Mayflower has entered into a three-way covenant for the Rev. Todd Smith Lippert to serve as a Community Minister, as modeled after Rev. Dwight Wagenius’ position, who will continue to serve as a Community Minister.
Rev. Lippert is a graduate of United Theological Seminary and was ordained into the UCC in 2003. He served as the Senior Minister at First UCC in Northfield, Minnesota, from 2012–2020. During his time at First UCC he became very involved as a community organizer with ISAIAH. With the full support of his congregation, Rev. Lippert ran for and was elected to the Minnesota Legislature as a State Representative. By 2019, both he and the congregation realized that First UCC needed a full-time senior minister and Rev. Lippert could not continue his political work and still give adequate time to the church. He completed his ministry at First UCC in January 2020.
Todd will work closely with Sarah Campbell and Christian Briones. We welcome Rev. Todd Lippert to this new role. Read his greeting to the Mayflower community below.
Greetings Mayflower!
I am deeply grateful to have the opportunity to serve with you as a Community Minister, along with Community Minister Rev. Dwight Wagenius. As the Senior Minister at First UCC in Northfield, I watched your ministry with great admiration. We learned from you and followed in your footsteps more than once.
My sense of call has sent me deeper into state politics, but I know I’m only political because of my Christian faith. I’m political because of the Exodus story, the prophets, the Psalms, the life and ministry of Jesus, and the vision of the Realm of God that the early church lived out. I’m political because of the communion table values we practice and take with us into the world. At the table, everyone is welcome, everyone is valuable, and when the bread is broken and shared, everyone has enough. I believe the church is to be a body that transforms the world. The faith we practice has so much to offer the deep challenges we face as a nation and a planet. Christ is alive in us, and we are Christ for the world now. The world needs us to believe it.
I’m passionate about the church’s transforming work in the world, and I know you are, too. I’m excited to discover how I can be helpful to you as you continue your amazing ministry. I have some ideas, and I’ll be eager to hear yours. The pandemic will make it more difficult for us to get to know each other, but I look forward to that too.
I give thanks for your ministry and faithfulness, and I remain grateful for the leading of the Spirit. May God bless this covenant.
In Faith and Service,
Todd
