Barber thankful for blessings of 30 years in Greencastle

There is no guarantee that members of Peace Lutheran Church in Greencastle can directly quote Jeremiah 17:7-8, but veteran parishioners can probably read the verses with a knowing smile.

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.

They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream.

It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

For the ancient Hebrew prophet's words have played out for the last 30 years at Peace: The congregation's most challenging moments were later punctuated by new growth for the church.

Reflecting on his three decades of ministry at Peace, which will end in his Dec. 31 retirement, Pastor Alan Barber recalled some of the challenging moments.

However, the enduring picture of Peace Lutheran in those three decades has been of a growing church.

The Peace Lutheran family will celebrate Barber's 30-plus years with a reception from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. The public is invited.

With retirement approaching, Barber recently discussed his tenure at Peace with the Banner Graphic.

Like many in the Greencastle community, Barber knows exactly where he was on Nov. 11, 1986, the day that IBM announced it was closing its Greencastle facility.

"When that announcement was made, I was at Valparaiso University Law School for a law and ministry conference," the lawyer-turned-minister said.

As Barber prepared to check in to his hotel, his plans suddenly changed. Wife Diane had already called the hotel, and Barber's return call revealed the bad news for the community, coupled with tearful calls from church members fearing for the future of the community.

Peace Lutheran was particularly affected, with 17 percent of its 200-member congregation (and likely a much higher percentage of its financial support) from IBM families.

Barber got back in his car, arrived back in Greencastle at 6 p.m. and counseled worried community members until 1 a.m.

It was a dark time, but one that Barber says the church and the community came through with God's guidance.

"The good news was that God was much bigger than IBM," Barber said, "and He got us through, as He always does when He leads His people."

IBM wasn't an isolated incident, though.

When Barber was installed at Peace on July 10, 1983, the church was struggling -- a 59-member congregation subsidized by the Indiana District of the Lutheran Church.

Focusing on Christian education, outreach and community involvement, the church was soon growing -- doubling in size in six months and nearly doubling again by 1986.

Some of the growth was simply allowing for more room. Housed at 218 S. Bloomington St., the current location of Cornerstone Baptist Church, Peace's parking lot was restricted by a line of trees about 50 feet back from the sidewalk, allowing for only 10 or 12 cars.

The trees were soon gone and the church building was soon full of activities besides weekly worship and monthly board and elders meetings.

Most notably, Peace Lutheran School opened in 1984, a ministry that continues to reach out to the community nearly 30 years later.

"I feel very fortunate that we have the staff that we do that provides loving, Christian care," Barber said.

With the church off of district subsidies, a building program was also started in 1985, which would bear some wonderful fruit in later years.

Even IBM's departure only slowed -- but didn't stop -- the growth of the church. With membership increases came the planting of two new churches.

In 1992, 45 members departed to start Grace Lutheran Church in Cloverdale. Three years after, 11 more left to start Living Christ Lutheran Church in Plainfield.

Even with those departures, the congregation soon outsized the building.

"We realized that in order to grow some more, we needed a longer term place to grow and enhance our ministry long after our generation," Barber said.

With the future in mind, the church purchased 25 acres in 1998, located one mile south on Bloomington Street, and began raising money to build a new building to house the ministry.

After construction began in 2004, they moved into the current facility at 1421 S. Bloomington St. on Oct. 23, 2005.

The expanded acreage provides plenty of room for the church, along with an outdoor chapel, ample parking, two playground areas, room for sports equipment, nature trails and even 10 acres set aside for preservation.

And while all these changes were going on in the church, the Barber family was also growing and changing.

Barber came to the ministry later in life than some of his classmates at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne. Formerly a Detroit lawyer, Barber said he thought about, and resisted, the idea of going into the ministry for several years.

"The Gospel changed my mind," Barber said.

Greencastle was his first and only congregation, a rarity in the ministry these days. Of Barber's 103-member class at seminary, he is one of two fortunate to remain at one church ever since.

"I found being here over the years to be a blessing," Barber said. "I couldn't have found a finer congregation."

For the sake of family, the long stay has also been a positive.

"During this time, Diane and I have raised a family," Barber said.

Sons David and Jonathan both grew up in Greencastle and, now married, still live nearby. They have also blessed Alan and Diane with two grandchildren.

Diane, also in her second career as a physician's assistant following her time as a biologist, is set to retire from the office of Dr. Troy Quiz.

"It's impossible to be an effective pastor unless you have a good pastor's wife," Barber said. "I want to give Diane all the credit in the world for supporting this ministry and for her own healing ministry.

"It's probably harder to be a pastor's wife than it is to be pastor."

While not sharing specific retirement plans, Barber said he will continue to do part-time work in the ministry, including work with the district constitution committee and reconciliation work within the Missouri Synod.

Even after all these years, Barber's past legal work will be put to use in the ministry.

His future worship and work will not, however, take place at Peace Lutheran. This choice, Barber said, is out of respect for the new pastor.

"The new guy needs to be accepted and beloved by the congregation," Barber said. "Pastors have different gifts and talents, just as the talents within the Body of Christ aren't the same. I hope the congregation will recognize the gifts and talents that he brings to lead them forth in God's spirit."

In his faith, Barber is confident that the good work started at the church will continue, regardless of the new leader. He speaks of it being a "living building" in which the lights go on at 5:30 a.m. and often remain on until 8 or 9 p.m.

With the church's visibility as people enter Greencastle on U.S. 231, Barber said the goal is to be a welcoming place through ministries such as the school, hosting Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and work with the hungry and homeless.

'We do a lot to help those who are hurting," Barber said.

He credits the success of these programs to other church and school staff members, not to himself, which also gives him confidence in the continued success of the church.

"On a day-to-day basis and a Sunday-to-Sunday basis, these are the people who really provide the substance and get things done," Barber said.

Those feelings of good will also extend to the congreation.

"I have to say that one of my greatest joys in the ministry has been to serve with the people who have been here in the past and remain here today," he said.

So whatever the future holds for Peace Lutheran Church, even if it is not currently in the long-term plans, Barber is confident that God will bless it, "going forth in a different ministry but serving the same Lord."

In addition to Barber's reception from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, the public is invited to the 7 p.m. Christmas Eve service and the 10:15 a.m. Christmas Day Service.

Church members would also love to fill the sanctuary for Barber's final service at Peace, set for 10:15 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 29.

Peace is located at 1421 S. Bloomington St., with weekly worship services at 10:15 a.m. and Sunday school at 9 a.m.