At the Intersection of Faith and Service!
Welcome to our new Interim Pastor, Alan Berg!
Pastor Berg will be joining us officially this coming Sunday, October 31st. Below you will find a bio, written by Pastor Berg to introduce himself to the congregation of Calvary Lutheran. Simply click on the "Pastor Alan Berg Bio" banner to get a little insight into our interim pastor.
PASTOR ALAN BERG BIO
Grace and peace to you, soon to be “new friends” at Calvary Lutheran in Federal Way, WA! I have been asked by your church council to write up a little “introduction of myself” as your newly called “interim pastor.” “Little..” is a tall task! And yet, I am happy to share with you the following information.
My name is Alan Berg and I have been an ordained Lutheran pastor for over forty-six years. I was born in Bellingham,WA. My family moved to the north Seattle area while I was still an infant. There I attended local public schools in north Seattle and graduated from Ingraham High School in 1966. I attended and graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in English Literature in 1970. I then attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. where I completed my seminary studies, graduated and was ordained at my home congregation (1st Lutheran- Richmond Beach,WA) by Rev. David Wold (Intern Supervisor) in July of 1974.
My first pastorates were in Southern California. (Ascension-Thousand Oaks, CA and Trinity- Victorville, CA) Following these early pastorates, my family and I returned to the Northwest serving congregations in the Tri-Cities, Boise, ID and Spokane, WA. And, more recently, I was lead pastor at Silverdale Lutheran Church- Silverdale, WA., where I served for twelve years and then at St. Mark Lutheran- Lacey, WA., where I served for five years.
At this point, I would like to insert some personal “family” information. I lost my wife Robin to a 6 ½ year battle with renal cancer in July of 2015. In our 46 years of marriage we were blessed with four children (a son and three daughters), now grown, three with spouses and living in the greater Puget Sound area. Peder is Director of Claremont Senior Living in Bremerton. Kim is Managing Director for Property/Management for CBRE in Seattle and Portland. Andrea is a hair stylist and owns her own salon in the University Village area of Seattle, and Erika is a nurse and is on staff at Children’s Hospital in Seattle. I have 12 grandchildren (ages 6 through 27 years) and “we” have three great- grand children. During Robin’s heroic fight with renal cancer, I took an “early retirement” from pastoral ministry to become Robin’s primary caregiver. This occurred during the last three years of her life while we lived in Lacey. This was my “new Call” to a ministry which I lovingly accepted.
Following Robin’s death in 2015 and an extended period of grief, prayer, and “re-grouping”— I made the decision to return to pastoral ministry with a Call to “interim ministry.” In 2017, I became “interim pastor” for Trinity Lutheran Church in Dallas, Oregon. This ministry concluded after nine months. In 2018, I accepted a Call to interim ministry at 1st Lutheran, Kennewick, WA (Tri-Cities) and I served there for almost eleven months. Following that, I concluded an interim pastoral ministry with Edison Lutheran, near Bow, WA (Skagit) after fourteen months of service. Most recently I completed a one year interim at Grace Lutheran in Port Townsend, WA.
For those of you who are still reading this “introduction” it occurs to me that this probably fulfills the assignment of sharing “a little information.” But for those who would like a little more information, and if your curiosity has been piqued— I will share a few additional things about “my story.”
Some important involvements/training/and experiences throughout the years: I served as volunteer “chaplain” at a local hospital in Victorville, CA for three years. I was President of Luther Heights Bible Camp Association (Stanley, ID in the beautiful “Sawtooth Mountains” of south-central Idaho) for two terms. I have served as Conference “Dean” in Victorville and Boise and was elected to the Synod Council (in the old “A.L.C”) while I served my pastorate in Boise, ID. I served on the Eastern WA/Idaho Synod Council while I served my pastorate in Spokane, WA. And I was elected to Synod Secretary of the EWID synod and served from 1988-93. After taking a Call to Silverdale Lutheran Church, I served as Congregational Life Chair for SWWA Synod. I was asked to “Chair” three Synod Assemblies (the first in EWID synod and then two in SWWA synod). While I served as pastor to congregations throughout the years, and as “Lead Pastor” in several larger congregations— I was supervisor to six pastoral “interns” (all of whom are presently serving congregations in the E.L.C.A.) And as “Lead Pastor” in several of the larger congregations, I have been blessed with the partnership of team ministry with five “associates” in ordained ministry and numerous lay-staff and sisters and brothers in congregational ministry.
