The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
by Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher/Owner
How do you describe forty years of serving a church and a community in one newspaper article? It is impossible! But hopefully, we can give snippets of a relationship that has gone on far beyond the norm of what pastor–congregation–church board relationships have been across our nation.
The average stay for a senior pastor at a church is said to be 4 years, and for a youth pastor, about three years. It is said that small churches feel they are stepping stones for pastors seeking bigger churches.
One article said that half the ministers won’t survive at all. “They will self-destruct or be chewed up before the ink on their seminary degree is dry.” The pastor went on. “Some flight around from one church to another like a sprint rather than a marathon it should be,” and “some denominations shuffle through pastors like a deck of cards”.
For Pastor Bruce, he had a simple plan, and that was to come out of seminary school and be the best pastor he could be, and that meant serving people and preaching and teaching the gospel.
In a recent 145 page book ‘READY FOR ANYTHING” which Bruce authored, he more fully explains his 40 years. I encourage you to buy it.
“A Pastor has the privilege of walking through the pivotal moments of life with his people. Sometimes those moments are funny. At other times they break your heart.”
Also in the book he said in the first chapter, “When I talked to the search committee the night of my interview, I told them that I would continue to serve as long as it was still fun. Once it stopped being fun, I promised I would leave. (A Pastor seeing their work as a burden instead of privilege will be of little service to the Lord they are charged to represent)” he wrote.
Bruce was a city kid. He experienced city life growing up in Chicago and attending Chicago public schools. It was there Bruce was drawn to the ministry at an early age. He became a Christian at the age of 13, he said, in a little congregational church led by the youth pastors of the Trinity (Church). Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
So upon graduation, he went on to Trinity College in Deerfield and later to Northern Baptist Seminary where he earned his Master of Divinity Degree and a Masters degree in Religious Education, and became a pastor.
Fortunately for both Bruce and La Harpe, the Union Church had been without a pastor for 2 1/2 years and was searching for a pastor. Bruce was interviewed, and accepted the role as their pastor.
He gave his first sermon at the Union Church on Sunday, February 7, 1982.
Bruce came to teach but he also wanted to learn from his congregation in order to serve well as the church’s pastor. He said, “One of the things Pastors sometimes forget is to stop and understand why a congregation is doing what they are doing before making wholesale changes.”
Looking at the task at hand, and at the people he had been chosen to serve, a relationship began that grew and grew between Bruce and the church people as well as Bruce and the La Harpe community.
“I came wanting to do a good job at being a pastor for the Union Church of La Harpe,” Bruce said. “That takes a commitment of always listening and consistently praying for individuals and their struggles, helping them through their losses, and joining in their celebrations.”
For congregation members, it has been Bruce not only teaching them the love that Christ has for them, but his modeling to the congregation what that looks like in his words and in his deeds.
“The Lord cares for each of us, and the Bible explains the love of Christ and how we should care for others.
“Caring for each other is not pushing just our own agenda, but as Christians listening with compassion and concern for the other person’s concerns,” Bruce said.
Bruce remembers driving to La Harpe with a prepared sermon, but on the way down here, he said the sermon didn’t seem right. It was right after his aunt had died, so he changed it.
Bruce listens to the whispers and nudges of God and will follow His voice. He has found that God’s nudges can come from various places and people and can bring you to unexpected places.
God’s nudging has brought Bruce to these milestones:
#1 Leave sermon notes on the podium and step out from the pulpit trusting the Holy Spirit to lead me as I speak. This was certainly a challenge to Bruce’s faith, but brought about surprisingly good results and freedom.
#2 Started a website and began a sermon archive after attending an Internet class in the early 1990s with Todd Irish. Todd worked on bringing the Internet to La Harpe and Bruce was able to secure the website www.unionchurch.com. The church was surprised by the interest in the sermon archive. The Internet has allowed him to reach around the world with well over a million plus visitors from all over the world.
#3 The church hired a man who was in a wheelchair and unable to work to be their church secretary. Dave Clover is no longer in the wheelchair and has worked as the Office manger for over 20 years. Bruce calls Dave the “gatekeeper.”
#4 In 1982 through the request of a Stronghurst Attorney Lyman Fort a radio ministry began. This gave the church a broader outreach with God’s word from Mt. Pleasant, Iowa to almost Champaign, IL, and with no idea who they might be reaching, encouraging, or changing to follow Jesus.
#5 In 2000, Bruce was challenged to write a book. He did so and has now completed over 19 books including 5 children’s books and four devotionals.
#6 In 2006, there was a casual conversation with his son Rick about an open spot on the pastoral staff. Rick joined the church staff later that year and has served coming up on 16 years together with his dad. Bruce says, “working with Rick has been one of the richest experiences of my life.”
#7 John Louden III suggested bringing in the Christian band “Tenth Avenue North” to La Harpe. This led to well over 20 Christian concerts with some of the top names in contemporary Christian music.
I am sure there are daily nudges Bruce responds to that has brought comfort to many others in their time of need. And if he didn’t have a prior commitment that cannot be moved, Bruce would accept invitations to help in whatever community event he could, whether a poem or invocation or speaking engagement. He has even preached at three revivals in various places. He has done his best to accommodate and share God’s message of hope and love and will take time to visit with and encourage others.
Bruce has followed through with his commitment to follow God’s calling which he says has kept him in this small town church he has grown to know and love. In fact, Bruce now calls La Harpe his hometown, as it is where he feels at home, and where he has been well loved and encouraged through his own challenges.
Bruce said that D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones book on preaching was instrumental in Bruce’s passion to preach through entire books of the Bible systematically. He says, “This keeps us from preaching the whole counsel of God and helps us avoid preaching only on ”comfortable” topics. This also gives the congregation the context to better understand the Bible. Bruce explains, “When we get to a difficult text (or subject) no one thinks we are targeting someone, it is just where we are in the text.”
