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Our Pastor
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 Reverend Susan Flemr comes to
Peace Lutheran Church in Edgemont from Sibley, Iowa, where she
has served with her husband, Reverend William Flemr, at Trinity
Evangelical Lutheran Church. Pastor Sue was ordained to the
Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America in June of 2002 following her graduation from
Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.
This is a “second career” for
Pastor Sue who worked as a Registered Nurse for over thirty
years. Her nursing work included public health positions in the
urban Chicago, Illinois and the Iowa cities of Des Moines, Cedar
Falls and Sioux City, as well as positions in rural Iowa.
Pastor Sue felt a strong call
to the role of pastor at a very young age. At that time women
were not being ordained in her Church. Both her father and
paternal grandfather were pastors in the Lutheran Church. After
a fulfilling career in nursing she began doing a great deal of
lay worship leading, preaching and hospital chaplaincy.
Finally, with the full support of her husband, she knew that she
must answer the call first heard so many years before and she
left nursing to enter the seminary.
Pastors Sue and Bill have two
married sons and six grandchildren. The Flemrs have recently
made their home in Fairfield Bay. Pastor Bill is serving as an
interim pastor at Hope Lutheran Church in Heber Springs. Pastor
Sue’s parents retired to Fairfield Bay back in 1979 and were a
part of the early life of the congregation at Peace Lutheran
Church. Pastor Sue’s mother, Lois Valbracht, has returned to
Fairfield Bay with the Flemrs and is living in Indian Rock
Village.
The
Meaning of Peace
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The
Hebrew word for 'peace' is 'shalom'. It is used in a variety of
ways, but at its root it means "to restore broken
relationships". We
believe peace is the work of God and the responsibility of the
people of God. So
we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal
through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to
God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in
him we might become the righteousness of God. (II Corinthians
5:20-21) You
are invited to GIVE PEACE A CHANCE and know God's reconciling love
in your life. For
in Christ all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through
him, God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on
earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
(Colossians 1:19-20) You
are invited to GIVE PEACE OF CHANCE and discover how God empowers us
to make friends out of strangers and enemies. So
Jesus came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to
those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one
Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and
aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the
household of God. (Ephesians 1:17-19) You
are invited to GIVE PEACE A CHANCE. Peace Lutheran Church, that is.
Peace is a congregation of faithful people who worship, learn, and
serve together in the name of Jesus Christ.
History
of our Congregation
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Hope Lutheran Church of Heber Springs
received it charter from the Lutheran Church in America in 1976.
Religious services were conducted in the Presbyterian and Episcopal
churches in Heber Springs until the dedication of the new building
at the present site at the junction of 110 West and 107 in September
1977.
Some of the charter members of this new
congregation were residents of the Greers Ferry and Fairfield Bay
areas. As time wore on, membership at Heber Springs grew from these
areas. Because of the distance of travel and weather hazards, the
church council agreed to conduct a separate service in the Greers
Ferry area.
Attendance at Greers Ferry increased to
the point where a decision had to be made as to whether to move to
larger quarters or to build a permanent church home. On March 15,
1984 a natural phenomenon occurred, which helped us make that
decision. We were forced to cancel our first Lenten service because
a tornado had completely destroyed the bridge connecting Edgemont
and Greers Ferry.
As a result, the members from the
Fairfield Bay and Mystic Isle areas were forced to drive to Greers
Ferry via Clinton and Bee Branch to join their fellow members from
Greers Ferry in religious services, a distance of 57 miles. After a
short period, this situation was remedied by the installation of the
ferry boat system. From then on, until the erection of the new
bridge in 1985, it was a matter of trying to set one's schedule to
that of the varying ferry boat schedules in an effort to "get to the
church on time". Needless to say, this was a real test of faith for
this unusual group, most of whom were retired, yet had the
enthusiasm of teenagers, in their determination to serve the Lord.
In early summer of that year a planning
committee was formed to select a site and to set in motion plans for
the building of this new chapel. Blue prints were received in July
1985 for Hope Chapel. Ground-breaking ceremonies were conducted on
August 25, 1985 with Rev. Royall Yount, Dean of the Arkansas
District, Central States Synod of the Lutheran Church in America,
presiding.
The cement slab was poured on April 1,
1986. The remainder of the year was extremely busy for all of us.
The Wright Construction Company, with
the aid of mostly volunteer workers, was busy at the site, while the
dedicated building committee was busily making decisions on a weekly
basis.
On November 10, 1986 we were blessed
with Dr. Robert Dealey's acceptance to become our new permanent
pastor.
The Hope Chapel section of Hope Lutheran
Church celebrated its first worship service in the new building on
January 18, 1987.
On January 1, 1988 the Lutheran Church
in America will join the American Lutheran church, and the
Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches in America, a church
body of 11,000 congregations, 5.3 million members. The three uniting
church bodies have long had a common faith and mission. Now, the are
seeking to express this faith and their unity in Jesus Christ more
fully, and to strengthen their mission together, enriched by each
others traditions.
May 1997 - Pastor Robert Dealey accepted
a call to a church at Maryville, Ill.
January 11, 1998 - At the annual meeting
of Hope Lutheran Church the mortgage was burned. The mortgage was
dated 1991 for $77,283.99 to be paid off 11/1/01. Luis and Maxine
Nelson of St. Joseph, Ill., held the mortgage.
February 1, 1998 - At a special
congregational meeting it was decided to become two separate
congregations. 109 members attended the meeting. 98 voted yes to the
resolution, 10 voted no, and 1 abstention.
February 15, 1998 - It was decided the
name would be Peace Lutheran Church of Edgemont. This was the
first and very important step in facilitating the legal aspect of
forming a new congregation. It was decided at the January 11, 1998
meeting that Heber Springs would retain the name of hope Lutheran
and Edgemont would select a new name.
April 26, 1998 - Pastor Norbert
Hellrud's last Sunday. He has accepted a call for a church in
Illinois.
May 3, 1998 - The charter and
registration for Peace Lutheran church was signed by all members at
that time.
September 28, 1998 - Pastor John E.
(Jack) Swanson accepted the call to Peace Lutheran Church. With his
starting date to be December 1, 1998.
January 17, 1999 - Pastor John E. (Jack)
Swanson is installed at Peace Lutheran church.
April 24, 1999 - Peace Lutheran church
received into the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod.
September 10, 2000 - Ground breaking for
the new sanctuary and offices.
May 27, 2001 - Installation of the Time
Capsule in the floor of the new narthex.
July 29, 2001 - At the close of the
Sunday worship we moved to the new building.
September 13, 2001 - Prayer service at
Peace as a result of the tragedy in New York City at the World Trade
Center.
September 21, 200 - First Taizé worship
service.
October 21, 2001 - Reformation Sunday -
Church building dedication with reception. Bishop Floyd Schoenhals
presiding. |