Some of the training and “continuing education” opportunities I have participated in over the years include: numerous “Kairos” seminars at Luther Seminary. I have participated in some Synod training sessions (in the development of) intentional “interim ministry,” and several preaching seminars. I attended a “Children’s Ministry Workshop” (1998) And I participated in a two week training session (on site) for “chaplaincy training” in Chemical Dependency— Watsonville, CA (1999) I participated in “Conflict Training” while serving a congregation where disciplinary action had taken place. I attended two “Head of Staff” training seminars hosted by E.L.C.A. and the Alban Institute (2003 and 2005). And, I was trained as a “Stephen’s Ministry” pastor (congregational care ministry) in St. Louis in 2008. These are just a few continuing education and training opportunities over the years.
I have been told by many throughout the years that my pastoral style is “approachable” and “down-to-earth.” I have always placed a high value on “pastoral care” in the congregations where I have served. I believe I am a good listener and have been told that I am a strong biblical preacher and display a commitment to being “a partner” in ministry with the priesthood of “all believers.” In all of my interim ministries mentioned above I have committed myself to “presence ministry” (not just an occasional “drop in” or “pulpit supply”) Of course, all of this is now seriously complicated by the effects of the Covid-19 crisis. But, I believe we all have been blessed in Christ—to be a blessing to others.. and we do that as much as we can by being “with those we serve.”
I love to read. Travel and golf have been fond interests. I deeply enjoy family. I find joy in the laughter of children, music, film and the arts. I, like you, lament the strains that this present covid virus outbreak has placed on our connectedness as a Body of believers. And— to those we are sent to serve. We are all scrambling. And yet, we lean back on the “forever promises” that we are never alone even when we feel such isolation. To quote Paul: “nothing.. nothing can separate us (and now we can add even more descriptors) from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 31-39)
And so, dear people of Calvary, I offer this “introduction” with the prayer that you are all good at reading between the lines. Our stories, much like God’s Grace, are abundant and offer so much more then a “little” biographical sketch like this can share. But, for now, this will have to do. God bless the good folks at Calvary Lutheran Church.
In Christ,
Pastor Alan Berg
My name is Alan Berg and I have been an ordained Lutheran pastor for over forty-six years. I was born in Bellingham,WA. My family moved to the north Seattle area while I was still an infant. There I attended local public schools in north Seattle and graduated from Ingraham High School in 1966. I attended and graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in English Literature in 1970. I then attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. where I completed my seminary studies, graduated and was ordained at my home congregation (1st Lutheran- Richmond Beach,WA) by Rev. David Wold (Intern Supervisor) in July of 1974.
My first pastorates were in Southern California. (Ascension-Thousand Oaks, CA and Trinity- Victorville, CA) Following these early pastorates, my family and I returned to the Northwest serving congregations in the Tri-Cities, Boise, ID and Spokane, WA. And, more recently, I was lead pastor at Silverdale Lutheran Church- Silverdale, WA., where I served for twelve years and then at St. Mark Lutheran- Lacey, WA., where I served for five years.
At this point, I would like to insert some personal “family” information. I lost my wife Robin to a 6 ½ year battle with renal cancer in July of 2015. In our 46 years of marriage we were blessed with four children (a son and three daughters), now grown, three with spouses and living in the greater Puget Sound area. Peder is Director of Claremont Senior Living in Bremerton. Kim is Managing Director for Property/Management for CBRE in Seattle and Portland. Andrea is a hair stylist and owns her own salon in the University Village area of Seattle, and Erika is a nurse and is on staff at Children’s Hospital in Seattle. I have 12 grandchildren (ages 6 through 27 years) and “we” have three great- grand children. During Robin’s heroic fight with renal cancer, I took an “early retirement” from pastoral ministry to become Robin’s primary caregiver. This occurred during the last three years of her life while we lived in Lacey. This was my “new Call” to a ministry which I lovingly accepted.
