Herman John Glienke

1. 2/28/1927 Alta, Iowa USA

 

Spouse/Family

Wife: Delores Ruth (nee Otto), b. 9/1/1931, m. 6/15/1952

Children: David Henry, Ruth Louise (Wessling), Gloria Marie (Martinez)

 

Dates of Service Field Call Assignment

1952-1961 Cuba Missionary

1961 (Jan.-July) FL-GA District, Miami Church Planting Pastor

1961-1970 Key West, FL Pastor

1970-1974 FL-GA District Missionary, Coordinator of

Hispanic Ministries

1974-1992 Hialeah, FL Bilingual Pastor

1974-1994 FL-GA District North Miami Circuit Counselor

(retired 1992)

1993 Grand Island, NE District Survey (Hispanic Ministry)

1994-2002 Miami, FL Vacancy Pastor

 

Biographical Summary

Rev. Herman Glienke attended Concordia College, St. Paul, Minnesota and then Concordia Seminary, St. Louis from 1947-1952.  He spent his whole career in the Miami Circuit of the Florida-Georgia District, though he ministered in quite varied places.  His assignment upon graduation was to Havana, Cuba.  He was married to Delores Otto on June 15, 1952, and they arrived in Havana, Cuba, on Sep. 1, 1952.

 

In Havana, Herman’s assignment was to serve people in English, Spanish, and German.  His only preparation for Spanish ministry while at the seminary was a voluntary Spanish class with other students and a few visits to participate in the Spanish mission in downtown St. Louis.  His vicarage in McAllen, Texas, teaching Mexican children in the parochial school and preaching a Spanish service once a month, was at least a preview of what was to come.

 

After arriving in Havana and attempting to make a telephone call in Spanish, Herman found that there was still much to be learned.  Eventually, both Herman and Delores learned Spanish on their own, without formal courses but by living in the language.  Rev. Fred Pankow served as Herman’s faithful and patient mentor. He assigned Herman to begin with the small English and German Lutheran congregations in Havana and the Jamaican English Lutherans located at the Central Hershey sugar mill.  After that, Herman was introduced to the English Lutheran congregations on the Isle of Pines.  After one month in Cuba, Herman held his first Spanish service in Cuba and continued to improve with practice.  It became a four-fold ministry, concentrating one week a month on each – English, Spanish, German and the Isle of Pines.  Delores was a leader in Sunday school and church activities, and she took care of their home and children, who were still quite young.

 

In 1957, Missionary Pankow and family returned to the US. The Rev. E. F. Gruell was called to Havana, and the Glienke family moved to the Isle of Pines, the little island to the south of Cuba.  This was the beginning of bilingual ministry on the Island.  Around the same time a city block was purchased in Nueva Gerona, and a large church building with adjoining office was completed in 1959. Instead of serving individual families in outlying villages, the faithful were invited to make the extra effort to come to worship with a larger group in Nueva Gerona.  All of the members spoke and worshiped in English, since there was a large percentage of English speakers from the US, Cayman Islands and other countries. Evening Spanish services were immediately begun, and now members could invite their Cuban friends. Every Sunday evening, a few more attended. The mission was growing.

 

Another English congregation was located on the South Coast where only a few Spanish speaking people lived. There was no hotel, electricity or grocery store. Everyone was dependent upon their fishing and gardens. They acquired their basic essentials by boat from Nueva Gerona. This group was difficult to serve, since there was no road to the South Coast, and it was necessary to make the trip by boat. This made regular services nearly impossible and very time consuming.  Herman noticed that a friend of his had a small airplane and made a very economical arrangement with him to fly to the South Coast every Sunday afternoon.  As the plane landed the people gathered at the church for Sunday School, worship and adult instruction class, permitting Herman to return to Nueva Gerona for the evening Spanish worship. What a wonderful Sunday schedule!  At one of the final services on the South Coast, as Herman saw the militia come down  the trail, he changed to Spanish in order to share the Good News of Christ with the revolutionaries. That may well have been the first Spanish service and last English service on the South Coast.

 

Everything changed with the Castro Revolution.  The Glienkes’ lifetime devotion to the Cuban ministry was not to be realized.  When the revolution reached the congregation, one of the members was nearly scalped, but by God’s grace did survive.  An elderly lady of Swedish descent, who had lived on the island from childhood, was drowned in a drainage ditch, and the militia moved into her home. Members or contacts visited by Pastor Glienke were regularly interrogated by the G2 military intelligence, so that congregants began to greet him with the words “don’t do me any favors” (by visiting them, since an interrogation was surely to follow).

