The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Pastor reflects on 37 years in Northeast Ohio
Madsen to retire later this year
The leader of a church in central Lorain will retire from full time ministry later this year.
However, the Rev. Jimmy W. Madsen, pastor of First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lorain, said he plans to remain part of the town where he has lived almost 38 years.
“I come from one of the places that lots of people want to move to, and yet I still choose to live here and when I retire, I’m going to stay,” Madsen said.
A native of Round Rock, Texas, Madsen, 67, arrived in Lorain to begin his pastorate on July 1, 1979.
He has remained at the church since then — a long term that is relatively rare for ministers.
By his own admission, Madsen toyed with the idea of changing congregations a few times, but never left central Lorain.
“This is my first call,” he said. “That doesn’t happen a lot, but once in a while, when it’s good, it’s good.”
In April, the First Lutheran congregation will vote on its new pastor, who would start in May.
Madsen will stay on for a few months in transition, so his exact retirement date is not set yet.
Getting started
Madsen earned his music degree from the University of Texas and was a church organist considering the seminary.
His pastor in Texas, who graduated from Wittenberg College in Ohio, suggested Madsen continue his studies at Wittenberg.
During his studies there, that seminary merged with one at Capital University, where Madsen finished his theological curriculum.
Nearing graduation, Madsen listed Ohio as his first choice for his first ministry.
“I like Ohio; I wasn’t quite ready to leave here,” he said. “I thought I might stay about five years or so, and then go back to Texas.”
Meeting Lorain
Madsen had never heard of Lorain when he came for an interview.
But, he became pastor and never left.
“The congregation attracted me for a couple of reasons,” Madsen said.
He said he thought he could stay a while when he saw the church’s pipe organ, “a beautiful instrument” known as John Brombaugh’s Opus 4. Madsen credited Music Director David Boe for maintaining First Lutheran Church as a leader in sacred music in Lorain.
“For a musician, especially an organist, it was just a dream to come here and hear incredible music every Sunday morning,” he said. “It fed that musical side of myself.”
Madsen also had an interest in social ministry and found a group of believers to match.
“This congregation has always been open to the neighborhood,” he said. “They had a habit of looking around and saying, what needs aren’t being met? I think that’s what’s kept them a strong congregation.” Madsen arrived in Lorain in time to watch the decline of its industrial base, with American Ship Building leaving in 1981. Large-scale layoffs started at the steel mills and Ford had struggles in Lorain.
“So, the needs of the community, they kept changing and were more and more drastic, so finding ways to respond kept us challenged,” he said. “It kept my interest.”
Finding ways to help
First Lutheran was a founding church of the Lorain Cooperative Ministry, which remains active with food pantries. The Lorain County Free Clinic grew out of the cooperative efforts of Lorain’s Lutheran churches.
LEAF, the Love Emergency Aid Fund, grew to become the Front Door Ministry, a drop-in service still operating from 1011:30 a.m. Tuesdays at Redeemer Episcopal Church, 647 Reid Ave.
“So, all of those things have kept us very busy for the last 37 and a half years, so I never got bored,” Madsen said.
And that was before the fire.
Coming through fire
First Lutheran received international attention
Aug. 28, 2014, when a blaze destroyed the church at 603 Washington Ave. The fire was ruled arson, but the exact cause remains unknown.
The congregation stayed together and its efforts to rebuild have been well documented.
The new church building is under construction at 1019 W. Fifth St. and is scheduled to be completed this year.
First Lutheran is rooted in central Lorain; its members will drive miles to attend Sunday worship.
Especially after the fire, it became apparent that neighbors who aren’t official members also viewed it as their church, Madsen said.
“It has very strong relationships and that’s been key to our survival,” he said.
Lorain’s waterfront, “a beautiful place with wonderful potential,” has impressed visiting Texans and the consulting designers planning the new church building.
The city is close to Oberlin College and the music, arts and culture of Cleveland, Madsen said.
Apart from the winters, the weather generally is pleasant, he said.
“I may want to spend some winters in Austin,” Madsen said. “January and February in Austin are great. But this is a very attractive place to be.”