Nov 26, 2014 5 min read

Last year, the Rev. Robert Grewe and his wife, Kimberly, traveled from their home in rural Hanna, Alberta, Canada, to Washington to interview for the vacant pastor position at First Lutheran Church.

Grewe, who became dissatisfied with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and became the first Canadian clergy to join the North America Lutheran Church, got the job, earning 100 percent of the votes from the congregation.

This year, the Grewes will celebrate their first Thanksgiving in the United States, at the home of church members Jeffrey and Helen Ulanich.

Grewe, a former member of the Royal Canadian Navy and self-described “Luther geek” with a fondness for classical music, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, HO-scale model railroad trains and history, is delighted to spend the holiday with a veteran.

“Jeff was a medic on Hamburger Hill in Vietnam. I was Royal Canadian Navy, so I have a strong passion for our service members and their families. Being asked to celebrate Thanksgiving with a family who has served this country faithfully is an honor,” said Grewe, who leads his congregation weekly in prayer for service members and veterans.

The couple’s arrival in Washington was delayed for more than nine months, after their visa applications were denied because the church joined a synod that had not yet been granted tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. A 2013 Treasury Department investigation found the agency scrutinized applications for tax-exempt status by tea party, religious and other conservative groups, which resulted in lengthy delays and detailed requests for information.

Grewe stepped down from his previous church and he and Kimberly, a former school teacher, moved in with her parents in Winnipeg, Canada, while they waited awaited an outcome.

Church members buoyed the Grewes’ spirits with cards and letters, and church council President Robert Tracht spearheaded a letter-writing campaign to government officials asking for help.

“Congressman Tim Murphy contacted (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) to help get us going, and one glorious, bright day in August, (the Grewes) drove down, and we finally got him. And we’re so glad we did. They have fit in like a hand in a glove,” said Tracht. “It was worth the wait.”

The feeling is mutual, said Grewe, 51, who replaces the Rev. Ken Schott, who served as pastor at First Lutheran Church for 43 years.

“The congregation has treated us like family. It’s been beautiful. God brought us to Washington and we feel this is our new home,” he said.

The couple and their two pugs lived in a campground in a recreational vehicle owned by a church member until they found a home in Washington to rent.

The history buffs visited local historic sites including the LeMoyne House and one of their goals is to visit historical places within driving distance, like Gettysburg.

“For us to know that Ulysses S. Grant put in the cornerstone for the courthouse, that’s incredible. The president of the United States who defeated the Confederate forces, to know that it was a routine thing for him to come here is amazing,” said Grewe.

The Grewes, who met when they were paired up in a wedding party by the bride and groom, have been married for 22 years.

Grewe volunteered with special-needs children from seventh to 12th grade and joined the Navy after graduation. After his military service, Grewe became a teacher’s aide, again working with special-needs children.

He felt called to the ministry in his teens, but his German immigrant parents didn’t have money to send him to seminary, which requires earning two degrees.

“When I was a kid, my brother said ‘If you want to good in the world, you should care for people, especially the underdogs, like James Dean did,'” said Grewe. “My confirmation verse, which I got at the age of 17, was ‘Let the dead bury the dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.’ I always say you can run from God, but you can’t hide. He will wear you down. Finally, you have to give in and say OK. That’s what I did.”

He was in his 40s when he entered the ministry.

Grewe (who doesn’t actually say “Eh?” during conversation) travels to Europe whenever he can, and walked along the Luther Trail. He also adds to his train collection on his trips, and among his favorites is a Luther scene depicting the reformer preparing to nail his 95 theses to a church door in Wittenberg.

The most difficult part of their ministry has been leaving family, Grewe said.

“It was a blessing to get almost three months to spend with our family before we got here,” said Grewe, a soccer fan who watched the World Cup with his father and brother. “They built us up to send us out again. We go where God calls us, where God needs us. It was no easy journey, but through it all we trust in God.

“We really do look forward to having our first American Thanksgiving. We feel very blessed. We are very thankful for being here and we just embrace this community and look forward to working with others in our community to glorify God.”