Following Robin’s death in 2015 and an extended period of grief, prayer, and “re-grouping”— I made the decision to return to pastoral ministry with a Call to “interim ministry.” In 2017, I became “interim pastor” for Trinity Lutheran Church in Dallas, Oregon. This ministry concluded after nine months. In 2018, I accepted a Call to interim ministry at 1st Lutheran, Kennewick, WA (Tri-Cities) and I served there for almost eleven months. Following that, I concluded an interim pastoral ministry with Edison Lutheran, near Bow, WA (Skagit) after fourteen months of service. Most recently I completed a one year interim at Grace Lutheran in Port Townsend, WA.
For those of you who are still reading this “introduction” it occurs to me that this probably fulfills the assignment of sharing “a little information.” But for those who would like a little more information, and if your curiosity has been piqued— I will share a few additional things about “my story.”
Some important involvements/training/and experiences throughout the years: I served as volunteer “chaplain” at a local hospital in Victorville, CA for three years. I was President of Luther Heights Bible Camp Association (Stanley, ID in the beautiful “Sawtooth Mountains” of south-central Idaho) for two terms. I have served as Conference “Dean” in Victorville and Boise and was elected to the Synod Council (in the old “A.L.C”) while I served my pastorate in Boise, ID. I served on the Eastern WA/Idaho Synod Council while I served my pastorate in Spokane, WA. And I was elected to Synod Secretary of the EWID synod and served from 1988-93. After taking a Call to Silverdale Lutheran Church, I served as Congregational Life Chair for SWWA Synod. I was asked to “Chair” three Synod Assemblies (the first in EWID synod and then two in SWWA synod). While I served as pastor to congregations throughout the years, and as “Lead Pastor” in several larger congregations— I was supervisor to six pastoral “interns” (all of whom are presently serving congregations in the E.L.C.A.) And as “Lead Pastor” in several of the larger congregations, I have been blessed with the partnership of team ministry with five “associates” in ordained ministry and numerous lay-staff and sisters and brothers in congregational ministry.
Some of the training and “continuing education” opportunities I have participated in over the years include: numerous “Kairos” seminars at Luther Seminary. I have participated in some Synod training sessions (in the development of) intentional “interim ministry,” and several preaching seminars. I attended a “Children’s Ministry Workshop” (1998) And I participated in a two week training session (on site) for “chaplaincy training” in Chemical Dependency— Watsonville, CA (1999) I participated in “Conflict Training” while serving a congregation where disciplinary action had taken place. I attended two “Head of Staff” training seminars hosted by E.L.C.A. and the Alban Institute (2003 and 2005). And, I was trained as a “Stephen’s Ministry” pastor (congregational care ministry) in St. Louis in 2008. These are just a few continuing education and training opportunities over the years.
I have been told by many throughout the years that my pastoral style is “approachable” and “down-to-earth.” I have always placed a high value on “pastoral care” in the congregations where I have served. I believe I am a good listener and have been told that I am a strong biblical preacher and display a commitment to being “a partner” in ministry with the priesthood of “all believers.” In all of my interim ministries mentioned above I have committed myself to “presence ministry” (not just an occasional “drop in” or “pulpit supply”) Of course, all of this is now seriously complicated by the effects of the Covid-19 crisis. But, I believe we all have been blessed in Christ—to be a blessing to others.. and we do that as much as we can by being “with those we serve.”
I love to read. Travel and golf have been fond interests. I deeply enjoy family. I find joy in the laughter of children, music, film and the arts. I, like you, lament the strains that this present covid virus outbreak has placed on our connectedness as a Body of believers. And— to those we are sent to serve. We are all scrambling. And yet, we lean back on the “forever promises” that we are never alone even when we feel such isolation. To quote Paul: “nothing.. nothing can separate us (and now we can add even more descriptors) from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 31-39)
And so, dear people of Calvary, I offer this “introduction” with the prayer that you are all good at reading between the lines. Our stories, much like God’s Grace, are abundant and offer so much more then a “little” biographical sketch like this can share. But, for now, this will have to do. God bless the good folks at Calvary Lutheran Church.
In Christ,
Pastor Alan Berg