5 Questions with Jackie Volbrecht

From the Wichita Eagle:

MEMBER, GLORIA DEI LUTHERAN CHURCH

5 QUESTIONS WITH JACKIE VOLBRECHT

MEMBER, GLORIA DEI LUTHERAN CHURCH

Jackie Volbrecht and her husband, Lawrence, have owned and operated Estates Unlimited, a Wichita real estate firm, for the past 20 years. Volbrecht is social ministry chairperson at Gloria Dei Lutheran, where she and others are active in outreach through a number of community organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Alternative Christmas Market, Salvation Army and Interfaith Ministries. Volbrecht also participates in her church's global mission known as "Children of the Wind," whose goal is to provide information about and collect funds for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Russia. Volbrecht was the only layperson to accompany her bishop's delegation to Russia a year ago. A high point of her trip was visiting the girls' orphanage in Ussurijsk, where Gloria Dei helps sponsor learning opportunities in cooperation with St. Marie's Church.

1. Why are you a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) denomination?

I am a member of the ELCA because of their emphasis on grace, which is extremely important to me because I know I need it. I believe God has totally forgotten the "wild child" of my youth and works through the new me! I also love the denomination's reverent, respectful and powerful worship practices. I am a "bells and smells" worshipper, a light way of saying that I like the ancient and traditional things such as candles, incense, chants, icons and paintings.

2. Who inspires you?

Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, Anwar Sadat and Mother Teresa, who is a golden light and example for all faiths. I guess I was very fortunate to grow up in a time of heroes, or at least heroic acts: the Civil Rights Movement, a real attempt at peace in the Middle East and presidents I trusted who challenged me to be better than I am. To me, a hero is someone who in spite of his or her human nature rises above that and strives to be a force for good -- does things that benefit the whole and sacrifices to help others. I believe and know that heroes are still out there; in fact, I want to be one!

Today, I'm inspired by Pastor Manfred Brockmann. He began his ministry in far eastern Russia after the German Lutheran Church retired him. He is the only pastor for the largest parish in the world. He has helped eight congregations regain their roots, worship practices and faith statements. I believe him to be a true saint, and I actually know him firsthand.

3. How has your faith made a difference in your life?

My faith is my life. To try and separate a Christian from Christ is impossible. The difference is light and darkness, life and death... it goes way beyond right and wrong to being. My guide, my reason, my hope, yes, the great hope is all in Christ. It has made all the difference.

4. What has been the biggest challenge to your faith?

Me -- my basic selfish self. I don't believe anyone can tempt me beyond my ability to resist, and I don't believe any circumstance would ever separate me from God. But I must continually, daily determine who I am, not by the large things, but the little everyday decisions, choices that I make that could take me away from my faith. Faith is lived, day by day, minute by minute. It is not a stagnant thing. You either feed it and grow it, or you starve it and it can die.

5. If you weren't Lutheran, what might you be?

I think the labels, the way we practice our faith, are like tattoos on the surface of the body of Christ. The Scriptures tell us over and over again, "One body, one God, one faith, one baptism, one Communion, one Resurrection." I am Lutheran because that particular way of worship helps to grow my faith. I accept that theology as truth but not to the extent that I would say we are "exclusively correct." I am Christian, which I believe makes me Methodist, Catholic, Episcopal, Baptist, Pentecostal, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox... and Lutheran. (If I left out any Christian denominations, it was not intentional.) I am not Buddhist, Muslim or Hindu. So you know that I DO have one criterion that is so simple: Jesus Christ crucified, Jesus Christ alive. He left us a faith. We, in turn, need religion.

Cynthia Snider, Special to The Eagle