A TALE OF TWO CHURCHES

About the Book

A Tale of Two Churches examines the complexities of resurrecting a congregation postmortem. While conflict is a natural occurrence in all communities, it can lead to organizational implosion. The warning signs become blaring sirens when mistrust goes viral, rumors escalate uncontrolled, and the people discontinue their participation. Pastor Ehlke attempts to generate new life in the corpse of a dying church through means of spiritual transformation. Using the Scripture as a guidepost for reform, the pastor starts a small group designed for the sole purpose of loving the people. Trusting this will spark a revolution of compassion, the leadership embarks on breathing new life into a community declared all but dead by many in observance. Having worked at St. John Lutheran Church in Winter Park, perhaps this paradigm will breathe life into other faith communities who are staring into the darkness of death.

About the Author

The Reverend Troy Ehlke is an ordained pastor serving with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He has received master’s degrees in the fields of theology and divinity from Harvard Divinity School, The Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley, California), and from Princeton Theological Seminary. He is currently undertaking doctoral studies at Drew University, in the area of Systems Theory and Congregational Life. He has been in residence at Christ Lutheran Church in Charlotte, NC, since 2005 and serves as their Pastor of Care and Counseling. When not actively engaged in matters of ministry, Pastor Ehlke has employed his passion for writing and has penned two critically-acclaimed works, stemming from his knowledge of biblical scholarship: Muddy Mentors and Scaly Scholars-Animal Teachers in our Midst and Crossroads of Agony-Suffering and Violence in the Christian Tradition. In 2009, Pastor Ehlke was honored by an invitation from the US House of Representatives to be its guest chaplain, where he officiated with a prayer and invocation at the opening of a spring session. Of all of God’s blessings in his life, the greatest is his beloved wife, Cynthia; their 18-month-old son, Julian; and one child yet to be welcomed into the world. They are presently waiting, with great excitement, for the birth of their second child.