Emmanuel Lutheran installs familiar face as new pastor

Emmanuel Lutheran Church installed a familiar face as their new pastor last Sunday as Pastor Tim Hummel officially began leading the congregation June 1.

Hummel is not new to the congregation; he had been serving as the church’s interim pastor since the beginning of the year.

“I had been to Fontanelle before because I have been a Lutheran pastor for quite awhile. I had filled in for their former pastor when he had to be gone,” Hummel said. “They called me up and asked me if I’d come and help them for a little bit and I think I grew into it. It certainly wasn’t my intention to stay there, but it’s a nice church and a nice community. As I learn more about the area, it’s very much an area church with people who come from all over the place.”

Ministry is not Hummel’s first career. He first worked for HyVee, then spent time in banking, before choosing to become a pastor. One of his stops in ministry was from 2015-18, when he was a long term interim pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Adair.

“Ministry was always kind of back there. I think there are more avenues for education now than there used to be. I was able to do my seminary work online, and it was fully accredited. That really helped a lot,” Hummel said. “I could continue with my life and family without having to move away.”

Hummel, 74, was most recently an associate pastor at Lutheran Church of the Cross, which is a large congregation in Altoona, near where he lives in Pleasant Hill. He also teaches in the theology department at Grand View University in Des Moines.

Hummel and his wife, Jane, have two children and have been married for over 50 years. They have five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. They live on a golf course, so he loves to golf and also enjoys reading and studying.

Hummel plans to commute to Fontanelle to work but also sees being in Des Moines as a strength so he can visit the sick when they’re hospitalized there.

Emmanuel Lutheran has a solid long term history here, which is one of the many strengths of the church Hummel sees. That being said, there are also many challenges today for rural and small town churches. Areas he will focus on will be spiritual growth through discipleship. He said to grow a congregation, you also have to be very intentional about being welcoming. Before he does anything else, he wants to develop relationships.

“They have a good structure and great history there. There are a lot of challenges being in rural Iowa with demographics. Schools are shrinking, like Orient-Macksburg closing down,” Hummel said. “What used to be isn’t there anymore, but that’s God’s kingdom. God is always creating us into something new. Right now, that’s what I sense is going on in Fontanelle. I’m really glad to be here and am excited to meet other people.”

Hummel succeeds Pastor Steven Broers, who left Sept. 1, 2024, to lead a church in Le Mars.