Meet Our Pastor...

Folks have been asking me what I think of Belvidere. My immediate answer is “I love it!” Though we’re still relatively new to the community, we have some very favorable impressions.

Our very first impressions involve all the beautiful murals. Before driving down to Belvidere, my wife Linda and I had done a quick internet search and had read that Belvidere was the “City of Murals”, but it was only after seeing them the first time that we really appreciated them. They are so well done! We took all kinds of pictures to share with our friends. Now that we live here, we’re inviting everyone we know to come and see our magnificent murals!

What brought me to Belvidere was a call from Hope Lutheran Church to serve as their pastor. I had already announced to the congregation that I had served in St. Paul, MN for the past 24 years that I would like to retire this summer, but when I received the invitation to move to Belvidere and serve as the new pastor of Hope congregation, I felt very confident that that was the Lord’s way of telling me that He wasn’t finished with me yet. So after much prayer and deliberation, we decided to set out on a new journey and do something neither of us had done before: live in Illinois!

We aren’t planning to be “here today and gone tomorrow!” We’re purchased a home in the area. We’ve even bought a Dodge Caliber because it seems fitting for us to drive a car produced in our very own city. We are already meeting lots of wonderful people and looking forward to getting to know many more.

A second question I’m asked is what do you think of Hope Lutheran? I can quickly say that the church building is very beautiful. The sanctuary has a very warm, inviting, comfortable, worshipful feel to it. Not all church buildings have that friendly feel about them, but this one does. As for the congregation, it is currently quite small, but we knew that before coming here. Over the years, Hope has transferred many members to newer congregations in Rockford and Loves Park, but has not gained new members from Belvidere to replace all those who have moved on. That, plus the fact that Hope has not had a resident pastor for several years, has posed a challenge for the congregation.

I personally see it as a wonderful opportunity! Given the fact that Belvidere is blessed with something like 25 Christian churches, I know that living here means that we’ll be surrounded by loving Christian brothers and sisters. I want to encourage all of them to continue to serve the Lord faithfully in their home congregations. But I also believe that in these very hard and sometimes seemingly hopeless times, there is something that a church called Hope can offer.

We can offer Hope in Jesus and provide a warm and caring fellowship for those who currently have no church home. “Offering REAL HOPE for Real Problems” is more than a motto or cliché to us. I see it as a personal challenge to do all I can to serve with genuine love and concern, those who – for whatever reason - are hurting.

That’s why I’m here! I’m honored to be a citizen of Illinois, a resident of Belvidere, and a pastor and member of a church called Hope. I invite folks to check out Hope Lutheran Church. Sunday worship is at 9:00am. After worship the coffee pot is always on, and following some social time, Sunday School and Bible Class begin at 10:30. Welcome!

Pastor Carl Henkel