 

On one occasion, an official who identified himself to Herman, also gave him the name of the person who was to kill him.  This was after many confrontations with various officials and the ransacking of their home one night during Spanish worship.  Because there had already been many confrontations and an incident where Herman had to look into the barrel of a gun in each eye, his wife and children left for Miami on Nov. 7, 1960.  Herman decided he was no longer able to minister under the circumstances and left in January 1961.

 

Though the family had to leave their adopted home, with their move an exciting new time of ministry began.  The FL-GA District of the LCMS appointed Herman to serve the St. Paul mission they were opening in Southwest Miami.  Every Sunday was a joy because new people were coming to worship and help with the mission. This ministry lasted six months, until a candidate from the seminary was called to serve.

 

In July of 1961, Herman accepted the call to serve Grace Lutheran Church, Key West, FL. These were wonderful years of working with the local members as well as a rotating group of military members.  The Glienkes also had the joy of a thriving parochial school nearby which made a profound spiritual impact on the lives of their children.  All the Glienkes’ children work in education, due in part, perhaps, to the inspiration they received at this school.  After several years, Herman accepted a call from the FL-GA District on Sep. 1, 1970 to serve as Missionary and Coordinator of Hispanic Ministry in the Miami area. The congregation of Faith Lutheran Church in Hialeah offered office and worship facilities for the mission.  In 1974, he accepted a call from Faith Lutheran to serve as bilingual pastor. The following year, under his direction, the congregation began a parochial school that has helped reach out to the diverse community.  When they moved to Miami, Delores had begun working in the public library, and she continued this work until her retirement.

 

After his retirement on July 1, 1992, Herman was asked to conduct a survey of the Nebraska District with the goal of beginning Hispanic Ministry in that district.  Then followed a lengthy period of long-term vacancy ministry to various congregations in the Miami Circuit.  Since 2002, he has provided considerable assistance with Bible Classes, serving on committees and assisting with facilities maintenance at Faith Lutheran Church and School.

 

Nota Bene

In Florida, Herman worked with 14 vicars in 16 years.  He also opened a program to invite seminary or pre-seminary students to serve over a summer and become acquainted with Hispanic culture, and he worked with 17 “summer vicars” through this program.  “Summer vicars” worked at a round-robin Vacation Bible School program hosted by different congregations in the area.  A number of these vicars are now in bilingual ministry.

 

In 1972, translated, edited and published “Que Dice La Biblia,” a Spanish translation of Reiss’ “What Does the Bible Say?”

 

Founded Faith Lutheran School (associated with Faith Lutheran Church) in Hialeah, FL in 1975.

 

In 1983, initiated the publication of Portales de Oracion, the Spanish translation of Portals of Prayer.  It began with an initial printing of 4,000 copies, eventually growing to 12,000 copies per quarter sent to a total of 25 nations in 2004.  From 1983-1998, the labor of packaging and mailing the copies was all provided by Faith Lutheran Church of Hialeah. The publication was discontinued in April 2004, but Concordia Publishing House has renewed the project as of October 2008.

 

In early 1980s, served as collector for the “Forward in Remembrance” initiative of the LCMS.

 

Initiated formation of Spanish Priscila Zone of the LWML, May 26, 1990, in Tampa, FL.

 

Recognized in FL-GA District booklet Pioneers of the District, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the district (2008).

 

Phase 2 Information

Biggest missiological issue faced?

Adjusting to a foreign culture and language in a new mission setting without specific guidelines was quite a challenge.  Expecting to function in Cuba as a well-grounded and organized church soon became a vain hope.  The law and gospel had to be taught in meaningful terms while struggling to find the appropriate words.

 

As a product of a family strongly rooted in Lutheran spirituality, it was difficult to identify with the existing life styles without a judgmental attitude, so that the missionary was learning more than the hearer.  Therefore, the early missionary days were an extension and intensification of seminary preparation and presented a continued challenge.

 

Most significant contribution during missionary service?

Thorough, in-depth catechetical instruction was used by the Holy Spirit to keep faith alive through the decades of communist brain-washing.  Often, faith began to flourish among those who had initially been less than enthusiastic, as they grew closer to God through the hardship and affliction.

 

Connection to today’s mission?

In Cuba, the missionary experience became an integral part of everyday parish ministry and a pattern for thorough catechetical preparation for membership.  Many former members are serving in congregations in Miami and other areas.  There is an instant bond with many Hispanics.  Several members instructed in Cuba became leaders in our Synod.  The “summer vicars” program, which gave students exposure to the Hispanic community, and the in-service vicarage program helped develop a number of present bilingual pastors.

