By Naomi Meints ’25

I recently connected with Pastor Pam Marolla of First Lutheran Church in Galesburg, Illinois. As the pastor of a historic church, we explored what it means to lead a Lutheran church in the modern day. We discussed Pastor Pam’s path to this leadership and how she lets her values guide the direction of this congregation. She emphasized the importance of seeking justice, liberation, and community in this church, and how these values inform the modern life of First Lutheran.

Pastor Pam has had a long journey with ministry. She began as a church music major at St. Olaf College. I resonated with this as a current St. Olaf student, and I can attest that the school has a proud and extensive program with both music and ministry. Her passion for church music at St. Olaf set her up for a career as a church musician, and Pastor Pam worked for many churches throughout her young life. She later continued her education and became ordained. However, this job was sometimes troubling for her, as she rarely found herself resonating with the theologies of the churches that employed her. She said “Any church that could afford professional music was usually on the wealthy side of things, kind of suburbanish. They didn’t typically have the same type of fondness for justice issues. And so those are strong things for me”.

I was just so frustrated with churches that wanted me to say things, or not say things, based on their political stances. Which was basically hate your neighbor, and chastise the poor for being poor

Pastor Pam Marolla

So, she made the decision to leave the ministry entirely. In her own words, she explained her choice: “12 years ago, actually, I left the ministry entirely. I was just so frustrated with churches that wanted me to say things, or not say things, based on their political stances. Which was basically hate your neighbor, and chastise the poor for being poor. That kind of stuff. And I just left. I thought if this is what the institutional church has become, I am so done with it. And I worked minimum wage, because when you have an MDiv, and a masters in theology, and a bachelor of music and church music that makes you very specific for a niche. So I took all of my degrees except my bachelors off my resume, and I got a job selling insurance and working minimum wage for an office”.

Recently, Pastor Pam rejoined ministry and emphasized how she sought a church that aligned with values of justice. First Lutheran in Galesburg is noted as a beautiful, historic church in the area, at about 175 years old. The congregation is much smaller than it used to be, so the leadership must address how to reform norms that were written for a different congregation in a different time. So, that has inspired much of the current developments in the church. She detailed a values survey that was recently conducted in the church, and it came back that the congregation prioritized hospitality, inclusion, justice, and service. 

The Near and Now studies from the Nourishing Vocation Project were named as one of the helpful ways to discern values. These conversations allowed community members to connect deeply with each other, through conversations and visual activities, to reflect on what one’s values are and how you live them. 

Making an inclusive space for all ages is one priority for First Lutheran. Including all ages in Bible studies allows all congregants to learn from each other! Pastor Pam stated that she particularly enjoyed the aspects of Near and Now where participants have to analyze art. The difference between how children and adults can interpret the same picture can be both amusing and insightful. The children have presented interpretations of the art in ways that most of the adults never thought of, and Pastor Pam noted how it’s reminiscent of how everyone hears the same sermon entirely different from Sunday morning. 

Embracing children in the service itself was another way the community has been strengthened. With a combination of youth focused activities and involvement in all-ages events, children can grow in their faith while helping teach others. There is not only an emphasis on children, but young people, as the heart of the church. We discussed how many young people move away from churches that don’t align with their values, so a modern church must understand how to discuss Christian freedom and love with all ages. On this, she explained: “We have young adults who did not grow up in the Lutheran tradition, or some in any church. A lot of them had walked away from church because they weren’t hearing a liberating message for them. So we call it faith formation, whenever we do any faith building events. So whether it’s an educational event or service event, we divide faith formation into the outward expression of worship and the inward devotional life. The mission serving neighbor and on the other hand telling people about Jesus, as we understand Jesus. That Jesus is a liberator. The verb tense for salvation and eternal life is always now. And we are not focused on heaven, like most congregations are. Yeah, we trust that there’s a promise. But we also trust that there’s liberation today”. 

Pastor Pam said that there is a drive to connect the small church to something bigger than itself. So, after many years of this large church building being underused, there have been many efforts to engage more with the community. Part of this includes making the large space available for community organizations to use and gather in. The church is currently home base for many local music organizations, and has worked closely with Lutheran Social Services. Pastor Pam also made it a priority that they stay involved with Matthew 25 Ministries, a humanitarian organization that is closely aligned with their values. Working with local groups that reflect the values of the church is one way she noted that the community can extend beyond just the congregation.

As I mature, I think that one of the most important learnings that I’ve had in ministry is to focus on all the good news and the good news for us is God as a liberator. In the end I mean, God is the liberator from even death. From Exodus forward, God has been liberating people and whether it’s liberating people from oppression. Liberating people from stereotypes

Pastor Pam Marolla

The inclusion and representation of LGBT congregants in the community is another priority. First Lutheran’s values on justice and inclusion are deeply rooted in their theology. Pastor Pam describes it as such: “As I mature, I think that one of the most important learnings that I’ve had in ministry is to focus on all the good news and the good news for us is God as a liberator. In the end I mean, God is the liberator from even death. From Exodus forward, God has been liberating people and whether it’s liberating people from oppression. Liberating people from stereotypes”. 

Pastor Pam stated that the strong values of the church are baked into everything they do. From the Near and Now studies, to community outreach programs, to the statements the church stands by, everything is rooted in an emphasis on Christian love and welcoming. I thoroughly enjoyed connecting with this congregation and hearing the ups and downs of this historic community. If you’re curious to hear more about this church and other strong congregations, sign up for the 2024 Conference for Worship, Theology, and the Arts: Nourishing Vocation happening at St. Olaf College July 29-31!