Moving Forward in Mission Together (An Anchor Church Update)

Beloved People of God,

I believe God is wonderfully at work in the life and ministry of St. Stephen. Sometimes that work doesn’t always materialize in the ways we would hope. In this letter I will address the current reality and status of our faithful ministry with our Louisville Campus.

In 2020, Kountze Memorial had 17 faithful members attending each Sunday. It was shortly after that I was contacted by Louisville to discuss the possibility of assisting Kountze Memorial with their mission and ministry. As we discussed possibilities, we believed the “Anchor Church Process” might be a viable option. The vision for the Anchor Church Adoption Model is to assist struggling congregations so that a vibrant and healthy ministry might be realized. The Anchor Church Process is an attempt to address the reality that the landscape for congregations has changed dramatically over the past generation and the Church has been slow to respond. Mission starts have had lackluster success and smaller churches have dramatically shrunk in size. This has resulted in many congregations left in isolationism, struggling to survive.

Complicating matters is the reality that less people are attending churches nationwide. Below are some difficult statistics from the ELCA:

• The ELCA Average Worship Attendance has declined 33% in the last ten years. The change in Congregation Average Worship Attendance has not been divulged since 2017 but has certainly declined further since 2020 with the impact of Covid.

• The Northeastern Ohio Synod– in 2014 we had 176 congregations. In 2021 that number is down to 154.

We began our Anchor Church relationship with Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church of Louisville, OH in Lent of 2021. We entered the “Anchor Church Process” officially in November of 2021 as Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church merged with St. Stephen. Together, we outlined our goals and strategies to try to move forward in mission and agreed to evaluate the goals within 3-5 years. A few of our goals included:

1. To expand the experience of worship using innovative technology and creating a new worship experience to begin on Easter 2022.

2. To utilize a team of our pastors and possibly an intern to provide a variety of preaching styles to creatively share the Gospel.

3. To strive to engage congregants in the worship experience through a variety of worship styles and inclusive liturgies.

4. To help the worship community double in size in three years and triple in five years.

5. To encourage growth in giving to ensure financial viability for the Louisville Campus.

We did some great ministry together as we tried to revitalize the mission at Louisville. Below are some of the ways we tried to create an inviting atmosphere and promote growth:

• 2021: we held 3 gatherings to build relationships: History gathering, spiritual gathering and an experiential gathering

• Provided Leadership, pastoral presence and care which had been missing for seven years

• Pastor Andrew displayed a banner on his truck, driving around Louisville inviting residents to partake of Ashes-to-Go

• Remodeled the Social Hall

• Erected a new digital sign with the St. Stephen logo

• Shared an Evangelistic Mass Mailing and Yard Signs for Easter 2022 with an invitation to both the traditional and the new worship service

• Participated in the Constitution Day Parade with a float and shared refreshments

• Offered a Bible Study at Unhitched Brewery

• Provided Ashes-to-Go

• Provided a VBS – Shared with Paradise Church

• The Family Festivals at Umbrella Alley

• Football Parking

• The Live Nativity

• The Passion Walk

• St. Patrick’s Day Bingo

• Trunk-or-Treat

• Events were shared on social media and Facebook

• Offered Small Group Fellowships such as the Lunch Bunch

• Offered Small group Bible Studies scheduled for daytime hours

Participated in 2nd Fridays in downtown Louisville (set up church booth)

• Participated in Louisville Historical Society

• Utilized a Team of Pastors including Pastor Herb, Pastor Andrew, Pastor Don Rice (who volunteered his time and gifts as a new member at Louisville), and myself. As of this writing, Pastor Herb has retired and Pastor Don is unable to continue to preach due to health reasons, and of course, I too am retiring.

At first, this work seemed to result in an increase in worship attendance, which is a key indicator of health and vitality in a congregation. In fact, by 2024 Louisville’s attendance grew by over 40%. We have welcomed 12 new members to the Louisville Campus since the adoption process. The average weekly attendance and year follow:

2020: 17

2021: 20

2022: Contemporary: 17 Traditional: 20 (Several members did attend both services to help build the service.)

2023: 25

2024: 24

Unfortunately, so far in 2025 our average attendance is 22. We are far from realizing our goal of doubling (40) and/or tripling (60) the worship attendance, which would have enabled us to call a part-time Campus Pastor.

Financially speaking, our Louisville Campus is also struggling. Louisville demonstrates a net operating income loss of $16,248.07 from 2022-2025 year-to-date. Louisville does have a Thrivent Fund that provides interest income, which was: $4,282.22 as of March 2025.

This brings the total operating loss year-to-date to $11,965.85.

Other major expenses with the source:

• April 2022 Paid off the roof loan of $12,888.90 from the St. Stephen General Fund

• April 2023 Purchased a new lawn mower $2,150.00 from various Memorial Donations

• April 2023 Installed new lighting in the sanctuary $2,500.00 Budget (Included in the above figures)

• Aug 2023 Sealed the parking lot $6,134.00 from the Smith Memorial

• Nov 2023 Repaired the roof $10,570.00 also from the Smith Memorial

• Feb 2024 Final payment for the roof repair $10,570.00 from Smith Memorial

• Feb 2024 Purchased a new Heating A/C Unit $4,550.00 from Smith Memorial

Total Capital Expenses since 2022: $49,452

I was able to write and secure an Anchor Church Grant in 2022 for $35,000. Expenses taken from Grant:

• Adam Signs $15,575.00 ▪ Advertisements $1,732.80 ▪ Audio/Visual Equipment $5,884.41

• Fun Fest $418.69 ▪ Social Hall/Worship Space $5,408.41 ▪ Misc $720.00

Balance as of March 31, 2025, $6,176.75

Given the attendance, financial realities, and difficulties related to the preaching schedule, at the April 7, 2025 church council meeting, the Congregation Council voted unanimously to bring our Anchor Church Louisville Campus to a close. Thus, the Closing Worship Service will be June 1, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.

The closing of the Louisville Campus will no doubt bring a mixture of emotions in varying degrees, which may include grief and nostalgia about what has been, as well as anxiety and questions about the future. The closing service will be an opportunity to give thanks for the ministry that has taken place here through the years, acknowledge our history, as well as the pain we may feel from leaving a space that has provided so much spiritual strength for years. It will also be an opportunity to remind one another that God’s mission continues.

As Louisville member and council member Bridget Linsmaier shared, “Our closing should not be interpreted as a failure, we can close with dignity. Our closing can be a promise of new life by sharing our gifts. It should be viewed as positive change and hope for future ministry. Belden campus welcomes everyone: It’s a church where love lives.”

We will indeed continue to move forward in mission together at the Belden Campus, where all are invited to share in our mission to help you grow to love like Christ.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bruce