Sara Sandstrom, Nederland. The emotions were palpable through the Nederland Community Presbyterian Church (NCPC) congregation when Pastor Hansen Wendlandt made the announcement that he will be resigning. After the initial shock there were some tears and that raw sadness when you know you are losing a respected leader and friend.

When Pastor Hanson became the minister at NCPC it was not the first time he had been to Nederland. He had visited Nederland and the area years before that. Hansen had been the Director of Christian Education at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Boulder and would come up to Nederland and Gold Hill for a change of scenery. He would go to the Train Cars and the Gold Hill Store for a bite to eat, a drink and get some work done. He liked the atmosphere of the mountain towns. He was intrigued to see such an array of people. He felt at home.

It was not to be his home, yet. Hansen took a call to be a pastor at a Presbyterian church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was in North Carolina’s Queen City for a few years and then saw that the Presbyterian church in Nederland, Colorado, was searching for a pastor.

For many Protestant churches getting a pastor can be a long process. Hansen threw his name in the hat, so to speak, when NCPC had already been looking for a pastor for some time. He was hoping to get some interview practice and the folks at NCPC ended up asking him to be their pastor. People he talked to about moving to Nederland told him not to go. They said the town cannot sustain a church. He was told that the town was dysfunctional, and the church did not have an opportunity to grow. Remembering how he felt while visiting Nederland years earlier and hearing the amazing variety of ways members of the church prayed, he began to wonder if that little mountain town was the place he was supposed to be. Despite the well-intended advice to discourage him from moving to Nederland, he packed his bags and headed west to Colorado again.

Some people know they want to be a pastor from a young age. That is not, however, the path that Hansen took. He grew up feeling that church was a safe and welcoming place. A place where people really cared for each other. Religion intrigued him. He would often question religion and although some did not like all the questions his pastors encouraged his curiosity.

Hansen earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy and religion from Drake University and the University of Oxford. He received his Master of Arts degree in philosophy from the University of Arkansas and his Master of Divinity from Boston University and Harvard University.

With years of education and work experience in churches Hansen moved to Nederland in the summer of 2013. He came wanting to minister to the members of the congregation and wanting to learn how the church can help the town.

He quickly found out that there were three big concerns in Nederland: lack of housing, homelessness and drug use. He joined different committees that were working on addressing these issues to better understand the community. He led NCPC to host weekly summer lunches for the homeless called Socks & Sandwiches. It was a time to hand out hygiene products, garbage bags, clean socks and some food to people who really need the support. Along with the food it became a time of education and connection. Education about waste, wildfires, wildlife and the weather in this mountain environment. Connections with law enforcement, the Forest Service and social services for people. People who are often seen to be at odds come together in the beautiful summer garden outside the church and talk to each other, learn about each other and work together. They work together to survive and be responsible and work together to care for the community and the surrounding environment.

Through these efforts Pastor Hansen brought together a coalition of organizations called Nederland Interagency Council on Homeless Encampments (NICHE). This organization has gotten the attention of people at the county, state and federal levels. There have been great successes for these huge and complex issues that affect people, the community, and the environment. Hansen has laid the groundwork for this organization to continue and thrive.

While attending to all the needs of the church Hansen also spent countless hours working with Boulder County, the Town of Nederland and Peak to Peak Housing and Human Services Alliance to bring more affordable housing to Nederland. The fruits of all that time and effort is Tungsten Village, 26 affordable housing units. A place for families and individuals to call home.

You may be asking yourself why a pastor of a small congregation in a small town in rural Colorado has put so much effort into the community. He did not have to spend all this time being involved in community projects. The members of the congregation did not insist that he had to do all these things. He did it because that is who he is. He wants people and communities to not only survive but thrive. He says, “Churches have the power to change hearts, communities and global movements.”

If you take the time to read the sign on the Nederland Community Church door you will see the principles and guidance Pastor Hansen has brought to the church. In turn the church has helped bring this to the community. It is a spirit of welcoming and love for all neighbors. It is learning to have an open heart and mind to other people’s life situations. It is about being a community who cares for each other.

He says, “For all the struggles in the area things really get done. There are so many strong people in the Nederland area who want to do good for the community.”

