Growing up, Daryl Olson did not want to think about becoming a pastor; even outright battling the idea for a time. However, he now finds himself preparing to retire from 37 years of parish ministry, 19 of which took place in Outlook.
After graduating from high school he attended Canadian Lutheran Bible Institute (CLBI) in Camrose, Alberta and that’s where he felt called to ministry. “At Bible school I got a strong sense, a clear call, from Scripture, but I really fought it,” he says. “I didn’t want to do it. I probably fought it for about five weeks, but God wouldn’t let me go.”
It was while doing an assignment that a verse from the book of Matthew jumped out at him. Matthew 6:19-20 ‘Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.’ After studying that verse Daryl concluded, “I wanted my life to count, not just accumulate a bunch of stuff.”
In addition to the call to ministry, another significant event happened while attending CLBI. He met a woman named Sherryl. They dated for a while but her interest in mission work brought the relationship to an end. Daryl smiled and said, “She dropped me and went to Pakistan for two years.” However their paths would cross again when Daryl was attending university in Edmonton attaining his Bachelor of Arts Degree and Sherryl was working. One week before beginning seminary studies Daryl and Sherryl were married.
After serving multiple point parishes in Rose Valley, Saskatchewan; Donalda, Alberta; and Birch Hills, Saskatchewan; the Olson family moved to Outlook, not expecting they would be here long enough that Daryl would complete his career at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. But 19 years later he reflects on his long-term ministry here and says there were things he still needed to do. “I think it’s that I was growing along with the congregation. It seemed like there was always something new.”
When Pastor Daryl began serving at Bethlehem the church was looking at a building program. He counts among his highlights the sod turning ceremony for that new building as well as the dedication service when it was completed. Then the church began discussions whether or not to remain with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), prompted by issues regarding Scripture. The congregation made the decision to break ties with the ELCIC and become part of the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). This opened up a new area in discipleship that Pastor Daryl was excited to take part in. “There was always something more to keep me going,” he said.
Things have changed in the 37 years since he began his ministry, one of which is the time people devote to church. “Schedules are fuller than they were,” he remarked. Getting together in one another’s homes, being able to arrange visitations or putting a priority on things like confirmation classes are diminishing. “Church used to be more of a priority,” adding, “I’m hoping and praying there will be a turnaround in our culture and people will see the need for the church again. It’s been in decline and I would love to see people seeing their need for God in their life.”
As he looks to the end of June and the start of his retirement he already has projects on the go, including being certified as a discipleship coach. He explained, “A disciple is someone who loves Jesus and wants their whole life to revolve around him. A disciple is always growing in their relationship with Christ.” In addition to mentoring others in discipleship he will also be looking at helping establish a NALC church in Saskatoon. And there is one other project he hopes to begin shortly. “The other thing is that I’ve always wanted to write a book but never really felt like I had time to do it. So hopefully during retirement I can write that book.”
He counts amongst his greatest joys in ministry celebrating significant events in people’s lives and seeing God work through those events. “I think of Baptisms, Confirmation, even Bible studies,” he said, “where you see people’s lives change as they get into the Word. Some of the biggest thrills are seeing people who weren’t involved in the church become believers and really get active and involved.”
As he begins to pack up his office his thoughts are not too far away from his final service which will be on June 30. “I’ve been thinking a lot about that,” he remarked. “I think it’s going to be different knowing it’s the last time I’m preaching as the pastor of this congregation. I feel that there are some important things I’ll need to say, things that need to be said that Sunday.”
His hopes for the congregation are “that it will continue to be a lighthouse in this community and that it will grow, that it becomes a disciple-making culture in this community and that people will know what a disciple is and want to be a disciple and see that model here.”
When a pastor leaves a congregation it typically involves a move but in this case Pastor Daryl and Sherryl will be remaining in Outlook. They enjoy the friendliness of the community and look forward to returning to Bethlehem as congregational members a few months down the road.
This church holds a special place in Pastor Daryl’s heart. “Of all the congregations I’ve served,” he shared, “I’ve loved them all, but it seems like I’ve fit in the best here. I’ve really loved it here and really felt supported, upheld and encouraged by the people here. I loved being part of this congregation and serving it.”
