New pastor is a good fit for two local churches

The Rev. Dr. Brad Brauer

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Rev. Dr. Brad Brauer likes being in the middle.

Beginning in January, Brauer, an ELCA Lutheran pastor, has been dividing his time as a temporary interim pastor between Our Savior's Lutheran Church and St. Alban's Episcopal Church, both in McCook. He'll stay for at least six months or maybe a year, as both congregations seek a full-time permanent pastor.

And that's okay with Brauer, as being the "fill-in" suits him just fine. The temporary nature of the job makes it have "more joys and successes, as interim pastors tend not to be taken for granted and feel more wanted," he explained.

To make it even easier, he lives at St. Alban's rectory, which is right across the street from Our Saviors Lutheran Church.

His primary roles will be to lead worship at both services as well as to help congregations own and make sense of their history, Brauer said, and help prepare them for finding a permanent pastor.

He will also continue with pastoral care for both churches, such as visiting hospice patients and shut-ins.

"My role is not to make change, but to help the institution of the church," he said.

And the role of the church has changed, he believes. "It's hard to be a congregation today, as the role of the church is different than it was years ago," Brauer said. The identity of the church is no longer at the core of society, even in small-town America, he continued. "Churches all over are struggling with the same issues, such as fewer people or lack of resources, and they are learning how to adapt to that," he said.

Before coming here, Brauer served at Calvary Lutheran in Scottsbluff. A graduate of PLU University in Tacoma, Washington, and Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, he has a doctor of ministry degree in preaching from San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo, California. His wife, Diane, still lives and works in Scottsbluff and they have two adult daughters.

For now, being interim pastor is a good fit, Brauer said.

The people in McCook have been generous, warm and friendly, he said, and "the leaders in both congregations are top-notch."

Living four and a half hours away from his wife is not easy and it's been a lesson in negotiations as they juggle their workload to find time for a visit, he said. He anticipates the first visit may be in February and until then, he has his trusty long-hair dachshund, Maxwell, to keep him company.

That, too, is a good fit, as Brauer joked, "We both wear collars."