Vicar John Nelson begins August 16th
The congregation is able to host an intern in 2016-2017, thanks to many contributions by individuals and the Memorial Fund. Pastor and the staff are excited to be a host congregation, and many parishioners have expressed their delight also.
Welcome John and Emma!
Please check out the bulletin board or download this printable PDF and make local suggestions (i.e., restaurants, gym, etc…) as John and Emma, who will be newlyweds in August, are new to Moorestown.
Greeting from Vicar John Nelson: Hello Saint Matthew!
Grace and peace to you from God our heavenly Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It was so wonderful to meet you all on Pentecost Sunday, my fiancé, Emma, and I were truly grateful for your hospitality. Prior to beginning my internship at Saint Matthew in August, I wanted to give you a broader description of myself. As Pastor Ingrid mentioned in her previous Temple Talk, I am originally from the Redwood Falls area of Minnesota. Redwood Falls is the seat of the Southwest Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. While I am originally from Redwood Falls, MN, my parents have recently relocated to Spicer, MN, which is a small lake town about two hours west of Minneapolis. My older brother is an IT specialist for IBM and lives in the Minneapolis area with my niece, Lauren. We have three dogs, two miniature schnauzers who belong to my parents, named Stuart and Matilda, and my dog is a clumber spaniel named Elsa. The majority of my time spent in Minnesota has been with an eye towards rural ministry, as much of that area is marked by farmland. However, after spending three wonderful years in Philadelphia, I have discovered a passion for urban and suburban ministry.
Prior to starting my seminary career, I obtained my undergraduate degree in biology from Saint John’s University, which is a small Catholic school located in Collegevile, MN. Saint John’s is known for two things, our perennial Division III national championship football team and the Benedictine Monastery located on campus. It was here at Saint John’s that I began to discern a call to a vocation within the church. When I began at Saint John’s it was my intent to attend medical school, yet that was not the plan that God had in store for me. I applied to several medical schools, but the more I worked on my application the more I knew that my heart was leading me somewhere else. Following my graduation in 2011, I entered the Saint John’s School of Theology, a small seminary attached to my undergraduate institution. I received my Master of Arts in Scripture from Saint John’s in 2013. Following my graduation, I wanted to continue my theological education and headed east to the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia to obtain my Master of Sacred Theology degree en route to a Ph.D. It was here that I made my first connection with Saint Matthew in that I was lucky to participate in the last three courses taught by Dr. Timothy Wengert. I came to Philadelphia with the express interest of studying under Dr. Wengert, a scholar whom I admire greatly. During my STM coursework and into my recently completed Master of Divinity coursework, the majority of my coursework has been centered in interfaith dialogue as well as contemporary Lutheran theology. Through my engagement with other faith traditions, namely Judaism and Islam, I have been opened to new and different possibilities with respect to Lutheran theology. As I have engaged with these differing faith traditions, it has allowed me to look at the theology of Martin Luther and other reformers through different lenses. Most recently, my work has been rooted in looking at how Luther’s own engagement of these faith traditions can impact the current dialogues that are happening within the ELCA and the wider Lutheran church.
Now that I have all the perfunctory academic and theological stuff out of the way I can tell you about the fun stuff! My fiancé, Emma, and I will be getting married August 6th, the week before I am scheduled to start at Saint Matthew. Emma recently graduated from LTSP with her Master of Public Leadership, a degree unique to LTSP that trains individuals for work in faith based nonprofit organizations. Throughout her coursework, Emma has worked with the ELCA Advocacy Office in D.C., Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania, and most recently the Philadelphia Interfaith Hospitality Network. Currently, Emma received a fellowship with the City of Philadelphia working with Councilman Bobby Henon in the Northeast section of Philadelphia. Emma is originally from Baltimore, MD, where her parents and sister still reside. Emma is an avid swimmer, social justice activist, budding foodie, and will talk your ear off about her cat, Cheddar.
I cannot tell you how excited I am about working at Saint Matthew this year. After meeting with you all on Pentecost Sunday, I know that I am in store for a great year of fun and growth. I look forward to seeing you all in August and have a wonderful start to your summer!
Blessings, Vicar John