A Farewell Note from Vicar Wes Isberner
Dear Siblings in Christ,
I want to share a word of thanks to you all for welcoming me into the First English community this year as your vicar. To welcome a seminarian and contribute to their mentoring and formation as a church leader is no small feat, let alone doing so in conjunction with another ministry.
As all internships are, this has been a year of formative growth, deep reflection, and hopeful visioning. To become a part of a congregation as a vicar is to wade into the realities of being a pastor, both the wonderful and the painful. I have rejoiced in the many relationships I have formed and the way they have shaped my sense of leadership and call. And I give thanks for the times I have been welcomed into the mess of it all. It’s the most difficult parts of life that show how communities like First English are so vital – places that give peace, hope, care, and liberation even when the way forward is unclear.
First English has cared for, inspired, and empowered me as a candidate and helped lay another part of the foundation for my ministry. I also give thanks for the ways many of you have embraced Micah and me as a clergy couple, and supported Micah in their discernment this year. In a year full of change and challenge – for us, for the church, and for the world – it has been invaluable to be so loved by this church.
Thank you, again. I can’t wait to see how God continues to move and shape this congregation.
In Christ,
— Wes Isberner (they/them/theirs)
May 31, 2022
A note of information:
As of May 31, Wes Isberner’s internship with FELC and LuMin has concluded. If you would like to contact Wes personally, they can be reached at: wisberner@wartburgseminary.edu or by this mailing address: The Rev. Seminarian Wes Isberner, 450 Blair Drive, Dubuque, IA 52003
To read the final sermon offered from Wes on Sunday, May 29, click here.