By James Baneck
I was a pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church, Mandan, N.D., for 16 years. I would like to tell you about a few of the dear people I served there.
One of the elders was a veterinarian. He worked with cattle all day. Yet, he made sure to attend the elder’s meeting every month. He would come tired, leave his manure boots at the door and leave again, possibly without having eaten, to gladly study the Lutheran Confessions with the other elders before discussing the monthly agenda.
Another man served in a variety of church offices throughout the years. He was an excellent carpenter. He worked hard, and his body began to wear out from carrying sheetrock and climbing ladders. Yet he would come to choir rehearsal every Wednesday night. As the choir director, I cherished him for his love for the church and his excellent bass voice.
There was a dear woman in the congregation, a retired teacher who loved to read and do needlework. She taught me to love lefsa (Norwegian flatbread) and our great Scandinavian hymns. She would often host the Thursday afternoon women’s Bible study in her cozy home. She always made it special, providing fancy dishes and wonderful desserts, but not until we first studied the Bible for an hour.
So many wonderful saints come to mind when I think about Messiah Lutheran Church — those on the church council, the elders, the quilters, members of the fellowship and building committees, the altar guild, those who sang in the choir, and so many more! This is not to say we didn’t have our issues from time to time. Occasionally, for example, we would run into a financial crunch. But these dear people made it a priority to pay missions first, pastor second. They made it a priority to pay according to district guidelines. They provided a generous housing allowance. They paid for full family health care through Concordia Plans.
St. Paul writes to Timothy: “Let the elders [pastors] who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and ‘The laborer deserves his wages’” (1 Tim. 5:17–18).
The people at Messiah, like thousands of LCMS congregation members across the Synod, love and cherish the Word of Christ for their life and salvation and that of their children and grandchildren. So, too, they love and honor their pastors, who faithfully preach and teach the Word of Christ into their ears and daily lives. Like the veterinarian, the carpenter, the retired teacher and so many others — these baptized children of God work hard to support their own families. And yet, they give of their own incomes to pay the wages of their dear called and ordained servants of Christ, whom they love and cherish.
Whether it’s the pastor faithfully preaching the Word and administering the Sacraments to his dear people or his dear people honoring their servant of the Word with a fair and generous compensation, these fellow redeemed baptized children of God in Christ Jesus care for and love one another. What does church worker wellness look like? It looks like Galatians 2:20 — for both worker and laypeople: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
A new year of church worker appreciation begins in October. Read more.
Posted Sept. 25, 2026
