When newly ordained, the Rev. Roger Pettenger arrived in Durango in 1963 to explore the possibility of establishing a new Lutheran mission church here. Little did he know what was in store: cats, orange carpet and the challenge of a name selection, just for starters.

He wrote about those first days earlier this year as part of the preparation for Christ the King Lutheran Church’s 50th anniversary, a now well-established church that once was just a dream. Unfortunately, he died in April, but his wife and daughters will be in Durango this weekend, along with four of Christ the King’s former pastors: the Revs. Lew Meissner (1968-1970), Mike Dismer (1970-1974), Shealds Smith (1980 to 1984) and John Knutson (1994 to 2012), to mark the occasion.

“Imagine everything this congregation has experienced,” current pastor, the Rev. Tim Orlowski, wrote to his parishioners as they prepared for the celebration, “watching the city of Durango grow by leaps and bounds; struggling through several wars; seeing the church expand both in numbers and the size of its building; welcoming and saying goodbye to several pastors; engaging others beyond our church through outreach and service projects; rejoicing at news of births and baptisms; weeping at news of deaths and funerals.”

In those 50 years, Christ the King has grown from 59 charter members to a congregation of more than 500. They will welcome back many former members who are traveling to Durango for the festivities – including a family flying in from Azerbaijan.

A couple pivotal in the early days, who have since died, will be remembered.

“Key persons at the beginning of the mission were Dr. Stan and Kay Haukeness, who had written many letters encouraging a startup mission in Durango,” Pettenger wrote. “Kay worked hard to get a mission to come and even harder to help it get started. Not enough accolades can really be said about Kay. In the Haukeness kitchen, the coffee pot was always on, and laughter was a good remedy for whatever troubled you.”

Because Stan Haukeness was a “pastor’s kid,” Pettenger said the Haukenesses knew more about the Lutheran Church than the young minister in his first post.

Pettenger led his first worship service in late 1963 at the chapel at Fort Lewis College.

“During the sermon, a woman stood up and screamed,” he wrote. “It wasn’t the sermon. With warm October weather, the door was open and a cat came to church. Some cats walk with their tails down and some up. This was an ‘up’ cat. And as the cat was walking under the seats in the front row, it brushed its tail against the woman’s leg.”

That didn’t scare the woman away – she decided to join the fledgling church. The cat came back the next Sunday, too.

Selecting a name was one of the first challenges. Pettenger had sent a letter to the president of the Synod – the church’s governing body – suggesting Narrow Gauge Lutheran or Lost Souls Lutheran, both as references to Durango landmarks. Christ the King was finally chosen after a number of “pleasant” conversations among members.

“A week or so later, the postmaster of Durango appeared at the Mesa Street parsonage just to see the look on the preacher’s face,” he remembered. “It was addressed to the Rector of Mule Shoe Lutheran chapel, Durango, CO. The name of Pettenger did not appear on the envelope. So, we ‘were’ known in town after all.”

The church officially organized in 1964, launching a building fund with help from members of Saint Timothy in Albuquerque, where Pettenger had been an intern.

Christ the King members Laura Stransky and Jigger Staby, who have collected photos and stories to put in a book for the anniversary, said the challenge was to decide what kind of facility to build and what color the carpet should be.

“During construction, Pastor Pettenger suggested that three highly respected women be delegated to choose the carpet and its color,” they wrote about a decision that has gone down in church legend. “Of course, it had to be the traditional red or green, but that was not what they chose. Herculon and burnt orange. Even Pastor Pettenger was surprised. Well, you know, we were all new to the church thing and did not have to fight tradition.”

While Pettenger shared humorous anecdotes in his memoirs, he also had some profound thoughts about how the church survived and grew in the early years.

“It became known that the mission church was a fun place to worship, and everyone was welcome,” he said. “Would you believe that divorce was the key to attract many, many people? Perhaps you do not know or do not remember that, in those days, many churches, including some Lutheran, would not commune a person who had been divorced. ‘Only the innocent party,’ would you believe?”

The church’s open arms became known when Pettenger gave a flippant answer at a school gathering when he was asked about divorce and the church.

“I remarked I always considered divorce a better option than murder. Dumb answer, yes. But it stuck,” he said. “I saw marriage as a relationship with some lasting longer than others, some better than others, some where the partners grew apart, some where there was an armed truce (helping no one, especially the children). There are not guilty or evil parties, just people struggling to make their lives better. If a marriage relationship breaks up, you can help by giving love, not laying on the guilt – or choosing sides so rigidly.”

Christ the King continues with the philosophy of welcoming all to this day. Members are looking forward to catching up with old friends and former pastors this weekend, but they’re also looking toward the future as they prepare for another in a series of building projects over the years.

“Still Becoming in Christ,” is the message the building committee sent out to members, “50 Years of Ministry and a Future of Hope.”

abutler@durangoherald.com

If you go

Christ the King Lutheran Church, 495 Florida Road, will hold numerous activities for its 50th anniversary this weekend. Because of the celebration, there will be only one service, so the entire congregation can worship together:

Today

3 to 6 p.m. Open house.

2 to 3 p.m. Mile of Lutherans hike on the Animas River Trail (meet at the church at 1:45 p.m.).

2 to 4 p.m. Anniversary Choir rehearsal. (All former choir members are welcome, but attendance at the rehearsal is required.)

3 p.m. Ice cream social hosted by the Christ the King Boy Scout troop.

4:30 to 6 p.m. Barbecue supper.

Sunday

9 a.m. Anniversary Choir rehearsal.

10 a.m. Worship service with introduction of special guests afterward.

11:30 a.m. Potluck picnic with special music by Joyful Noise.