Pastor Greg Menssen is ordained this weekend at First United Presbyterian Church of Bellefontaine during a 3 p.m. ceremony Sunday, March 3. (EXAMINER PHOTO | Mandy Loehr)
Pastor Greg Menssen will make his 85-year-old father, Fran Menssen of Lodi, along with his wife Wendi, and many others very proud this weekend when they witness his ordination at the First United Presbyterian Church of Bellefontaine at a 3 p.m. ceremony Sunday, March 3.
The Ostrander resident and recent graduate of the Methodist Theological School in Ohio with his master of divinity degree is a second career pastor, who previously served as a teacher, technology specialist and coach for 35 years at Dublin City Schools.
The public also is invited to attend the ceremony at the church, 117 N. Main St.
A recent series of orthopedic surgeries and related health issues turned into a blessing in disguise for the now 59-year-old when he was forced into medical retirement from teaching just before the pandemic, he said this week.
Pastor Menssen said he had felt a calling to become a pastor ever since he was young, even before he was in high school, likely an influence of his father. So he began the three-year program at MTSO in 2019.
“My dad also wanted to be a pastor, but couldn’t afford to serve in that capacity, being from a lower income family,” said Pastor Menssen, who also holds a master’s degree in instructional technology from Bowling Green State University.
“I attended Otterbein University for my undergrad, and also had thoughts of being a pastor, but stuck with the education field, since I didn’t know how our family could afford to pay off college debt on a pastor’s salary.”
Teaching high school math, including algebra I and geometry, along with serving as a technology specialist in Dublin gave Pastor Menssen the early insight into his love of building relationships, which he looks forward to continuing as a pastor in the Logan County area.
“I’m a relationship person, so I really loved getting to know the kids,” he said Thursday from his new office at the church, which Wendi helped him decorate. “I especially loved the inclusion classes and getting to work with kids with special needs and getting to see them grow.”
During seminary, Pastor Menssen also enjoyed his stint working as a hospital chaplain at OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital in Delaware, Ohio, as part of his clinical pastoral education.
“At the hospital, you do about a year’s worth of visiting (that you normally would as a pastor) all within one month. I worked about 10-18 hours a week at the hospital while I was in school, and now I’m hired on to be on-call for nights and weekends.”
Another seminary requirement is field education, including an internship at a church. Since Pastor Menssen already had many years of teaching experience under his belt, he actually served in a leadership role as a student pastor for 2 1/2 years at the Ostrander Presbyterian Church.
“I imagine the entire (Ostrander) church will be at my ordination service on Sunday. They are such a wonderful and supportive group of people from this church.”
As a gift for the soon-to-be-ordained pastor, a quilting group from the Ostrander church created a beautiful stole for Pastor Menssen to wear on Sunday.
Also among the 75 guests that Pastor Menssen invited to the afternoon service includes his close friends from a prison ministry, Kairos, which he continues to serve in today. He visits inmates at the North Central Correctional Complex in Marion every week.
“It has taught me a lot about how I relate to people and treat people,” Pastor Menssen said of Kairos, a Greek word that means “It’s Time” or “God’s Time.”
“It’s a ministry of showing up. It’s not all about what you say, but about just being there. It’s something that is really important to me.”
The new pastor, who started at the Bellefontaine First United Presbyterian Church on Ash Wednesday, noted that Kairos volunteers are also called “The Cookie People.”
“We give two dozen chocolate chip cookies to each staff member and inmate we meet. It’s crazy the number of cookies that we have given away and all of the fellowship that it creates.”
For the ordination service on Sunday, Pastor Menssen is looking forward to hearing from two of his seminary professors, who will read scriptures, along with a mentor pastor who will be preaching the message.
“All of the people involved and in attendance have greatly impacted my journey. I’m so grateful to all of them, and I’m thrilled to be here and to meet so many new faces and grow new relationships here.”