What does it mean to be church in the midst of a pandemic, and what will it mean to be church as we begin to glimpse life beyond being fully defined by COVID-19?

These questions have been front and center for my conversation partners and I for this three-part series: Rev. Ingrid Rasmussen, Lead Pastor, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, Rev. Augustin Muthusami, chair of the Lutheran Church in Malaysia’s Faith and Order Commission and pastor at Luther House Chapel near Kuala Lumpur, and Dr. Diana Butler Bass, author, speaker, and commentator on religion and contemporary spirituality.

The first conversation is with Rev. Ingrid Rasmussen, whose Minneapolis church is located just blocks from the Third Precinct police station that was set on fire in June 2020 after the killing of George Floyd. Rev. Rasmussen recounts congregational and worship life before COVID-19, and how the church has responded to dual pandemics: a public health crisis and structured, systemic racism.

The conversation with Rev. Muthusami will be released next week and the one with Dr. Butler Bass will come the following week.

The Lutheran Center is grateful for the partnership with Church Anew in making these conversations available to a wide audience.