By Khalida Sarwari
On a Tuesday morning in early May, Gabriel Winterhof bounced from one end of the office at the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Saratoga to the other, clutching a “Thomas the Tank Engine” coloring book. His father fed the energetic 2-year-old a piece of a doughnut, and after quickly devouring the treat, Gabriel jumped onto the couch and positioned himself next to his mother. His parents, Nathan Winterhof and Sara Pearson, looked on adoringly, wearing the smiles of proud parents.
Winterhof and Pearson, both 35, are the new pastors at Prince of Peace, hired on April 15 to replace Jim Friedrich, who retired after 17 years at the church. An installation ceremony for the husband and wife team was held on May 3.
“It’s the first time there’s been a clergy couple in this valley, is what we’ve been told,” said Pearson, who is no stranger to the church, having interned there five years ago. The “loving and welcoming atmosphere” Pearson experienced at Prince of Peace is what compelled her and her husband to apply for the open positions. This is only the second time in the church’s 56-year history that it’s had two pastors simultaneously, she said.
“This place feels like home, a place you want to spend time in,” she said.
Prior to coming to Saratoga, Pearson and Winterhof lived in Wisconsin for four years, where they started working as professional pastors in different churches in communities that, with a population of a little more than 500, were nearly the size of Prince of Peace’s congregation. There, they spent much of their time working with youth and helping to build community.
The couple’s tracks crossed in 2008 while they were both enrolled at the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that is one of the more liberal factions of the Protestant denomination. Prior to that, Pearson, who hails from Omaha, Neb., graduated from Midland University in her home state, and Winterhof, a resident of a small town in Iowa, studied at Luther College.
“Growing up on the farm, the church was a part of our life,” said Winterhof. But while his parents were both Sunday school teachers, he said he found himself disinterested in church activities. “As I got to college and beyond, I noticed I missed it when I wasn’t there.”
While Pearson knew she wanted to be a pastor at 12, Winterhof said he didn’t feel fully ready until he was 26, only because he wanted to be sure that the experience would be genuine and focused on helping others.
After making up their minds, both spent some time working abroad, Pearson with the Peace Corps in Africa and Winterhof as a missionary in China, where he taught spoken English for a year.
The couple will likely tap into their experiences and skill sets to meet the challenges that lie ahead of them in Saratoga, one being familiarizing themselves with the demographics of the church’s congregation.
“It’s such a culture change between Wisconsin and here,” said Pearson. “We have a lot of learning to do about who the people are in this congregation. Building relationships is what I’m focused on now. We are such an individualistic society, I think it’s important to create spaces where people can connect with each other.”
Their duties include providing care to the sick and the homeless and anyone who’s looking to “find meaning in their lives,” said Pearson.
“You get to be people’s good friend; that’s part of your job,” Winterhof said. “That’s such a privilege.”
The couple said they’re also looking into reviving programs such as Theology Pub, where people are invited to gather at a bar and have a dialogue about theology over drinks. They’ll also consider introducing more youth and family programs and modifying the church’s Sunday school model, which they believe needs updating.
But, before people get the wrong idea about the couple’s intentions for their new congregation, Pearson hastened to add, “It’s not about entertaining people on Sunday; it’s about challenging them to live their lives for others.”
Winterhof said he, Pearson, Gabriel and a new addition they’re expecting in June would stay in Saratoga for as long as they’re welcomed.
“This is the kind of opportunity you only dream about because it’s too good to be true,” he said. “So we’re going to be here.”
