Council President Susan Kratz’s Letter

Dear Friends,

It is with sadness that we are receiving the news from Pastor Karl Jacobson that due to his continuing need to focus on his health, he is resigning as our Senior Pastor. In addition to serving as our spiritual leader, Pastor Karl has become our friend. While we may understand Pastor Karl’s decision to step down to focus on his wellness, it will be difficult for us to say goodbye to our beloved pastor and friend.

Pastor Karl joined Good Shepherd in 2013 as our Teaching Pastor and was called as our Senior Pastor in 2018. Throughout that time, we have benefited greatly from Pastor Karl’s gifts.

As a biblical scholar, Pastor Karl’s remarkable preaching has reached deeply into our minds and hearts, assuring us of God’s love and faithfulness - with lessons in the Greek and Hebrew languages along the way! And all with his unique wit and sense of humor!

Under Karl’s leadership, we have continued to grow in our faith through lifelong learning and have served the wider community through our outreach ministries. When the pandemic hit, staff and the congregation gracefully navigated the impacts on worship and other areas of ministry. We stayed connected through weekly TabLET talk emails from members of the congregation and through the creation of online worship that has now evolved into live streaming that allows us to participate in worship when we are unable to be there in person.

We prayed for Karl as he embarked on his journey of beating his leukemia diagnosis in early 2022. We celebrated his return in April 2023, understanding that his return would need to be gradual as he assessed his capacity to increase hours. We are thankful that Karl is in remission and we pray for his continued strength. In true Pastor Karl fashion, he continues to look out for the best interests of Good Shepherd. So as we grieve his departure, we also know that Pastor Karl is leaving a wonderful legacy and allowing us to grow into the next phase of congregational life at Good Shepherd. We will be cheering for Karl, Angela, and their family as they enter the next chapter of what God has planned.

Plans are underway to celebrate Pastor Karl and to share our immense gratitude for all he has done for this congregation. More information will be shared soon, but please save May 19th for a farewell event. In the meantime, the Council is working closely with the Synod. Additional communications will be shared with the congregation about this upcoming transition soon.

With gratitude,
Susan Kratz, Council President