After 35 years, Pastor Brian Malison says goodbye to Christ Lutheran Church

When Pastor Brian Malison announced his retirement in a letter to the congregation of Christ Lutheran Church in December, it was with his usual flourish.

"A Spanish-speaking friend of mine told me that the Spanish word for “retirement” is Jubilación," Malison wrote to his flock. "Maybe you hear in the word 'jubilation,' the notion of being jubilant, as in, 'I am jubilant about retirement.' But that’s not what I hear."

Instead, what Malison heard was the word from the Old Testament Book of Leviticus, "Jubilee," that the ancient Hebrews every 50 years would designate as a period for prayer, good works, alms-giving and reconnecting with family.

Malison wrote that it was about time for his jubilee.

A momentous jubilee it is. Malison's retirement as of Feb. 28 – his final service and sermon were Sunday – will mark the first time in 35 years that Pastor Malison does not lead the flock of Christ Lutheran on Tulare Avenue.

That is a significant milestone, for Christ Lutheran Church and for Visalia. Malison, 63, is only the fourth lead pastor in Christ Lutheran's 62-year history. His tenure of 35 years (32 as lead pastor) is not only a record for his congregation, it is rare in Visalia for any church.

Malison's length of service is not all that has made his ministry notable. The devotion from his congregation is exceptional, even in a community where pastors are much-revered.

Under his leadership, Christ Lutheran has accomplished an array of projects that serve the community, especially its most vulnerable. Christ Lutheran's parishioners have been notable in demonstrating the teachings of their faith. They have fed the hungry, taken in those needing shelter, taught young children, and in many other ways tried to fulfill the words of Jesus in the Gospel (Matthew 25:40): "When you did it for the least of these, you did it for me ..." Christ Lutheran's record of service to the community is unmatched, especially considering that it is not a large congregation, about 400 families.

Christ Lutheran members will say that whatever they have accomplished is from the leadership of their pastor.

Jim Young, a parishioner since 1982, and incidentally Malison's frequent golf partner, believes Christ Lutheran has excelled in community service because of its pastor's vision.

"We were already an outward looking congregation [before Malison]," Young said. "Brian continued that. He enhanced that; we broadened it and continued to find new ways to serve the community."

Most church members agree – Malison had a vision for his church, and a gift for making his vision their action.

Patty Enders, CLC's office manager and a congregant since 2000, recognized Malison's ability to motivate people.

"He has a gift in helping us to see how we can serve the world," Enders said. "He cares about people, about what is going on in the world, in our community, our church, and in how we can help in some way.

"His vision isn't limited. We're helping to serve the relief in Turkey right now. Brian realizes we can't be in our own little community."

Brian and Leanne Malison, Brian's wife, arrived in Visalia in 1987, according to Terry Ommen's history of Christ Lutheran Church. Brian was born in Appleton, Minnesota in 1959, and moved with his family to California when he was an infant. Brian and Leanne met at California Lutheran University and married shortly after graduation in 1981. After a couple of years, the newlyweds moved to St. Paul, Minn. while Brian studied at Lutheran Northwestern Theological Seminary.

It was about the time Malison was ordained that Christ Lutheran in Visalia was seeking a new associate pastor in 1987, and it was a good fit for both. When Pastor Paul Thomton retired, Malison became lead pastor in 1991. It has been the only minister job he has ever held.

"Brian was fortunate to come into a situation that already laid the groundwork," Leanne Malison said in looking back. "Outreach was always important to this church. The condition of the homeless was always important. The church was always a welcoming place, but he was able to expand it. It was a huge part of his legacy."

Congregation members discovered some things about their new pastor. For instance, he was an outstanding preacher, said lifelong member Rita Crandall.

"He has a way of giving sermons that has a way of connecting to the everyday person, that brings it to a personal level," Crandall said. "Anyone who has heard one of his eulogies knows he is the best."

Another was that he has a lively sense of humor.

"He likes to have fun, likes to laugh," said Enders, who worked with Malison for two decades. "He is still very much aware, very serious, caring, and pastoral. He does funerals better than just about anybody, because he takes the time to know the families."

And members were amazed that he would remember everyone's name after meeting them once.

"He has a way of connecting; he seems to know the names of people even before they join," Crandall said. "How he knows their names I have never figured out; it's mystical to me."

