DOORS FOR SAN PABLO

San Pablo Lutheran Church, with its Santa Fe style architecture, has been needing new doors for several years, as the current ones were made of pressed wood, which has suffered through 40 years of weathering. As these front doors continued to deteriorate, they became ill-fitting, constantly getting stuck and difficult to lock. The small congregation with limited financial resources, wanted to know how much it would cost to have custom-made doors done for the church. The challenge would be making new doors fit into the front wall of the church, which is made with over 100-year-old adobe bricks. It was a truly delicate job to undertake.

In November 2023, a Servant Event team from Trinity Lutheran Church of Madison, NE, came to build a house in Anapra through Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care. Knowing one of the members of the team, Don Knapp, was a talented woodworker, multiple questions were made concerning the best wood and cost for custom made doors by a couple of the YLM staff.

Upon his return to Madison, NE, Don found himself in his woodshop, where he caught sight of oak planks, which he stored there four years ago. It was as simple as breathing. He knew they were meant for the front doors of San Pablo Lutheran Church. Don reached out to YLM’s Servant Event Director, Scott Juengel. Don’s request was simple: housing and meals for the small team that would help him install the doors, he would take care of the rest.

Forty hours went into the design and construction of these doors. He knew of one request made by San Pablo -to preserve the stained-glass window above the current doors. Measurements he had taken, along with more taken by Scott, helped him as he worked. His attention to detail showcased his love for the craft, his knowledge of the wood, and his love for YLM and San Pablo, which he declared was his second home.

The arched tops carved into the wood to create the two top panels are known as the sunrise arch, which Don chose to reflect the beautiful sunrises that come up behind San Pablo every morning. The beautiful LCMS cross he designed, cut, stained a darker color than the doors, and set in place in the center of each door’s top panels are a perfect replica of the cross above the front doors. Don had two of Trinity’s members, Verlyn White and Bill Masters, joining him to arrive late January, but weather did not permit the trip. As plans and events picked up, Don knew this trip needed to be made, and so, this team of three headed out of Nebraska early in the morning of April 16^th, arriving at the YLM campus a little after 10pm.

The next three days were full of dust and splintered old wood. Pleasant discoveries such as concrete headers and warm hospitality made the work enjoyable for all of them. Even more enjoyable was to discover old friends were staying at the campus during their time at YLM, and they enjoyed making new friends with the children of the family currently serving for the month of April. They enjoyed homecooked meals provided by members of San Pablo, and comments were made multiple times on how good the food provided was.

The tricky part for these three men was figuring out the fit for the stained-glass window. By Saturday evening, they had figured out the best way to showcase this delicate piece of art, which had been part of the front view of San Pablo Lutheran Church for over thirty years. Now, at night, as you drive by, the beautiful colors of the glass-window are highlighted by inside LED lights.

Sunday morning, members gathered outside the church, admiring the doors as the dedication of these doors began with the reading of Psalm 24 in Spanish and English. San Pablo’s Council President cut the ribbon to the doors and Vicar Alex Escarciga opened the doors, blessing each one before turning to invite the congregation to come through them and into the presence of God.

After the service, a celebration was held with food brought by members, and the joyful opportunity to thank the Madison team for their beautiful labor of love. Bill, one of the three Madison men, requested for the members of San Pablo who provided their daily meals to stand up, thanking them for their generous hospitality.

Excitement for the future of San Pablo is growing among members of the church as baptisms take place almost every month, with new adult Confirmation classes taking place for the next eight weeks to bring in new members over the summer, with confirmation and 1^st Communion classes are also welcoming three new students.

If you would like to read the beautiful story behind the oak wood used for these doors, you can click “A Love Story and Church Doors” link.