordmark said it took a special recognition and personality to find a pastor who was willing to come to a church and serve with the current pastor remaining behind the pulpit.

“The bishop knew that a whole lot of people would never even consider this call because (they’ll think since) I’m here that I would usurp their authority and they want to be ‘top dog.’ And if I’m still here as former senior pastor, how could that be?” he said. “So, we had to find someone unique that would not be intimidated by the former senior (pastor) still being here.”

“No, I’m not intimidated at all,” Lichtenberger said. “I think it’s a wonderful opportunity that is rich and full of promise.”

Nordmark said his new role will let him focus on what he is good at and enjoys as a pastor.

“I’ve discovered some of the things a ‘senior’ pastor does in the administration is not something that gives me joy or that I’m good at or that I like to do, and there are pastors that have gifts and like to do those things,” Nordmark said.

Lichtenberger on the other hand, has an undergraduate degree in business administration. “The business degree in a managing role has been a useful tool in my ministry,” he said. “It’s helped me to work with folks and organizations.”

After completing his undergraduate degree, Lichtenberger said he felt a calling to join the ministry and earned his master’s of divinity degree from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg in Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in sacred theology and preaching from Philadelphia Lutheran Seminary. “I felt a genuine call to the ministry and I had just felt that God was calling me to use my gifts as a pastor in ministry,” he said.

Lichtenberger left his native New Jersey congregation where he was a pastor for 12 years to come to Minnesota. He and his wife, Katie, have two sons, Noah, 9, and Mark, 6.

As to coming into a place as “the new guy,” Lichtenberger said he thinks he and Nordmark will work well together and the outcome will be positive.

He admitted adjusting to Minnesota would take some time. In the gopher state, one of the coined phrases to describe attitudes is “Minnesota nice.” For Lichtenberger that is a different mantra.

“It’s just a whole different culture here. I really hope the niceness of people here is genuine and not going to wear off,” he said. “In New Jersey people have to warm up to you and get to know you before they’re nice to you.”

The other big change? On a February afternoon, Lichtenberger added with raised eyebrows, “It’s colder here.”

Keighla Schmidt can be reached at kschmidt@swpub.com.