In the Field

Preaching Christ Crucified

Featuring the Rev. William Kilps
Pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Two Rivers, Wis.

by Monica Robins

Some of the greatest joys in the ministry that I have experienced have occurred in the midst of adult instruction classes--to see the light go on in the faces of the people who understand, for the first time, what it means to be a Christian," states the Rev. William Kilps, Pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Two Rivers, Wis. "It's not about what they are supposed to be doing for God, but rather it's all about what God has done for them in Christ Jesus. To me, the point when they come to grasp the concept of pure grace--that's one of the greatest joys of the ministry."

Pastor Kilps is a product of the strong educational system of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod from kindergarten through seminary. "My grade school and high school years were spent in the Milwaukee, Wis., area, where I attended Hales Corners Lutheran School, Martin Luther High School, and later, Concordia College, Milwaukee," relates Pastor Kilps. In 1978, he earned a B.A. from Concordia Teachers College, River Forest, Ill., and went on to earn an M.Div. from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1982. He is presently working on his Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) degree. "I have always enjoyed the relationship that I continue to share with Concordia Theological Seminary," comments Pastor Kilps. "Not only have I appreciated the graduate classes that have been offered, but over the years I have also had the pleasure of hosting various professors for weekend congregational retreats. I count a number of these professors as both mentors and friends. They are tremendous assets to the church--those of us in the field find their work, their contributions, and their accessibility invaluable."

With his strong Lutheran education background, Pastor Kilps is well prepared to face one of the things that he finds needful in today's congregations--Lutheran identity. So many congregational members are bombarded daily with teachings that are more Reformed or Baptist in nature. The majority of what they hear on the radio or read in publications from their local Christian bookstore present doctrines that conflict with our own Lutheran Church. Pastor Kilps says, "Often, I have heard people try to drive a wedge between faith and its confession by asking incredulously, 'Are you a Lutheran or are you a Christian?!' They fail to recognize that the faith we confess as Lutherans is the genuine Christian faith. Things like salvation by grace alone, sanctification by the Spirit alone, original sin, infant Baptism, and the real presence of the Lord's Supper--all things that we profess as Lutherans--are matters that are essential to the true Christian Church. To that end, I believe that catechesis is vitally important. As my Bible Class has heard me repeat time and again.'Know what you believe and why you believe it.'"

Pastor Kilps' first call was to St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Marengo, Wis., and then, after having been there for six months, St. Paul's entered into a dual-parish relationship with Trinity Lutheran Church, Glidden, Wis., to which he was extended a call. In 1986, he accepted a call to Zion Lutheran Church in East Moline, Ill., where he served for nearly 14 years. While there, he also served as second vice president of the Central Illinois District. Then in 1999, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Two Rivers, Wis., extended a call to Pastor Kilps.

Good Shepherd has about 130 people in worship on Sundays, for which they use The Lutheran Hymnal. "It's interesting to come back to the hymnal on which I was raised as a child," says Pastor Kilps. "Zion Lutheran in East Moline, where I served for 14 years, used Lutheran Worship. I have a great appreciation for our historic liturgy, which connects our family, and our extended congregational family, to the generation of my parents and grandparents with whom I worshipped as a child." Pastor Kilps helped create a hymnal supplement for Good Shepherd, which includes Divine Service II and several hymns from Lutheran Worship, in order to familiarize the congregation with some of the liturgies and hymns that will be included in the new hymnal for 2007.

In the way of Bible study, Good Shepherd holds a variety of classes throughout the week--from a Sunday morning class, to a mid-week class, and an adult instruction class. "It's important to me, and to the members of the congregation, that the pastor lead Bible study classes," comments Pastor Kilps. "A number of them have experienced the pit-falls of being involved in lay-led, home studies where there has been no pastoral supervision over what was being taught or discussed. It's so easy for false notions to take hold with the result that people began questioning the authenticity of their own faith. Much of my teaching, therefore, continually goes back to the basics of the Small Catechism. I'm always trying to weave the six chief parts into the Bible class discussions."

Good Shepherd is located in a strong Wisconsin Synod community in Manitowoc County, which already has a firmly established parochial school system in place, thus making the prospect of opening an LCMS school at Good Shepherd unlikely. Good Shepherd has a preschool for three- and four-year-olds. As Pastor Kilps' wife, Lori, is a rostered LCMS teacher, she serves as the school's director and teacher.

Pastor Kilps says, "The fact that Lori is teaching at our church's preschool enables us to keep in touch with each other throughout the day. At home, our discussions bounce back and forth between conversations concerning family and church. It is so important to keep the task-related aspects of our work separated from the spiritual aspect of our membership in the church."

When asked what he would say to a man considering the Holy Ministry, Pastor Kilps offered two insights. "First of all, preach Christ crucified. If the Lord should lead you into this calling, remember that you will not be stepping into the pulpit in order to talk about yourself or to tell clever stories for the congregation's pleasure. The words of John the Baptist apply so aptly: as individuals who have been called to stand in the stead of the Lord, we must decrease in order that Christ might increase. Or, paraphrasing the words of those who approached the apostle Philip, 'Sir, we wish to see Jesus.'

"The second thing I would say is, 'Do not be discouraged.' Preaching Christ crucified doesn't sit well with our human nature, which would much rather receive recognition for its own so-called spiritual accomplishments. If the true Gospel proclamation is met with resistance, or even rejection, don't be discouraged. Above all, God has called you to be faithful."

Pastor Kilps is married to Lori (née Gottschalk), and they have two children: Nathan (19), who is in his second year in the secondary education teachers program at Concordia University, Mequon, Wis.; and Billy (17), who is a junior at Two Rivers High School.