By Chad Koenen

Publisher

As he walked on to stage at the Superdome in New Orleans for the first time, Wadena-Deer Creek High School alum Pastor Brady Finnern summed up his feelings to approximately 20,000 youth from across the country in about as simple of terms as one could imagine.

“I started by saying I’m excited, but I’m terrified,” joked Finnern last week.

Finnern, who is the son of Pastor Terry and Lynette Finnern, was one of three people from across the country selected to serve as hosts for the Lutheran Church of Missouri Synod youth gathering from July 19-23. The youth gathering is held every three years and includes youth from across the country who gather for a week of worship, reflection, games and sightseeing with one another. This past youth gathering featured a number of area churches who made the trek to New Orleans and were greeted by a somewhat familiar face joining the stage each night for the mass event at the Superdome.

Finnern, who is currently the President of the Minnesota North District, is a 1998 graduate from Wadena-Deer Creek High School and lives in Sartell with his wife and four kids. Two of his children attended this past youth gathering with their dad, who remained busy throughout the week with his additional duties on stage during each of the mass events, including a large worship service on the final day of the event.

The Wadena native said he wasn’t sure why he was selected as one of the three main hosts for the gathering event, but was honored to be considered to serve and strengthen the faith of youth from across the country. 

“This is my sixth youth gathering I have been to and everyone who has ever (been a host) is theater people and big church pastors, just very dynamic people…so I never would have envisioned myself doing that,” he said. 

However, once the offer to serve as host for the large youth gathering was extended, Finnern said he almost immediately agreed to the prestigious honor. 

“I think it was an instant yes,” he said of being asked to serve as a host. “If they think I can do this then I was just like lets go.”

While planning for the youth gathering starts three years in advance, with a number of the finer details being set some two years out, Finnern and the other hosts that included Shelly Schwalm who is the Director of the DCE (Director of Christian Education) Program and Assistant Professor of Christian Ministry at Concordia St. Paul and Tanner Olson who is an author, poet, and speaker from Nashville became involved approximately nine months before the event. In the months leading up to the gathering the event organizers and three hosts worked on the final details and bounced ideas off one another to find ways to expand upon the overall theme of the youth gathering. 

This year’s theme was Endure and featured the Bible verse Hebrews 12:1-3, which states “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” 

Finnern said one of the most impactful parts of being a host was seeing all of the behind the scenes work that takes place to make the large event become a reality.

“The most impactful piece of it was to be able to see what happens in the background,” he said. “Seeing the immense talent of faithful Christian people who not only want to do this for Gods glory, but for the kids.”

And as any longtime Minnesota Vikings fan can relate, the Superdome brought back some tough memories for Finnern who said he couldn’t help but think “I was standing where Brett Favre threw an interception” in the 2009 NFC championship game between the Vikings and New Orleans Saints. The interception with just 19 seconds left in the game ended the drive for the Vikings and left the score tied at the end of regulation. The Saints would go on to win the game in overtime by a score of 31-28 and went on to win the Super Bowl later in the season.

Planning for the next youth gathering is already underway and is set for San Antonio, Texas in 2028.