After Bruce had finished preaching on Genesis, he was told by a member of the congregation that his series on Genesis was so interesting, he should put it in a book ….. thus Bruce’s first book was authored on the book of GENESIS called FAITH LESSONS.
Xulon Press an upstart publishing company asked Bruce if he would be one of their first books, this was a print on demand where they would help with cover, editing, etc. for $1500. Bruce’s parents invested in him and his book idea, and the President of Xulon Press, Tom Freiling, flew Bruce to Atlanta to the Christian booksellers conference. That is where it all began. Later Bruce moved his books to Amazon and Kindle direct publishing. “They made it so easy,” he said. He has two books on Audible.
Three things Bruce has learned that he can pass on to other pastors.
#1 Love the people.
#2 Appreciate and trust the leadership
#3 Be patient. By that, he means to help people see what you are trying to do. Once you reach a common mindset, you can move forward together.
“God does not call us to be successful but to be faithful! We are not competing with other churches, but the biggest thing is to be growing as deep as we can with our walk with God together.”
Some rewards Bruce has seen is seeing people not merely attending church, but actually getting involved in the ministry. “We have four Bible studies because we believe that knowing the Bible is the key. The church is not here as a social hub but to help people grow in their relationship with God, and that means Bible studies.”
The Union church has…..
#1 A Men’s Bible Study which has gone on for over 25 years. Men start arriving a little before 5:00 a.m. for a 5:30 Bible Study that ends at 6:15. There are between 15-19 guys who attend regularly.
#2 A Thursday morning Bible study at 10:00 a.m. has been going on for over 35 years that now has 15-20 people attending from inside and outside the church.
#3 Monday evening there is a 7 p.m. Bible study with 10-15 attending.
#4 Wednesday night Rick Goettsche leads a Bible Study via Zoom, with participants attending from all over.
#5 Two services at 8:00 and 10:30 on Sundays with a Sunday School class that Bruce team-teaches with his son.
Both Bruce and Rick see teaching the Bible as their priority and gift –”Bible Teaching,” Bruce explains, “is exciting and wonderful. We have watched people grow as they systematically understand God’s Word.”
Bruce at one time wrote poems for funerals and weddings which became treasures to those families he contributed them to.
A goal that Bruce and the church met came in an unexpected way when they purchased the neighboring Methodist Church. It saved the church the expense of a much talked about addition to the church, which hadn’t happened because the church didn’t want to go into debt.
A week before the La Harpe Methodist Church disbanded, due to a good relationship with the Union Church, the members of the Methodist church graciously offered their building to the Union Church at a generous price. That agreement led to that building being used regularly throughout the week for gatherings and ministry.
Looking back on his 40 years, Bruce recalls joyous weddings with people he watched grow up, and also many hardships. It has been very difficult to bury dear friends and the children of dear friends.
“I have had a joyous 40-year relationship with all these people and feel, at times, the role of pastor of an entire community. For instance, a trip to the post office can take an hour and a half. It’s pure joy to know so many people on a personal level.”
Yes pastoring may have its tough times but Bruce remembers Mike Butler in his farm talk, saying about farming: “That’s what farming is. If you don’t like it don’t complain about it, get another job.”
For Bruce, “I come to work excited every day. I have a stable and talented office staff that works seamlessly together. The job is full of privileges and wonderful people who have touched my life and who make me a better person and I hope I have reciprocated that. It is always an honor to be invited to speak at someone’s funeral or wedding or anniversary. Everyone wants to do something to help and I get the privilege to do something. I am doing everything I can to honor the life of an individual and to proclaim the gospel – the only comfort there is.”
Pastor Bruce said he doesn’t do poems anymore but in every funeral tries to point out “positive lessons or snapshots from a person’s life.” I speak for families in these times and want to honor their loved one. At the same time I want to point every person to the true hope that is found in Christ alone. This was part of his early goal - to walk with people through their toughest times.
Bruce’s outlook on pastors seeking big crowds is: “It can cause one to lose sight of the Bible and its importance.” He said, “The church can become a consumer-centered church, rather than God-centered.” he explained.
Bruce says of his 40 years at the La Harpe Union Church: “I love what I do, and am grateful I get to do it. I have the best boss in the world, the Lord, and He has a great retirement plan for me.”
Things you may or may not know about Bruce:
Maybe you can sum up Bruce’s 40 years of ministry at the Union Church of La Harpe this way - Trust and Love. In his last message of his 40th year on Sunday, January 30, 2022. Bruce preached on the scriptures that continue to guide him. –
THE MESSAGE WAS – WHO DO YOU TRUST?
“What does it take for you to trust someone?”
Bruce preached, “For one thing, you must stop fretting”, he said.
Isaiah 7:9 teaches us: “Unless your faith is firm, you can not stand firm.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; and do not lean on your own understanding.”
In Matthew 6:33 scripture says: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."
Bruce asked his congregation, “Can I trust God?” He paused and then answered. “You can bet your life on Him!” Then he advised, “Do the things he says. Do the things that are difficult. Let go of your worries….How much more does God need to do for you before you trust Him?”
For forty years, the Union Church has seen its pastor Bruce Goettsche preach from God’s word. For forty years Bruce has seen his congregation grow spiritually where they can feed themselves with the word, and help feed that word to others. It is a mutual trust in God that binds them together. ness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Pastor Bruce Goettsche (left) had a simple plan, and that was to come out of seminary school and be the best pastor he could be. Now, forty years later, he still holds fast to that plan as he continues alongside his son Rick Goettsche as co-pastors of the Union Church of La Harpe.
Pastor Bruce Goettsche of La Harpe with his wife Debbie.