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OGDEN — Taking a new job in a new city is a big transition as is.

For Chelsea Page, who took over as pastor for Elim Lutheran Church in Ogden on June 11 following the retirement of the Rev. Bruce Kolash, it was an even bigger change than usual.

Page, who was raised in a Roman Catholic background and most recently served in the United Church of Christ, recently spoke with the Standard-Examiner about stepping into her first role in the Lutheran Church.

“I’ve been an ordained minster for four years,” Page said. “I was ordained in the United Church of Christ, which is similar to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. … I moved to Utah from California around the same time I was ordained.”

For much of those four years, she lived in Salt Lake City.

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According to a press release from Elim Lutheran Church, Page brings a plethora of experience to Ogden with her.

“In the past, Chelsea served Parkview Presbyterian Church in Sacramento, California, as pastoral resident, leading their Sunday School program,” the release said. “Chelsea has also been the Director of Catherine’s Retreat House and Co-director of The Manger homeless community in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has received training in Our Whole Lives curriculum, training in promoting healthy sexuality in congregational settings, boundary training, disability and theology, Clinical Pastoral Education in three hospital settings, and Racial Justice training.

“A native of San Jose, California, Chelsea Page received her Certificate of Advanced Professional Studies in Ministry (Masters of Divinity Equivalent) at Pacific School of Religion in California, as well as a Masters degree in Theological Studies from Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She was ordained in the United Church of Christ on October 19, 2019.”

Page also has a growing family.

“Chelsea and her spouse, Pegasus Collonge, have welcomed two children into the world since moving to Utah,” the release said. “Lyra who is two and Kinley who is on the way to celebrate with the rest of the family in July.”

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Page said that God ultimately led her down this career path.

“It’s a call where God asks you to serve and doesn’t let that idea drop,” she said. “I started seminary right out of college in 2006 and 15 years later was ordained. It was a very long process really doubting myself and just having to learn that God would enable me to serve in the way that I felt called. God sent me lots of mentors.”

She said there were some obstacles to overcome along the way to being ordained.

“I went to three different seminaries in my quest to find a denomination that would ordain women since I was raised Roman Catholic,” she said.

Page said the transition from the United Church of Christ to the Lutheran Church has been an enlightening experience.

“The United Church of Christ comes out of Calvinism out of the reformed European tradition,” she said. “The emphasis is a lot more on corporate salvation, like, ‘How are we as a people called and empowered by God to create heaven on Earth?’ — the Kingdom of God that Jesus talked about. What I’ve noticed as I begin to minister in a Lutheran space, obviously we’re very much rooted in Martin Luther’s gospel, which is that God saves us as individuals and God saves us as a reconciled human family through God’s own initiative of grace. It’s much less about what we do and a lot more about paying attention to what God is doing for us.”

She added that Elim is a perfect fit for her as her family continues to grow.

“It’s really great to be with a community of faith that is maybe a little less … anxious about being busy all the time,” she said. “I feel like at Elim Lutheran folks just relish the space that God creates for us to just come together and enjoy one another, eat together and feel God’s love, and it’s very community oriented.”

Page said she also felt Ogden was a welcoming place.

“I’ve always felt a spark for Ogden,” she said. “In my lay ministry, all through the years I was in seminary, I lived and worked with ethnically and economically diverse populations. I had been serving in a very wealthy suburban congregation in Salt Lake, so the diversity in Ogden really intrigues me. I felt immediately visiting the city and visiting the church that it’s a very laid-back, down-to-earth place.”

She said that Elim Lutheran has been exceptionally welcoming to her in the last couple of weeks.

“I have now had the privilege of leading worship on the Lord’s day these past two Sundays,” she said. “That’s really the heart of our ministry — coming together with music, prayer and hearing the good news.”

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