On June 3, 2001, after leading the congregation of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Emmaus for 31 years, the Rev. Fred S. Foerster retired, professionally. Although he retreated from his role as pastor, Foerster continued to fulfill the many community commitments that constituted the hallmark of his career.

The son of a Lutheran minister, Foerster began life in a rural setting in New York’s Catskill Mountains. His first language was German and his earliest playmates were his older sisters, Rica and Carol. He displayed an early propensity for the ministry as he often took the role of pastor when he and his sisters played funeral for the girls’ dolls.

Eventually, the family transitioned from pastoral to urban life. They first moved to Terryville, Conn. and then, when Foerster was entering ninth grade, to Philadelphia. He graduated from Philadelphia’s Central High School, which at the time was all male and matriculated to Gettysburg College, which to his delight was coed.

After earning a B.A. at Gettysburg, Foerster enrolled in the Lutheran Seminary at Philadelphia; he graduated with a master’s degree in divinity.

His time as a graduate student was packed with activity, a trend that grew into a lifelong practice. Foerster completed an internship in Waterbury/Watertown, Conn., did pastoral education at Children’s Hospital and University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia and worked summers in the resort and restaurant business in Maine and Connecticut. These varied work experiences provided a strong foundation for his parish ministry.

For the nine years following his ordination in May of 1961, Foerster took on several assistant ministerial roles and then served as pastor for St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Reading. During this time, he married and he and his wife Mimi welcomed their daughter Lisa into their family.

On April 19, 1970, he answered the call and became pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Emmaus. As his work would demonstrate, [in the words of author Jim George] “Your positive impact ... will be directly related to that little place called home.” Foerster gave freely of his time and talent not only within the church but also throughout the community.

His activities encompassed multiple, diverse projects. He oversaw St. John’s 100th anniversary organ/sanctuary renovations, served as a board member for the Elephant’s Trunk Consignment Shop, which supported Planned Parenthood, partnered with the Rev. Walter Kuntzleman of The Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit to settle two Ugandan refugee families and ran bus trips for the Lehigh Mission District’s senior citizen’s activity group, Operation Sunshine, to highlight a few.

Foerster’s was a “hands-on” ministry. As he often stated, he put on “the working clothes of the Gospel.” This philosophy translated into the founding of St. John’s Construction Company, a congregational group led by Foerster that painted, built and renovated projects throughout the community, the state and the world. This group made repairs at Bear Creek Camp in the Poconos and performed major work on the Elephant’s Trunk. When disaster hit, the construction company answered the call for world relief by traveling to hurricane ravaged St. Croix and rebuilding homes.

Foerster also worked closely with the Emmaus Fire Department and served as a member of the Emmaus Emergency Management Team. Under his guidance St. John’s Lutheran Church united with St. John’s U.C.C. in Emmaus to support the building of Ridge Manor, a senior citizen apartment building located at 333 Ridge St., Emmaus.

The list of Foerster’s accomplishments is nearly endless and his reach extended beyond the Borough of Emmaus.

Beginning in the 1990s and continuing well into his retirement years, he donated time by working at the clothing center sponsored by St. Luke’s Lutheran Church located at 417 N. Seventh St., Allentown. He fondly recalls developing a “tremendous relationship” with the other workers there.

As a minister, he spent countless hours making hospital visits and his concern for individuals in need was not limited to the members of his congregation. According to Jane Maulfair, who connected with Foerster through their shared interest in Emmaus’s Shelter House, “ ... Fred looked after some of our board members who were getting on in years. He looked after our dear Jeanette Lehman who lived [near him]. By ‘looked after,’ I mean he rescued Jeanette ... from a serious fall.”

No matter the patient, Foerster always focused on care and comfort, an emphasis that led to his involvement with organizations such as the Brain Tumor Support Group and the establishment of St. John’s Parish Nurse Ministry program. In addition, Foerster served on several committees for what is now the Lehigh Valley Health Network, particularly the pastoral care advisory committee.

A proponent of hard work, Foerster was never afraid to get his hands dirty. Throughout the borough, he weeded flower beds, picked up trash and pitched in whenever needed. The Emmaus Historical Society, Shelter House and Northwood Cemetery, among others, benefitted from his willingness to dig in, get dirty and get things done.

Although their lives have now taken a more sedentary turn, Foerster and his wife Mimi retain a lively interest in local events. As pastor, pastor emeritus and community servant, the Rev. Fred S. Foerster is the epitome of living life well.