Pastor Matt is a very positive individual with boundless energy. He and his wife have made a significant mark on our community, both in their church and the greater community.

The Reverend Matthew Poock has been the minister of St. John’s Lutheran Church since 2010.

I decided to interview him because he is a fairly recent arrival to town who has made a difference in our community, both inside and outside the Lutheran Church. We discussed what it means to be a Lutheran and why he became one. I was surprised to hear about his myriad of outside interests in addition to the heavy workload of a full-time Minister.

Matt was born in Waverly, Iowa, the youngest of four children. Waverly has a strong German heritage and is home to Wartburg College; his family belonged to the local Lutheran church.

After High School, Matt attended Luther College in Decorah, IA, with majors in music and psychology, two fields of study that would later serve him well. He also swam on the men’s swim team for Luther.

When I asked Matt when he began to consider entering the Ministry, he said in the 8th grade, he thought about becoming a pastor, a High School band or choir director, or perhaps a psychologist/therapist. So at an early age, he felt the urge to help people, including children.

After he graduated college, he spent two years in volunteer service. The first year was with the Luther Volunteer Corps. His placement was in Minneapolis, working with inner-city elementary school kids in an after-school program. The Lutheran Volunteer Corps is committed to simplicity, sustainability, and spirituality while living in an intentional community and serving others.

He spent his second year serving with Youth Encounter, a music ministry that took him to the Southwestern US, Peru, and Bolivia. He worked as part of a six-member team to support Lutheran ministries with outreach through music. He developed conversational Spanish-speaking skills along the way.

Matt then enrolled in Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, a four-year theological school, where he obtained a Master’s degree in Divinity. This, too, involved a lot of world travel: study in Guatemala and India, a chaplaincy in Knoxville, TN, and an internship in San Antonio, TX.

When I asked him why he decided to become a Lutheran minister as opposed to another faith, he said the Lutheran church had always been his home. He explored several other Christian denominations during college, including the Covenant Church and the Baptist Church.

When I asked him what it means to be a Lutheran, he said, “Grace. To be saved by grace through faith; loved and strengthened by God, every day. God loves us unconditionally. We have nothing to earn with God. The Christian tradition is not at its best when we talk about rules and requirements. Christianity proclaims that you, and all people, are deeply loved by God as you are, through all the ups and downs of life.”

Matt has respect for other denominations and religions. The youth group at the Lutheran Church in Evansville visits other church denominations and places of worship. Field trips have included a Muslim mosque, a Buddhist temple, and a Jewish synagogue to learn about their beliefs and to promote respect and understanding. Matt believes that Christians can find common ground with other religions to work for the good of all.

I asked how he came to be in Evansville. Matt’s first “call” was to a Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa, led by a seasoned senior pastor and a dynamic staff for a congregation of about 3,500. It was a call with an end date, a two-year contract. It was here that Matt received excellent training for his early years in pastoral ministry. As he put it, he learned “best practices from wonderful mentors.”

At the end of his term there, he entered the search process to pair with another congregation. Several synods (regional church districts) took an immediate interest in his availability. He interviewed with three congregations, one of which was Evansville. He met with their search committee for an interview. The search committee then visited his current Church to hear him preach. There was a Congregational vote on whether or not to hire him. It was in favor. The final step was for the Church to “extend the call,” asking Matthew Poock to become the Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church, beginning August 2010.

The Evansville call appealed to Matt for several reasons. He saw the congregational pain caused by the frequent turnover of ministers. He felt they were ready to heal and had the potential to build something together. “The congregation was ready for a new day.” Of course, Evansville’s good schools, wonderful park system, outdoor pool, good family environment, and proximity to Janesville and Madison helped. Conveniently, Evansville is located midway between his parents’ home (Waverly) and his inlaws’ (near Chicago).

When I asked if this call met his expectations, he replied enthusiastically, “Yes, we are very happy here.”

The Church has grown substantially under his leadership from averaging 100 attendees per weekend (one Saturday service and two on Sunday) at the beginning, to 300, including online attendees. The Church’s budget has increased by 250% since his arrival. They even have a college scholarship endowment.

Matt attributes their growth to a strong, loving, faithful congregation that made it work. “God has worked through us to build a vibrant faith community.” The congregation helped grow the membership by sharing their church experience with family & friends who then attended as well. They also embraced experimentation and collaboration. St. John’s intentionally strives to be a welcoming congregation for people of all races and genders.

We also learned that Pastor Matt pays a monthly visit to Kelly House, holding a regular service for the residents that includes him with his guitar and singing.

The list was long when I asked about his other activities and hobbies. Matt serves as Board President for the Evansville Ecumenical Care Closet. He was on the Evansville Fund’s Advisory Board for six years. Matt currently serves on the city’s Park & Recreation Board. On the Park Board, he helped create the Adopt-A-Park program and supported building Evansville’s Dog Park (before he was even a dog owner). He is chairman of the Steering Committee for the “Growing Our Parks: Recreation for Generations” campaign to fund the splash pad, park expansion, and new aquatic center. Finally, Matt enjoys supporting community events and our local schools. He sees the importance of civic engagement and giving back.

In his spare time, Matt works out as a triathlete. He leads workouts for the masters swim team in Stoughton three days a week. He runs and bikes when the weather is tolerable and lifts weights for strength training. Matt also finds time to play the guitar, piano, and saxophone. Matt’s wife, Becca, and three children enjoy playing board games and ultimate frisbee in a newly formed league in town. They thoroughly enjoy the city’s parks.

Becca also serves St. John’s, working part-time, and she is a “wonderful partner in ministry.” She has a degree in Music Education from Wartburg College, Waverly, IA, and a Master’s of Arts in Youth & Family Ministry from Luther Seminary. She is a talented singer and pianist; she sings with the Festival Choir of Madison and for many special occasions and services. Becca previously served as President of the Women’s Literary Club and works as a school substitute teacher. In short, Matt, Becca, and their three children enjoy living in a small town.

How does he maintain a happy family with all of his activities? “I cherish my time with my family, and they remind me to set my work aside and relax. We walk to school together every weekday with our dog. The children all come to see me in my office after school, where we spend a little time together. I sit with them while they practice the piano. We all swim, bike, walk and play games together. My whole family loves the church, too; it’s our extended family.

He also strengthens his faith by participating in spiritual immersion experiences at the Holy Wisdom monastery in Madison. In small groups, he and his colleagues explore ancient Christian practices around prayer, mindfulness, reflection, and listening. He pursues balance; “To be present in God and others in the moment; not to find my worth in productivity alone. Retreats and sabbaticals help me renew my spirit, so I can better share life’s ups and downs with others. God is my true home; God restores my soul.”

Matt’s take on the diversity of faith communities in Evansville is, “I’m absolutely interested in the success of all Churches in town. There is no competition. There are plenty of people for our number of churches. I’m most interested in welcoming people who need a church home.” Matt regularly meets with other local pastors for support and encouragement and to collaborate on the Board of the Care Closet.

Matt loves his vibrant, growing congregation. He sees the Church “as an intergenerational community of faith-seeking people to share love, offer hope, spread generosity, and do good in the community; as they trust God and follow the example of Jesus.” He says the church is committed to the well-being and flourishing of all people and the world. No other entity on earth is like the church and has its mission and values. The Church has a lot to offer our society; promoting love, hope, joy, and peace while practicing hospitality, patience, kindness, humility, respect, honor, prayer, and faith.”

Pastor Matt is a very positive individual with boundless energy. He and his wife have made a significant mark on our community.

Author’s note: Chris and his wife, Denise, are Unitarian Universalists and do not have any affiliation with St. John’s Lutheran Church.