At the beginning of 2007, the pastor began a new call at Salem Lutheran Church in Sycamore, Illinois. The vision to be achieved was a smooth and effective entry which would lead to a mutually beneficial partnership for the sake of those gathered, for the sake of the world. Impediments to achieving a relationship of mutuality included the congregation's high expectations of this pastor given her perceived 'expert status' having most recently served on a judicatory staff and the pastor's moving from the now comfortable role of outside consultant to parish pastor. Key theological commitments that drive this work include Luther's understanding of "the priesthood of all believers" and a deep belief that in spite ofrecent negative trends, God has been at work in this place since before its inception as a congregation. Behavioral, cultural and political changes were required to accomplish this vision. Strategies undertaken to address them were educational and formative in nature. The 'priesthood of all believers' began to be lived into as the pastor modeled a deep respect for the people of that place in the ways in which she sought to understand their history and culture, by compiling with them a congregational history. Other interventions included reshaping the workings of the staff, meeting regularly with a group that monitored the entry, and inviting congregational leaders into the front line work of welcoming and integrating new members. Key learnings include the certainty that reshaping a culture to reflect the 'priesthood of all believers' will take more than a year. At the same time, this thesis has borne out the research which indicates that how a pastor enters a new ministry context is critically important for all that will follow. Evaluation ofthis entry was accomplished through the solicitation of feedback in the form of periodic written evaluations and ongoing mutual conversation.
