Getting to know council president Patty Herzberg
Patty Herzberg is just the person you want in a leadership position during a time of change. Her highly organized but compassionate spirit makes Patty an effective leader as she helps to guide the transition to a new senior pastor in 2024, offering support and invigoration throughout the process. While some may know Patty from her 28 years here at St. Paul, others don’t; so let’s get to know her a little better.
Patty Herzberg believes in getting involved and supporting the organizations you most cherish. She practices that belief with fervor.
Patty’s professional career centered in the advertising world. The job she occupied most recently was manager of marketing and public relations for Genesis Health System. Patty’s years of work, for companies both large and small, have given her the experience and the understanding to navigate some of the changes coming to St. Paul over the next year.
Since her retirement, Patty has been working part-time as an office assistant at Watermark Corners and surrounds herself with volunteer work. At St. Paul alone, Patty can be found volunteering in the Book Corner, serving on the youth director and senior pastor search committees, and leading the church council as president.
In the spare time you have, what do you enjoy doing?
I enjoy playing tennis and pickleball. I love anything that gets me outside. More recently, I’m always looking for hiking opportunities to fold into wherever it is we are. My mantra for the last few years has been “Just say yes!” So, I’m open to new adventures. I work at Watermark Corners as an office assistant. It’s a part-time job that fell into my lap at a perfect time in my life. I love seeing things come full circle from the buying and ordering aspect to the in-store customer experience.
What are you most passionate about?
Beyond my family, I’ve always felt it’s important to be an integral part of your community. If you’re going to be involved in something, don’t just be a member of something, be truly involved. You don’t always have to be a leader, but offering your time and talents to improve the places you’re passionate about, sometimes that’s all it takes. Whether it be your church, your work environment, your neighborhood, your child’s school. All organizations that are worth your time as a participant or a member are worth the investment of your time to make them a better place for everybody. Like here at St. Paul, don’t just come to services but immerse yourself by offering your time and talents, offering the things you love and are passionate about. It makes the St. Paul community a better place.
What brought you to St. Paul and what still excites you about this congregation?
28 years ago, we found our church home here at St. Paul. At that time, it was all about young families and finding a place for our kids to grow up in this church home. That’s still what excites me. Being around young families and watching their kids grow up with all that is offered for them at St. Paul.
The other thing that excites me is that I continue to learn and enjoy learning about my faith. You can hear the same story every year and hear it in a different way every time. There are so many different avenues for learning. I’m a huge believer in life-long learning.
I’ve recently started listening to Peter Pettit’s Bible for Worship. I listen to the Little Bird podcast. If you can, as a child, understand those messages and incorporate those stories into your lives. It’s phenomenal. We have the full range of opportunities here for people who are open to learning.
What is your role in the call committee as the council president?
I will serve as a liaison to the call committee, helping to navigate the intricacies of the search. I feel very strongly that no matter how you participate at St. Paul, no matter the role you play on any committee or team, you do not walk alone. I want the call committee to feel that togetherness throughout this process. I’ll be there to help keep us focused, invigorated, and having fun. Communication is one of the biggest tasks. Whether it’s with the congregation, the staff, or the Synod, it will be a very unique and confidential process. This type of process requires a delicate balance of confidentiality and transparency. Our congregation has a lot of trust in our people and we take that very seriously.
The St. Paul core values guide your decision-making. How and why will those values be integrated into the search process?
The St. Paul core values were a prominent point of discussion in the two forums we’ve held. They came out strongly and were spoken about so passionately. So many people focus on our hospitality and without that welcoming atmosphere, you wouldn’t get people in the door to experience all of our other values. Our core values will be central to the search process.
What’s already happened to get the ball rolling in the search process and what will be happening within the next few months?
In August, a team of St. Paul people including staff worked together to submit a ministry site profile to the ELCA. This profile provides “a limited snapshot” of who St. Paul is and what we’re looking for in a senior pastor. That profile serves as the formal job posting within the ELCA. It’s not a perfect document because it’s difficult to experience and understand the complexities of St. Paul in paragraphs of 150 words or less, but it serves as a starting place. Especially in contrasting St. Paul with other churches around the country.
The Senior Pastor Call committee (pictured above) met for the first time in mid-September for introductions. The committee is hopeful to begin the interviewing phase during the winter time frame (December-February) and to call the next pastor this coming spring. It’s a process we’ll all watch unfold over the coming months. Appropriate updates will be communicated via Journey magazine.
Chris Thompson
Genuine, bright, loving, well-informed, willing to take on any challenge, a great listener, a detailed story-teller…I could go on and on. Our friendship intertwines through PEO, sports, and a special lunch group. Patty is passionate about making things better. Have a chat with her-she’s really quite amazing! And a great leader for St Paul.