Pastor ends long terms of service to Good Shepherd Lutheran, community

WASILLA — In the photo of the Hanson family that hangs in the commons at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, the passage of time is clear.

Taken in 1989, the photo shows Pastor Duane and Elizabeth and their school-age children — Matthew, Heikki, Katherine and Britta — when they joined the Wasilla community.

Now after nearly 24 years as pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Hanson has announced his plan to retire Aug. 1. A community open house to mark the occasion is from 6 to 8 p.m., July 30.

Hanson is only the church’s second pastor since it opened under the leadership of John and Angie Stroud, who served from 1978 to 1988. Then, as now, an interim pastor will be appointed by the bishop to lead the congregation until members have completed the selection process for a new pastor, Hanson said Wednesday.

Church member Linda Myers-Steele made a two-page list of the various ways Hanson has helped the church to grow. Many of those labors are well known in the community, such as the Wasilla Food Pantry and Valley Christian Conference, which Hanson is quick to point out he only helped to found.

Hanson is gracious, as a leader and as a man.

“It’s the people around me who pull it off,” he said. “I’ve been gifted — blessed — with very competent, capable people.”

But Myers-Steele said it’s more than that. Hanson is the sort of leader who nurtures the best in each person. “He encourages people to share their gifts,” she said. “He has faith in each person as an individual.”

She said it’s hard to tally all the ways Hanson has touched the community. She said his motivation is always, “is this good for the community?”

Still, Hanson is uncomfortable accepting her compliments.

“I couldn’t be a pastor in a community for 24 years without being part of a gracious community,” he said.

Hanson said to be welcoming is the nature of the Lutheran church. “Graciousness and hospitality is really the story of Jesus’ ministry,” he said.

Myers-Steele says Good Shepherd Lutheran welcomes everyone, no matter what. Social flash points like abortion, gay rights, race and gender status are included in that embrace.

Hanson said that it is OK to be human is one message he shares with others. “It’s OK to be human,” he said. “We are human beings, so let’s enjoy each other and discover the beauty in one another.”

He grew up in Wisconsin, first in Lucky and then Chetek, and after he retires, he’s headed back to the area to spend quality time with his extended family there this fall, he said.

Hanson completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. And then took some time off before enrolling at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., while Elizabeth finished her degree at the University of Minnesota.

After graduation, they moved to Seattle, Wash., where he worked as a carpenter while she finished graduate school.

His first job in the ministry was a year he spent as a student intern in Ketchikan, he said. From there, the Hansons answered a call to serve in Shishmaref, Sarichef Island in the Chuckchi Sea, five miles from the mainland, just north of the Bering Strait.

“It was a great teaching parish,” Hanson said.

The Hansons lived in the remote village for two years in the days before TV or reliable phone service. The passed the time hunting, fishing and picking berries with the people of Shishmaref.

“That was as far north and west as you could get for the Lutheran church,” he said.

On the island, the Hansons lived next door to the “Shishmaref Cannonball,” legendary musher Herbie Nayokpuk.

“I didn’t know anything about dog mushing, but it was a lot of fun,” Hanson said of helping the musher with his dogs.

As much as Hanson’s service as pastor of Good Shepherd has left lasting marks on the Valley, he said the community has reciprocated.

As an example, Hanson shared the story of vandals who caused more than $100,000 damage to the church in the 1990s. He said Mayor John Stein was at the church first thing in the morning asking what he could do to help and the school district donated the use of Wasilla High School for worship services for the next two months while the church was repaired.

“The community really stood with us,” he said. “As much as we have gone into the community the community has been very supportive of us.”

Contact Heather A. Resz at 352-2268 or heather.resz@frontiersman.com.