On Sunday mornings Hansen’s messages challenge and encourage his listeners to transform their minds and lives to do what is right for the world. He has brought this message further by having a Book Club, Bible Study, Rocky Mountain Mission and a Social Justice Working Group at the church. Some churches talk about the right thing to do. NCPC under Pastor Hansen’s leadership talks about it and then puts it into action.

NCPC member and former Mission Elder Jim Reis says, “Pastor Wendlandt has been a force for good in the Nederland community. His advocacy for affordable housing, homeless outreach and social justice have helped hundreds of people throughout the Peak to Peak region. Pastor Wendlandt also started the Rocky Mountain Mission (RMM) program during this time at NCPC. RMM brings teenage church volunteers to Nederland from all over the nation to perform service projects for the elderly, folks in need and our town. The many programs started by Pastor Wendlandt will continue to positively impact our community for many years.”

Dennis Whalen who is a NCPC member, Chairman of the Peak to Peak Housing and Human Services Alliance and President of the Nederland Food Pantry Board says, “Since the first day of Hansen’s arrival he has been involved with our community and made a huge difference in numerous ways. Some of the most significant are working to provide housing for so many in our community who were getting priced out of having a place to live. Hansen played a huge role in getting Tungsten Village built. He has improved the relationships between the community and the homeless campers by starting up Socks & Sandwiches. Hansen has worked with the Forest Service, Marshall and Sheriff to establish NICHE to foster health and safety through caring for the vulnerable, while protecting our natural resources and respecting the needs of the community. Nederland is a better place thanks to Hansen’s involvement.”

NCPC member and current Deacon Kathleen Henningsen says, “Through the seven plus years that Hansen Wendlandt has served Nederland Presbyterian Church as pastor, he has tirelessly employed his vision, confidence, humor and energy. And we have so benefitted! Hanson has helped us look through a wider lens at religion, economics, gender and equity. We have been encouraged to question and to confront our biases and complacencies. Through Hansen’s example, we are encouraged to step up, rather than sit back and ahem. Through hours of committee meetings, grant writing and sermon writing Hansen has helped get affordable housing realized, campgrounds cleaned up, visitors welcomed and fed, and people’s spiritual and physical needs met. Through wildfire sheltering, parking lot bomb scares and coffee klatches, Hansen has been there listening, praying, helping. We will miss his unifying messages of grace, hope and fresh starts in our mountain community. ‘Peace, Y’all!’ now sits in our hearts.”

Pastor Hansen also helped create a more robust children’s program at NCPC. He welcomed families with babies and kids to the church. He helped them feel special and understand that church is a safe and comforting place.

Ten year old Harrison Kobi has been going to NCPC with his mom and sister since he was five. For two or three years he was the official pancake flipper at the Easter breakfasts. He says, “Hansen is a good friend. I always enjoyed decorating the Christmas tree with him, even when it fell on my head. He was always nice to the kids and we will miss him.”

Six year old Rachel Kobi has been a part of NCPC since she was two. She has loved the Christmas programs on Christmas Eve where she has played the parts of a sheep, angel and Mary. She says, “I love when Hansen would throw water on us during baptisms. I will miss him.”

Pastor Hansen has touched the lives of the young and the old, the rich and the poor, the religious and not so religious in the Nederland community.

Often pastors find themselves in a place where they feel it is time to move on. It is time to tackle new challenges and have new experiences. He has served the Nederland Community Presbyterian Church and the Nederland community with endless drive, intelligence, thought provoking messages, and always with a heart to serve. 

The German word for saying farewell is Auf Wiedersehen. These words have a beautiful way of rolling off the tongue and translates to English as until we meet again. When a friend departs we hold on to the hope that we will see them again someday. Until then and always, from the New Testament book of Numbers, “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift his countenance upon you and give you peace.”

Drive-by Goodbye for Pastor Hansen

Nederland Community Presbyterian Church (NCPC) invites its membership and members of the community to say good-bye and thank you to Pastor Hansen Wendlandt on Sunday, March 14, 2021.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, it will be an in-vehicle event. Those wishing to attend are asked to drive by the church between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Pastor Hansen will greet the passengers in each vehicle then move on to the next.

After serving at NCPC for seven and a half years, Pastor Hansen announced his departure in February. During the past year of the pandemic, NCPC has been conducting on-line services. Pastor Hansen’s final on-line sermon is scheduled for Easter Sunday, April 4.

All previous online sermons can be found on the church’s website -- nederlandcpc.org.

(Originally published in the February 18, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)