Interaction Between Congregations
Although the English-speaking congregation at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church has been financially supportive of the Wal and the Sudanese congregation throughout the years, there has been little interaction between the two congregations.
According to Pastor Steve, getting the two congregations to interact has been challenging for a number of reasons. Many of the Sudanese members work second and third shifts and therefore are unable to attend the traditional worship services on Sunday mornings. Additionally, few of the Sudanese members besides Wal speak English, making communication difficult. However, Wal almost always comes to the 10:30 a.m. English service at Our Savior’s, and because he is very outgoing, many people have gotten to know him well.
Right from the start, we’ve operated in many ways as two separate congregations, and in some ways that will continue. But right now [in 2012], officially, …we are now one congregation that worships in two languages. And that’s the way we intend for it to continue. — Pastor Steve
In the past, there have been efforts to encourage interaction between the two congregations. For a while, Sudanese members would attend the 10:30 a.m. English service once a month. At this service, the two groups would celebrate communion together as one congregation, the Sudanese members would perform a piece of music, and Wal would read one of the lessons or prayers for that day. Occasionally there was also a shared meal where the two congregations would alternate bringing food. Overall, however, interactions between the two congregations have remained sparse.
In light of these difficulties, Pastor Steve acknowledges that, “Right from the start, we’ve operated in many ways as two separate congregations, and in some ways that will continue. But right now [in 2012], officially, we are now one congregation that worships in two languages. And that’s the way we intend for it to continue.”1
Perhaps this relationship is more evident in the support that the English-speaking congregation has offered the Sudanese congregation, rather than in the actual interactions between members. Not only have members of the English-speaking congregation provided financial support for Wal and other Sudanese both here and in Sudan, but they have also been supportive of the growing church community and its new members.
According to Wal, the English-speaking congregation “accepted us with open hands, you know, warm welcome. So we pray for them every Sunday. We include them in our worship service.”2 Pastor Steve also appreciates the relationship that has grown between the two congregations at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church. As he acknowledges,
“I realize that tomorrow, something could change and they could all be gone. But in spite of that, what’s made it work is – it’s a quote from a woman who’s been here in town for a number of years but immigrated here from the country of Colombia – and she said once, ‘I don’t just want to be tolerated, I want to be embraced.’ And that’s what’s happened with the Sudanese ministry here is the congregation has embraced it.”3
While the Sudanese and English-speaking congregations of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church may not interact as though they were one cohesive congregation, there is certainly an understanding that both congregations are welcome, appreciated, and supported at Our Savior’s.