Pastor Richard Solberg
It is not often that a pastor in his retirement has the opportunity to serve a congregation he helped establish over 30 years previously. I have this privilege and I accept it with joy.
Val, Steve, Michael and I moved to Rogers in March of 1974 to serve Peace Lutheran Church. The congregation was receiving "mission support" and one of the conditions of the support was that I work to establish a congregation in Bella Vista, conducting worship on Sunday morning and spending one day a week calling on newcomers. The rest is history.
We were in Rogers for 22 years and at the end of 1995 I resigned that call to move to Oslo, Norway, where we began a three year ministry at the American Lutheran Church. Returning to the United States, we served a 27 month interim at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Tulsa. Then as volunteers we served five years at the Salzburg International Church of Salzburg, Austria, two years at the Bukit Doa International Church on the Indonesian island of Bali, and we have been back in Bella Vista for a year.
In 2005, while still in Salzburg, we bought our present home which is in the Forest Hill addition of Bella Vista. Its proximity to the church is a great blessing, and one would not be too far off base in saying that God directed us to this home to prepare us for this ministry among you.
My role as interim pastor is not to innovate, but to maintain. Innovation is the prerogative of the pastor who has accepted your call and has been chosen to lead. I plan simply to support and encourage the ministries which are currently in place.
Our favorite devotional book is My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Its subtitle is My Best for His Glory and it is my intention to carry out this interim ministry with these words as my motto.
You may contact Pastor Solberg directly at: pastor@unitedlutheran.arcoxmail.com
Val, Steve, Michael and I moved to Rogers in March of 1974 to serve Peace Lutheran Church. The congregation was receiving "mission support" and one of the conditions of the support was that I work to establish a congregation in Bella Vista, conducting worship on Sunday morning and spending one day a week calling on newcomers. The rest is history.
We were in Rogers for 22 years and at the end of 1995 I resigned that call to move to Oslo, Norway, where we began a three year ministry at the American Lutheran Church. Returning to the United States, we served a 27 month interim at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Tulsa. Then as volunteers we served five years at the Salzburg International Church of Salzburg, Austria, two years at the Bukit Doa International Church on the Indonesian island of Bali, and we have been back in Bella Vista for a year.
In 2005, while still in Salzburg, we bought our present home which is in the Forest Hill addition of Bella Vista. Its proximity to the church is a great blessing, and one would not be too far off base in saying that God directed us to this home to prepare us for this ministry among you.
My role as interim pastor is not to innovate, but to maintain. Innovation is the prerogative of the pastor who has accepted your call and has been chosen to lead. I plan simply to support and encourage the ministries which are currently in place.
Our favorite devotional book is My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. Its subtitle is My Best for His Glory and it is my intention to carry out this interim ministry with these words as my motto.
You may contact Pastor Solberg directly at: pastor@unitedlutheran.arcoxmail.com