Contributions to the tribute of Paul Lundgren

Paul Lundgren

1919 - 2011

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Terry Port posted a condolence

Thursday, December 8, 2011

I met Paul in the spring of 1967 during my second year in seminary. As Executive Minister of the Great Plains Conference he was looking for someone to spend the summer in Ord, NE, to do an assessment on the feasibility of the future of the church following a major split the previous fall. Sherill and I spent a fruitful summer there. That summer set a tone for our own future ministry as we chose to serve in small towns for the rest of our pastoral ministry because of the positive experiences of that summer. At the conclusion of our three months there I strongly recommended that the church doors stay open, which they do to this day. In December of 1994 I was called to serve as associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Cambridge, MN. Much to my delight the office next to mine was occupied by one Paul Lundgren! Over the coming years Paul and I developed a strong personal friendship and had the opportunity to minister to each other in a number of ways at significant times in both of our lives. We were blessed to have a mutually edifying relationship. Sherill and I also enjoyed many visits with them in our respective homes through the years, most recently in Cambridge just a few months ago. We now cherish that last earthly visit we had Paul and his beloved Ruth. They have been wonderful role models for us in ministry. Paul supposedly retired a number of years ago. However, those of us who knew him know that never happened. I told a number of people through the years, even though Paul's body was slowing down his "ministry motor" was still going full throttle! That was true until the end of his life. He never stopped being a pastor at heart. When the Lord brought us to Yankton, SD in March of 2006, the first couple to visit us was Paul and Ruth Lundgren. In their mid 80's at that time, they drove to Omaha where Paul officiated at the memorial service of a lady in her 90's who insisted that Paul and Paul alone officiate at her service! On their way back to Cambridge, they took a detour to stop and see us. I consider it a privilege to have served under and along side of Paul. I am blessed to call him my friend. I am even more blessed to look forward to spending eternity with him in the presence of Jesus who called both of us to himself and to pastoral ministry.