 

Lessons Learned

• In mission work, the world vision became increasingly more important.
• God calls us to faithfully proclaim His Word and He will provide the results in His time and manner.
• There is no greater challenge to do God’s will than to serve as His under-shepherd.
• What a privilege and joy it is to realize that God uses frail, failing mankind to bless others and lead them to Heaven.
• Very little is accomplished without establishing rapport with the hearer.
• Even when a dream is cut short, God can provide an even greater dream.

 

Best Practices

• Regardless of desires and preferences, there is little success or peace without a strict      observance of Matt. 18:15-18: “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.  If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.  But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.  I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
• Thorough instruction of the laity builds a strong Christian Community.

• Changes should only be introduced after careful discussion and preparation.
• Meet and accept the people where they are and at their terms so you can begin to lead them.

 

Phase 3 Information

Inspiration for entering foreign missions?

Herman Glienke is the fourth child in a family of five boys and five girls, reared in a devout spiritual farm home. Family devotions were held every morning after breakfast. Discipline was coupled with God’s Word. Nothing interfered with church attendance, and all children attended the 8 years of St. John’s parochial school. Herman learned to milk a cow at age 5, helped build their new farm house at age 13, overhauled an engine at age 15, and invented and patented a windrow turner at age 21.

 

At a summer mission festival in 1939, Herman felt a call from God to be a missionary.  However, his strong love to repair and improve anything mechanical made him determined to resist the call. He carried his secret struggle with the Lord in nearly every evening prayer, until the spring of 1941. As he pondered his approaching Palm Sunday Confirmation, he knew his father expected him to begin working full-time on the farm after graduating from the 8th grade at St. John’s Lutheran School.  No one in the family had ever gone to high school.  He could not imagine standing at the altar promising to be faithful in service to his Savior and living with a divided heart.  With these thoughts, one evening when his mother was alone at the kitchen sink he came to her and said, “Mom, I have to go to high school.”  When she asked why, he answered, “I have to be a missionary.”  With a big smile, she looked at him and said, “I’ve been praying for that, but you better tell your father.”  His father had just gone to bed. There was no turning back.  He went to the bedroom and said, “Pa, I have to go high school.” He asked, “What for?” Herman answered, “Because I have to be a missionary.”  His father replied, “What you have to do, you have to do. Goodnight.” From that day on, there was never a doubt that Herman would serve in the ministry, though he had no idea of what it would be like.  He felt blessed by God to have been called to serve!

 

In consultation with the pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church, his father decided that Herman could attend high school.  The war years came.  Again his father, in consultation with the pastor, decided that Herman should leave Alta High School and go to Concordia College in St. Paul, Minnesota.  On his 18th birthday, he received a summons from the Draft Board.  Because he had so recently transferred to Concordia and begun his ministry studies, his interviewers were reluctant to grant him a 4D deferral for religious reasons.  Eventually, he was mistakenly classified and deferred from service under the category of 4F (medical or health reasons).  This mistake was corrected, but not until the Glienkes were already in Cuba!  Nevertheless, the deferral meant that he was allowed to continue with his preparation for ministry.

 

Quotation by/about or brief story:

• A spiritual confrontation with a young mother led her to attend 50 hours of adult instruction, with little interest and a rather defiant attitude. As the pastor repeatedly reminded the group, this was an information class and no one should feel obligated to join the congregation unless they fully understood and accepted the teaching.  At the beginning of lessons of 21-25, he added that at the final session, anyone who would desire to join the congregation, should come prepared to fill out family statistics and information for the church records.  Though there had been no evidence of change in her attitude, the young mother filled out the form and joined the church.  Fifteen years later she sent a Christmas card which stated, “Pastor, I am positive you knew I was not interested in your class.  But I always remembered the Bible passage you repeated, ‘My word will not return unto me void’ [Is. 55:4].  The card came from the other side of the USA and she explained how active she was in serving the Lord in her congregation.  May we never doubt God’s promises and continue to proclaim His Word.

 

• Added to all those blessings mentioned is the fact that all of the Glienkes’ children are teachers.  David and Ruth are principals of Lutheran schools, and David works with accreditation of Lutheran schools. Gloria served nine years as pre-school teacher and director of Early Childhood Education in the school begun by the congregation in 1975.  She now teaches first grade in the Miami Public School System.