November will mark one year since St. Paul and Immanuel Lutheran churches in Dixon formed an experimental partnership led by a married couple as co-pastors.

There’s been “a lot of growing pains, but overall it’s been a good year. People are making connections” and have become “very comfortable with each other” across both congregations, co-pastor Riley Reed-Windau said.

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 4

It’s been a year since married Lutheran co-pastors Anthony Windau and Riley Reed-Windau began leading two Dixon congregations. (Alex T. Paschal)

The churches are having a one-year anniversary celebration at 2 p.m. Sunday and will install the co-pastors. The service starts at Immanuel, 1013 Franklin Grove Road, and then moves to St. Paul, 421 Peoria Ave., with a meal to follow, co-pastor Anthony Windau said.

In the Lutheran church, an installation is a service that welcomes a new pastor into a congregation’s ministry.

It’s an “all-community event,” not just for those in the church. Pastors at all area Lutheran churches and those from First Baptist Church in Dixon also will attend, Windau said.

Both St. Paul and Immanuel have existed in the community for over 100 years, and the churches are able to financially support each building, so the churches didn’t want to completely close one and move to the other, Windau said.

Instead, it’s become “two churches, one mission,” sharing two pastors who work together while maintaining each congregation’s separate identity, Windau said.

Reed-Windau’s office is at Immanuel, which has a total membership of about 250 people and sees about 60 people attending the Sunday service. Windau is over at St. Paul, which has a slightly smaller congregation, with 184 members in total and about 40 people attending its Sunday service.

There’s a “small percentage of people who still refuse to step foot in the other church,” Windau said.

But in the past year, Reed-Windau said, she’s seen more crossover between the two congregations.

To promote that, the couple has held many events with both congregations.

Windau said his favorite was a casual breakfast in March soon after the couple took over because it was a great way to get to know everyone.

He said they made 90 doughnuts, bought a couple dozen from Dunkin’ Donuts and had none left by the end of the event.

Reed-Windau picked out two favorites – one was an outdoor worship service and baptism held at Lowell Park in Dixon, and the other was an adult education program, similar to a book club, that meets once a week.

For more information, visit St. Paul and Immanuel Lutheran churches’ websites online at ilcdixon.org and stpauldixon.org.