In the Field

Featuring the Rev. Scott T. Porath, 
Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, 
Eagle, Neb.

by Monica Robins

If you were to ask current pastors and seminary students how they came to know that they wanted to be pastors, most would share interesting anecdotes about the ways the Lord directed them. It seems that each man arrives at the decision in a unique way. The same is true for Pastor Scott T. Porath, who graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in 1991.

He did his undergraduate work by attending the University of Nebraska part time while working at a full-time job in retail. He earned a B.S. in Biology from this institution, as well as a plan for what would come next: a Master of Divinity. Specifically, it was Pastor James Bauer, who was then the pastor of University Lutheran Chapel at the university, and is now pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Denver. "During my later student years, I began to attend services there and had many opportunities to talk with Pastor Bauer. One day, I was sitting in his office, and he asked me if I'd ever considered studying for the ministry. I chuckled because I had, and also because the long-running joke in my family was that one of us kids would pick up the 'pastor' ball from my grandfather and uncle and run with it."

Pastor Porath and his then fiancée, Catherine, visited Fort Wayne in May 1987 and liked the way the campus was laid out and the smaller city life that Fort Wayne offers. "We lined up good housing quickly, and everything seemed to fall into place," commented Pastor Porath. "We were married in June 1987, and I began Greek that fall. We didn't know what to expect from our seminary experience at all. I found that I really enjoyed the professors, and some of our greatest friends are those we met at the seminary. I continue to learn from the professors today through their writings, the annual Symposia Series, and the continuing education courses that are offered."

After graduating from seminary in 1991, Pastor Porath was called to St. Paul's Ev. Lutheran Church in Central City, Neb., where he was sole pastor until 1996. He then served as Associate Pastor from 1996 to 1999 at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Manitowoc, Wis. He received his current call to Immanuel Ev. Lutheran Church in Eagle, Neb., in 1999.

"We have a unique setting in Eagle. It's a small town of 1,000 people about ten miles from Lincoln. It's a 'commuter community,' but it has its roots in agriculture. We now have less than a handful of farmers." Pastor Porath relates. "Eagle proper is not growing, but the acreage nearby is highly sought after, which offers great potential and challenge. How do you reach out to people who are trying to get away?" These dynamics in Eagle are different from those he experienced in the other two congregations he served.

In response to the challenge, Immanuel offers Divine Services from Lutheran Worship on Sundays and has a Matins Service on Tuesday mornings. Typically, there are about 300 people in church on Sunday. Pastor Porath states that the young children often sing the opening Versicles in Matins loud enough that they are more easily heard than the adults.

Pastor Porath said of the members of Immanuel, "The members here treasure the Word and Sacraments, they hunger for them, and they share that desire with their neighbors and co-workers and encourage them to come to church."

He continued, "It is easy to find entertainment-style worship in this area, and some have left for it and have not returned. I have found, however, that the liturgy is easily set aside when congregation members don't understand the meaning behind it. With the help of a talented group of people in the area of music, I teach what the liturgy is and why we do it. The congregation members gain an understanding and appreciation for it, and they begin to hunger and thirst for the gifts that the Lord bestows. This is what it means to be Lutheran. We are not ashamed of it. We want to be very clear about what we believe, teach, and confess, and we want to share it with everyone."

One of Pastor Porath's congregationmembers, David Ohlman, is now a student at Concordia Theological Seminary.

Pastor Porath and his wife, Catherine, have three girls: Elizabeth (12), Laura (9), and Abigail (6).