Pastor Oby Ballinger preaches at Edina Morningside Church, July 2016.
What a joy it is to serve as pastor of Edina Morningside Community Church! This congregation has been in the Morningside area of Edina for more than 100 years, with members and friends from many communities and generations. We take the Bible seriously but not literally, and sustain an inviting, inclusive faith community for spiritual exploration, questioning, growth and service.
We encourage faithful development throughout life with an active Sunday School, youth programming and adult education. We provide opportunities for every person to help with worship leadership and reflecting on our faith. We are an Open and Affirming congregation, welcoming into the full life and ministry of the church persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Our musical programs also foster faithful reflection and enhance community through bell and vocal choirs.
Worship at EMC is informed by Christian traditions but informal, and we freely experiment with various formats, including contemporary music, videos, and instruments. In preaching and weekly Bible study, I seek to connect ancient texts with what’s going on in the world today, and with our own lives. I’m most proud of the ways we “turn the church inside out”, serving our neighbors in ministries such as Edina Morningside Preschool, the Morningside Theatre Company, and Morningside After Dark. We also have a variety of ministry partnerships with great organizations doing transformational work in our community and around the world.
I delight in conversation–feel free to email me–and in getting to know new guests. If you’re able to visit us online or at an event, please introduce yourself to myself and others in the church. I hope you too will find Edina Morningside Church a vital place to grow in faith, be part of a loving community, and challenge yourself and others to new ways to serve God as we love our neighbors.
Rev. Oby Ballinger
Pastor