Every congregation member said the same thing. Remembering people's names is Malison's super power.

"He's great at names," Enders said. "His sermons are pertinent. He just gets it."

Remembering people's names isn't just some parlor trick, even though Young admits few people can do it.

"Remembering people's names is because he cares," Young said. "He pays attention. He has looked after many people, individually, more than people know."

His new congregation learned right away that Malison would not let it stand pat. He not only continued the initiatives serving the hungry and downtrodden that his predecessors began, he got the congregation involved in new ones. Most members have lost track of how many: Sunday bloodmobile, Visalia senior housing, Habitat for Humanity, CROP Walk, relief for African missions, and many more.

Malison installed an initiative called the Priesthood of All Believers, calling all members to live their faith. They responded as volunteers at Visalia Emergency Aid, FoodLink, Visalia Rescue Mission,Salt + Light, among others. Malison continued the church's participation in Visalia Senior Housing with other congregations. During his tenure, It built three additional senior housing complexes, and has plans for more.

Christ Lutheran sets aside 10 percent of its revenue and devotes it to causes outside the church – "benevolences" – into Visalia and beyond.

The congregation adopted Goshen Elementary School in addition to Veva Blunt. CLC started its own preschool. It started an annual stage production with The Fellowship of Christian Actors.

Malison added some innovations unique to a Visalia congregation. In 2004, he invited the Lahu community to hold their Sunday services at the church, which they continue to do.

CLC also devoted a house that it had acquired in a bequest to people from Kaweah Health Hospital needing temporary shelter. It was called the Katie Lutheran House. Later the congregation established other houses for the homeless. And it supported My Father's House, a temporary shelter for homeless men founded by Kurt Salierno, who is also a CLC employee.

"Pastor Brian has a heart for social justice, and a heart for the homeless and poor," Salierno said, noting that CLC also supports The Warehouse, a ministry to the homeless and needy. One of the houses supported by My Father's House is a home for terminally ill homeless men.

"There's nobody else doing this," Salierno said. "[Brian] has chosen to put people over money. He has worked through so many difficult situations. He sees the mission of the church to actively be the voice of those who don't have a voice."

"He doesn't want the church to be stagnant," said Carol Salvador, a member and church employee since 1999. "He's continuously looking at the future, for great ideas for our church."

Indeed, while other congregations in Visalia have retracted, or folded into other ministries or simply vanished, Christ Lutheran appears stronger than ever, said Patti Dudley, who was a member and employee for 20 years.

"So many churches are dying," she said. "But Brian kept us moving forward. We grew instead of stagnated."

Malison walks the talk. He personally volunteers at The Bethlehem Center. He is part of TC Hope, a relatively recent initiative for the homeless. He volunteers at Visalia's Warming Center and has preached acceptance.

It is because of that hands-in-the-community approach that nobody expects Malison to enjoy a typical retirement. For one thing, he has a new grandchild to look after. Brian and Leanne raised two sons along the way – Timothy, 33, and Christopher, 31. Timothy recently married and became a father last year.

But congregation members figure Malison will continue to be involved in acts of social justice.

"He has lots of gifts," said Leanne Malison, "and now the opportunity to visit those in new ways."

In his letter to his flock, Malison wrote, "A huge part of the rest I am seeking is to be attentive to where God would use my gifts next."

No doubt part of his "jubilee" year will be devoted to reading and writing.

"We took two huge tables of books out of his office," Young said. "The guy is really smart, very knowledgeable."

Malison informed his congregation he will be making a clean break. His successor has yet to be chosen, but Malison doesn't want to be a distraction.

Leanne said her husband will no doubt miss his congregation.

"What will he miss most? The relationships that he has with his members," she said. "The second part is missing seeing the transformation that takes place in people's lives."

Last weekend's celebration of Malison's service, and his impending retirement, was a bittersweet milestone for the congregation. Salvador said it will be strange not hearing Malison preach next weekend.

"We will miss that smiling face greeting us at the front of the church on Sunday morning," she said. "And his sermons. That consistency. It's unusual to have just one pastor for so long. But we'll keep serving Visalia. He thought about retirement for several years. He did a good job preparing us."

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: After 35 years, Pastor Brian Malison says goodbye to Christ Lutheran Church