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Pope County Tribune - Starbuck Times
Written by Chad Koenen - Starbuck Times New Editor   
Wednesday, 03 March 2010 07:53

New Pastor Has Local Connections

Like many rural Minnesota pastors, Pastor Michael Hanson had a wide array of duties as the head of Clarkfield Lutheran Church. On any given day there were worship services, funerals, weddings, bible studies, visiting church members in their homes, and providing guidance.

It is perhaps that wide array of duties that ultimately led him to begin a new journey in his ministry- a chaplain at Minnewaska Lutheran Home and Glenwood Retirement Village.

While a pastor at Clarkfield Lutheran Church, Hanson led a bible study and worship services at a care center and assisted living center in Clarkfield which, "got me interested in being a chaplain."

So when Hanson learned that both the Minnewaska Lutheran Home and Glenwood Retirement Village were looking for a new chaplain to fill the void left when Chaplain Jim Gronewold retired at the end of last year, he jumped on the opportunity to move his family to the area. The son of Tyrone and former Minnewaska Area Schools Teacher Shirley Hanson of Hoffman, the new chaplain isn't a stranger to the Lake Minnewaska area.

After resigning as the pastor at Clarkfield Lutheran Church at the end of January, Hanson and his wife Martha, who was the pastor at Trinity Lutheran in Boyd, and their 3 1/2 year old son Charlie moved to the area at the beginning of February. The move gives the family the opportunity to be closer to relatives, as well as give Hanson the chance to fulfill his desire to become a fulltime chaplain.

Since beginning his duties at both MLH and GRV the first week of February, Hanson said he has been busy meeting residents, coworkers, and teaching about ministry of God.

"It's just been a great joy and I look forward to getting to know people more," he said.