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The Pastor's Pen
'January 2007'
Greetings;
No one really
knows where the custom of shaking hands originated, but most historians
think it had something to do with proving that you were no threat to someone
else. After all you can’t be holding a weapon in your right hand if it is
extended to be clasped by someone else.
Getting to know someone new can often be a stressful experience, especially
when the new someone is a Pastor who is coming in as an “Interim” to replace
a familiar face. So I thought I would tell you a few things about myself
that I hope will make it easier for us to get acquainted with less stress.
First, lets just go through some facts. My name is Paul Papanek Stork, my
wife’s name is Sharon and we have been married for 32 years. We have two
daughters, Jessica (23) who is an Art teacher in the Cleveland Public School
system and Rachel (19) who is a Sophomore at The Ohio State University in
Columbus, Ohio. We’ve lived in Lyndhurst (that’s a suburb on the east side
of Cleveland) for about 17 years now. I was born and raised in Baltimore, MD
and Sharon and I met at Valparaiso University where we married at the end of
our senior year. I had always planned to be a pastor so after graduation
Sharon and I moved to Columbus, OH where I started seminary at Evangelical
Lutheran Theological Seminary (now
Trinity). I became a pastor in 1978 after
graduating from Trinity Lutheran Seminary and was called to
North Valley
Lutheran Church just outside of Milltown, WI. After about five years at
North Valley I took a call to Bethany/St.Paul Lutheran Parish outside of
Wausau, WI and this is where it started getting “Interesting”.
After a few years at Bethany/St.Paul I became increasingly frustrated with a
feeling that I wasn’t really doing anything. God has given me a variety of
gifts and I became convinced that I was only using a fraction of them as a
“Full-Time” parish pastor. So after discussing things with the Bishop and
attending some career counseling I did a flip-flop. I took what had been my
hobby (playing around with computers) and made it my occupation. At the same
time I took what had been my occupation (parish ministry) and made it my
hobby. After many years of working for different companies and teaching at
Case Western Reserve University I decided to go into business for myself
about two years ago. Although my business (Don't
Pa..Panic Software) takes me on the road about twice a
month it also gives me a more flexible schedule to allow me to do ministry.
So now I am a “Part-Time” pastor. What that really means, is that I use some
of my gifts in running a secular business as a computer consultant/trainer,
and some of my gifts in parish ministry. Over the last 17 years I’ve served
as an interim pastor for about 6 different congregations. Most recently I
served as the part-time associate pastor for education and youth at
Bethlehem Lutheran in Cleveland Heights, OH; where Sharon and I joined when
we moved to Cleveland in 1990. This past summer the senior pastor at
Bethlehem decided it was time to slow down as he approached retirement and
resigned to take on a call with a less demanding schedule. That meant it was
time for me to move on too and find another congregation that needed me. And
that is what brings me to Emmanuel Lutheran, New Springfield as the new
Interim pastor.
Now that you know a little about me I would love to get to know you. Why not
stop in at Emmanuel and introduce yourself after services next Sunday. Or
contact me by email at PastorPaul@elc-ns.org and request a visit. I’ll be
glad to come calling, I’ll be in New Springfield for two days every weekend.
Your Brother in Christ,
Pastor Paul †
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