HILLSBORO, NORTH DAKOTA -- Story and photo by Cory Erickson, Hillsboro Banner, December 6. 2013.  Pastor Dale Emery of Hillsboro's United Parish Church sits at a table in the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church's rectory, spooning pink sherbet from a small dish. 

Across the table, Father Casey, the priest at St. Rose of Lima, offers St. John Lutheran Church pastor Mike Kessler more orange juice.

Pastor Siri Strommen Campbell sits next to her Our Savior’s Lutheran counterpart, Pasto Joe Johnson, on the fare side of the table.

She swirls a coffee mug held between both held between both of her hands as a smile shoots across her face.

“I knew right way that I liked Case,” she says, “From one of our first meetings, Joe said, ‘I’m going to be the first Lutheran Pope’ and I said, ‘Well I’m going to be the first female Pope.”

Casey said, ‘oh no, we’ve already had one. Pope Joan,’ I had just finished reading a book on her!”, she says, laughing.

The camaraderie isn’t for show.

On a semi-regular basis, this all-faiths group gathers at the rectory for a good meal and some ecumenical entertainment.

Casey sits down and says, “Pastor Emery has a very special term for the five of us here.”

Emery turns his head and replies, “yes, we’re the Ecu-maniacs.”

Strommen Campbell laughs and adds, “No. We’re the Fantastic Five. That’s a better name.”

The group’s dialogue, they say, is representative3 of a healthy, vibrant, faith community within Hillsboro and the surrounding area.

“This is always something I look forward to,” Johnson says.  “It feels supportive and it never turns into disagreements over backgrounds or faith traditions.”

Kessler, the St. John Lutheran Church pastor,  says this is the first time in more than a decade he can remember having such a close-knit group of faith leaders in Hillsboro.

“This is your group therapy. This is your cut-loose time,” he says of the Fantastic Five’s meet-ups.

Also, they serve to build relationships between churches. 

“It helps people in the community recognize that they don’t need to compete with other people in town regarding where they want to worship,” Kessler says.  “That’s where I would say this community has really grown in its faith.”

Working together

Johnson says there is a perception that churches are in competition for members, as businesses are for customers.

In fact, in a 2008 study published online the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life described the United States as a “very competitive religious marketplace,” with faiths losing and gaining members constantly.

According to the report, 78.4 percent of all Americans identified as Christian observers.

Of that number, nearly two-thirds followed a Protestant denomination and more than 30 percent declared themselves Roman Catholic.

Of the Protestant believers, 3.9 percent belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) faith tradition and 2.7 identify as Luther Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS). 

Hillsboro’s United Parish Church, which combines both the United Methodist Church and the United Church of Christ faiths under one roof, is representative of 11 percent of the Protestants nationwide.

Johnson says, locally, the clergy see the religious landscape differently.

“We do ministry according to our faith tradition, but our business is different from other businesses,” he says.  “We’re in the business of relationship and we’re working together, not working against each other.”

Emery, who is retired in Grand Forks but has served the United Parish for more than a year, shares Johnson’s opinion. 

The religious climate in Hillsboro, he adds, is special.  “the kinds of things we’ve talked about here in terms of friction and lack of competition make this community very, very unique and I love it.”

“At my old age, I need no friction,” Emery says with a laugh.

Kessler said that in his 12 years serving Hillsboro, the religious community hasn’t always been ecumenical.

The 39-year-old and his family moved to town after serving in the LCMS Fort Wayne, Ind.

“When I moved here, I heard a term I’d never heard before.  I was the ‘German Lutheran pastor,’” Kessler says. “I almost thought that some people said that as a knockdown.”

The Missouri Synod denomination maintains a position as a confessional church body and is not associated with national ecumenical organizations.

“There are certain things we can and can’t do, because of how we are regarding fellowship with other congregations,” Kessler says.

But the St. John Lutheran Church pastor says he has worked hard to make the church more visible in the community.

“I thought … working with people in the community, regardless of their church affiliation in tow, would help shed a light of compassion from St. John on the community,” Kessler says.   “Meetings like this help to cultivate relationships between congregations.”

Strommen Campbell recalls a weekend she was notified at 2:30 a.m. that a member of Our Savior’s congregation had died.

Out of state and unable to be with the deceased’s family, she received a call shortly after from Kessler.  

“He said, ‘Somebody in your congregation died.  Should I go visit the family for you?’’  Strommen Campbell says. “That does not happen everywhere.”

Acting natural

Strommen Campbell says that meeting with other clergy members also givers her chance to be herself.

“Really, the most fun I have is around a bunch of pastors,” she says.

“I think some people may want us to be different around them, and we buy into that,” the United Parish pastor says.

Casey says that – out of mutual respect for each other – the group is able to more freely open up.

“We’re able to share the counsel and experience from each other to become a better person,” the 47-year-old priest says.  “I think it’s very important that we listen to each other and, sometimes, respectfully disagree, yet still be able to work with each other.”

“I think that sets a good example for others.”

The youngest of the pastors at the age of 36, Strommen Campbell says her relationship s with other local pastors are therapeutic.

“There are church troubles or frustrations that only other clergy can understand,’ she says.

“There are also some geeky theological inside jokes that we share that nobody else is going to think is funny,” Johnson chimes in. 

For those reasons, Kessler says that having Emery, a pastor in the United Methodist Church for 53 years, in the community has been invaluable.

“We refer to him as our older elder,” Kessler says.  “He’s seen things that Siri, Joe and myself haven’t experienced.”

“He is very gracious to all of us to share his wisdom and experience,” Casey adds.  “I think we all have things to learn from him as the senior pastor.”

Fellowship broken

Last month Kessler announced that he will be leaving Hillsboro at the end of December to take a call in Arizona. 

This year’s Christmas service might be his last at St. John, he says.

The crowd around the table gets quiet and reflective as the subject shifts to Kessler’s departure. 

“It’s a great loss for the city of Hillsboro and the surround communities,” Casey says, breaking the silence.

“It’s been an awesome ride,” Kessler says. “There’s nothing more humbling or exciting than to know that you’ve played some part in so many people’s lives.”

Johnson points out that with Kessler’s departure, he will become the longest-tenured pastor at 38 years old, serving the community for only 2.5 years.

Kessler jokes that Johnson will become the community’s go-to-guy.”

“I’ve seen pastors come and go from every congregation in this town, “ he ad.ds  “I’ve seen good moments and there have been difficult moments.”

“This here,” Kessler says, gesturing to his fellow clergy, “will be one of the hardest things I’ll have to leave.”

Emery and Casey are confident that the new pastor at St. John will be welcomed with open arms upon arrival.

Kessler agrees and says the local faith community will continue to be in good hads following his departure. 

“This group here care more about people than anyone else n the community,” he explains.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re ELCA, Methodist, Catholic or the few, proud and strong, Missouri Synod Lutherans,” Kessler says.  “We will all continue to proclaim the Gospel.”