Years ago we moved our Wreath Project from the basement of Margaret Pokorny’s home to The First Lutheran Church of Boston, and were welcomed effusively by Pastor Ingo Dutzmann and his congregation. The Church is the most perfect venue for us, combining a locked outer courtyard space to keep our wreaths fresh and safe, a large basement workshop for decorating, and a functioning kitchen for feeding our members. The Pastor has been a fixture during our four day workshop, smiling, good humored, and an endless source of corny jokes. We learned this year that he is retiring and we hope he will return as Pastor Emeritus or visiting clergy during Decembers, so we may again enjoy his company. The Church website describes him here: Pastor Ingo Dutzmann has been the senior Pastor at First Lutheran Church of Boston for over 20 years and has a great heart for Jesus, his congregation, and the people of Boston. Whether he’s preaching law and gospel to folks both big and small, taking visitors out for lunch, counseling the distraught, or just making bad puns to lighten the mood during Bible study, Pastor takes his responsibility to proclaim Jesus seriously. Pastor has a wonderful wife, Daria, four children, and two grandchildren. After the gas explosion and fire which destroyed their home in 2015 (but, God be praised, spared all who lived there), Pastor has continued to serve the church and LCEF with even greater compassion for the suffering, while looking for a new earthly abode. Their new home in Maine is one way in which Pastor is looking ahead to his retirement, planned for May 2019 (save the date for a celebration of his many years of faithful service on May 18)! Hopefully his new location will help satisfy his lifelong passion for snow, in which he delights. Pastor also delights in the fact that he has never once canceled Sunday services for snow, and to this day is pleased that parishioners have shown up to our downtown Boston location on cross country skis. Below is a picture of the wreath we made for him this year along with a picture of him with wreath co-chair Margaret Pokorny. Pastor, we wish you well!
