New Fellowship pastor looking to help grow Austin church

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, September 3, 2002

The Fellowship United Methodist Church, located at 1811 7th Ave. SE in Austin, has hired Pastor Marvin Repinski.

Appointed to half time duty by Bishop John Hopkins,

Repinski began his service on June 30.

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"We just bought a house here in town," Repinski said. "Becky, my wife, grew up in Austin; therefore it seemed the most appropriate place to be."

The Fellowship Church has through the years lost many of its former members and a great number of the congregation is made up of seniors, whose children are grown and have moved away. Some of the parishioners are unable to get around on their own, and some are totally dependent on their wheelchairs.

Although most parts of the Fellowship building are handicap accessible, the bathrooms are not.

Like in other non-profit organizations, the work is mainly done by a few volunteers. Repinski is planning strategies to bring new vitality to Fellowship, and with his educational background and experience, he is well equipped to do just that.

He graduated from North Central University in 1959 and Augsburg College and University of Minnesota in 1961. In 1964 he earned his Masters Degree in Theology and Philosophy from Luther Theological Seminary, St. Paul.

His pastoral appointments have included United Methodist churches at Howard Lake-Montrose, Mora-Ogilivie, St. Paul Mounds Park, South St. Paul, Duluth Central Avenue, Minneapolis, Richfield and St. Cloud. He also did a one-year stint as a Research Fellow at Yale University in New Haven, Conn.

Repinski stated his vision of the church and its role in the world with Martin Luther's view of two kingdoms: "Secular and sacred, but with God's creative providence being a presence in both realms."

He also affirmed John Wesley's conviction: The world is my parish." And most importantly, Jesus' statement: "Upon this rock I will build my church."

"I am sustained by these principles and continue to, by God's grace, be in style and posture a servant pastor," Repinski said.

Regarding his dreams and goals for the Fellowship church, Repinski said, "I minister to the present members, but we have to have many studies to see what will attract new people and when they come, find out what will bring past members back.This is a new century, a new age, and our values have changed," Repinski said.

Being at the edge of a large residential area, where houses are sold and bought, with new people coming in, is an ideal situation. He believes that it's a friendly church of lovely people who have worked hard in the past. They now are tired and feel they have done their share. Content with the status quo, they prefer their traditional hymns and soothing organ music in worship. In Repinski's words, bringing in a rock band "makes them run to the parking lot." However, the worship, including the music, must offer something meaningful to each generation.

In order to make Fellowship look friendly and inviting, the new pastor's first step was opening the office window curtains to both sanctuary and parking lot. "We have to be approachable," Repinski asserted. "Some people are intimidated by closed doors and curtains, and if the pastor is sitting behind a big desk, it's like a barricade between him and the visitor. I want to be approachable' I'm just a human trying to reach out to people."