JUNE 6, 2015 LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, JUNE 6, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — Congregants at Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church plan to spend much of this month extolling the good works of their longtime leader, the Rev. Andy Nelson.
Nelson, who has served the Linwood Avenue church for more than 20 years, has announced his plans to retire. His last day as the church’s ecclesiastic will be June 30.
Over the course of his 32-year career, Pastor Nelson has served at other churches — in Westwood, where he was the assistant pastor at Zion Lutheran Church from 1984 to 1987, and in Verona, where he spent seven years.
Nelson said his retirement is something of a double-edged sword: As he approaches 65, he’s eager to spend time with his new grandson but knows he’ll miss preaching to his congregation.
“I think about the interactions and the people we have become so close to,” the pastor said. “I have done baptisms and weddings for the same family and have been there in the midst of hard times they’ve gone through. … I will miss the everyday experience of bringing the Gospel to people and being a part of their lives.”
Terry Shine, the congregation’s president, said several events have been planned around Nelson’s departure.
