From the District Moderator

In this column I would like to introduce myself to the district churches, and invite your responses to my comments—here or elsewhere.

Though born in Kansas, I grew up in Canada and have my earthly citizenship in two places. My pastoral career began in a Chicago Mennonite church; I was quickly fired after three months, and then did an interim at another Chicago Mennonite church. During that interim, someone introduced me to a Church of the Brethren congregation on Chicago’s west side, a congregation looking for a pastor. That First Church relation started in February 1982. Prior experience to pastoral work included teaching in Colombia, South America, prison ministry in Canada, and refugee work in southern Africa. I am married for 33 years, and we have a twenty-eight year old daughter.

First Church has been a wonderful experience—the congregation has blessed me for close to thirty years, teaching me much about faithful Christian living, making the Bible more and more relevant to people’s daily struggles—I often wonder why I ended up at the congregation. It was never on my personal radar screen but God has blessed me through that relationship. For this I am immensely grateful to God and to the First Church community.

Next month I would like to say a little more about the theme that is evolving with me, from Ephesians 4.14-16—Growing up into the head.

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.

But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.

I would also like to say I am quite ready to visit any district congregation for a weekend, a Sunday, a midweek discussion, at your invitation. Chicago as a city may have a rough-and-tough bully reputation, but I would remind us all that in such a context, at First Church we seek to faithfully live out the gospel of God’s peace, God’s mercy and God’s compassion. That would be my first contribution to any visit.

Orlando Redekopp
Chicago First Church of the Brethren