July 11, 2012 | 01:59 AM
On the cover of The Homer Horizon this week, you likely already saw in biblically big letters, "EXODUS." As anyone even remotely familiar with the Bible likely knows, this is the name of the second book of scripture for those of the Jewish and Christian faiths. It is also a term that means "a mass departure," as defined by Merriam-Webster. So no doubt it's a fitting title for two cover stories that see the second and third of a recent string of departures of pastors who once led Homer area churches.
It started in February with the departure of Cross of Glory Lutheran Church's the Rev. P.J. Malin, who left to serve a new congregation in Naperville. Then in June came two more big changes for area churches, when Christ Community Church bid farewell to the Rev. Bud Pratt with a potluck dinner before he departed for a church in Michigan and Eagle Rock Community Church held it's own send-off barbecue for the Rev. Henry Reyenga, as he also moved on to a post in Michigan.
Three people may not sounds like "a mass departure," but considering the sample of churches from just one town, in such a short span of time, it is a big deal. It is bigger yet when one considers the influence these people had not only over their congregations but the Homer Glen community.
When I took over as editor for The Homer Horizon, I often wondered why the paper had so many pastor columnists. Frankly, I wondered why we ran these columns at all. After all, newspapers are designed around the ideas of finding and conveying facts to the reader, and religion is always in a bit of a gray area when it comes to "facts," right? That is sort of the crux of faith.
But what I've learned over my time here is that, regardless of particular beliefs, a church can play a very big role in its community. And because of that role it plays, it is likely just as important a component of this newspaper as any other.
I am not someone of the Lutheran faith, but when I first met Malin, I could not help by think about how much of a positive force he was to the area. I never saw the man without a smile on his face. He encouraged his congregation to get involved in his musical endeavors through web videos, and he worked tirelessly on programs to feed those in need. So whether you're Lutheran, Catholic or don't believe at all, it is hard to argue that he did not have positive influence on his church or the Homer Glen area at large.
Likewise, Pratt wrote columns, free of charge, for The Homer Horizon since at least 2008, as far as I could find in our archives. Through those columns, he was able to reach out to every Homer Glen resident to convey his messages and experiences in Homer Glen. And on a personal level, I owe him a thank you. In the news business, there are always unforeseen changes over the course of a week, and on several occasions Pratt helped me out by writing a last-minute column when something else fell through.
And Reyenga was no stranger to hosting special community events — from New Year's Eve dances to international musicians performing in concert — over at Eagle Rock. His departure, much like the others, will no doubt have an impact on Eagle Rock and the surrounding community, as will the people who take over these key roles.
So "EXODUS" doesn't seem quite as dramatic when you put it in perspective. Homer Glen only has a limited number of churches, and three of the prominent ones in the area just saw their leaders leave for other callings. And what happens in the wake of these changes will be just as important to the community as to the churches they directly impact.
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