Intern Pastor's Page

an Interview with Lisa Janke, Intern Pastor

On August 23 we welcomed Intern Pastor Lisa Janke and her partner Luke Hollander to St. Luke’s Zion during our worship service. Over the coming months you will have a chance to get to know Lisa better, and here is a short interview to get you started! 

What is it like to be back in Winnipeg? 

It is great to be home! I have lived in Winnipeg my whole life until moving to Minneapolis to attend seminary in 2013.  Being back means more time spent with family and friends, and we are making the most of it. We especially cherish our time with our one-year old nephew who lives just 10 minutes away! Luke grew up in Iowa and now most of his family live in Rochester, Minnesota. While we miss living closer to them we are already making plans to visit for American Thanksgiving.  

What made you decide to go to seminary? 

Many people go to seminary because they feel called to be a pastor. I went to seminary because I felt called to a theological education.  In 2012, I spent four months in Cameroon with Kelly Speak. Our task was to train women involved in the Lutheran Church to be leaders in SafeTeen, a violence prevention program for girls and women. It was challenging work as we spent considerable time and energy listening to stories of violence and explaining the power dynamics at work as a basis for understanding how to stand up for and protect ourselves.  

Equipping these women with the words to articulate their situation empowered them to work for change.  I had the expertise to do this.  My stumbling block was when my arguments were challenged from a theological standpoint. For instance, I didn’t know how to boldly declare that the injustices they faced as a country were not punishment from God; that God does not condone gender inequality; or that violent words or actions regarding homosexuality are not scriptural.  Correction: I did boldly declare this. I just couldn’t boldly back my declarations with sound theology. So, from the Lutheran mission compound in Ngaoundéré, Cameroon I found myself setting up a campus visit for Luther Seminary upon my return.

What part of Internship are you most excited about? 

Since my internship is half-time at St. Luke’s Zion and half-time with the MNO Synod I’m looking forward to discerning what types of ministry I might best be suited for. At St. Luke’s Zion I am excited about the people I will meet and thrilled to be working with Pastor Lynne. I have already learned much from her about hospitality in my first week. I also know that internship is a time of “sheltered trying.” That means that I am supposed to try putting some of my ministry ideas into action, and rather than being most concerned about the ideas succeeding, the goal is to focus on being a trustworthy leader and learn from the process. This is what I look forward to most.   

What do you do for fun? 

I enjoy hosting parties, camping, swimming, and both watching and playing soccer. I love going to Winnipeg Jets games when my brother takes me. More recently I have started doing mosaic art. It is really rewarding to take broken pieces of pottery and glass and form a new creation out of them. Luke and I also love going for walks. We live very close to Fort Whyte Alive and will often walk there to find birds together. Luke is quite the birder and I like to tag along and take photos of the birds he finds.  

What do you want members of St. Luke’s Zion to know? 

I want them to know I am thankful to be a part of ministry at St. Luke’s Zion and hope to learn more about each one of them and this community of faith.