A pastor for one of Monroe County’s smaller church communities will be retiring at the end of the year, having spent over four decades preaching with a particular focus on the little guy.

Rev. Terry Grebing has served Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Renault for almost a decade and has done plenty of moving over the years.

Grebing is originally from Cape Girardeau, Mo. He attended Lutheran school through his younger years, notably moving to Concordia, Mo., to attend a high school and junior college called St. Paul’s.

He finished his upper education in Michigan before attending the seminary in St. Louis.

The summer of 1982 was quite busy for Grebing. He recalled graduating from seminary in May, getting ordained in June, marrying his longtime partner Diane in July and getting installed in his first church in August.

As he explained, his interest in working as a pastor stemmed simply from his religious upbringing. Though his father was a postman rather than a pastor, the family were still strong Lutherans throughout his early years.

“I grew up in a home where my parents were very devout,” Grebing said. “The fact we were born and raised in the church and went regularly, and his participation and his dedication, I think it was growing up in that family environment that led me to that.”

Departing the St. Louis seminary, Grebing’s first call had him traveling to Odell, Neb., a small village where he stayed from 1982-1988.

He came a bit closer to home as his next call brought him to Eldon, Mo., from 1988-1998, then coming to Illinois as he served in Bunker Hill from 1998-2015.

Grebing noted how he has always seemed to find himself in smaller communities. He long expected Odell to be the smallest with a population of around 300 while Eldon and Bunker Hill had respective populations of 4,300 and 1,800.

He said he felt comfortable in these small communities as a “little guy” as he felt he was better able to focus his ministries.

“What I would do in ministry in these little guy towns as a little guy, I would seek out the little guy, the person that maybe was on the fringes, maybe was forgotten, and I would do a lot of one-on-one ministry, seeking out those individuals and encouraging them,” Grebing said.

He further emphasized the importance of personal relationships as a pastor.

“I enjoy preaching to larger groups and doing a lot of things, but that one-on-one was all important,” Grebing said.

His passion for small communities continued as he and Diane came to Renault – with a population of about 200 – in 2015.

Grebing discussed how the community extended the call to him, and, as he anticipated Holy Cross to be the final stop in his career, he accepted with enthusiasm.

“They said, ‘We want a pastor to help us do what we are called to do,’” Grebing said. “Knowing that this town was a little town, knowing my history and background to these little towns and knowing that I like the one-on-one ministry, this is gonna sound corny, but it was a match made in Heaven.”

He spoke quite positively about the time he’s spent with Holy Cross, focusing primarily on how he and other members of the congregation have been involved in the community.

Grebing mentioned participating on the church’s community outreach board, helping to organize food collections for Monroe County House of Neighborly Service or assisting in programs that help provide needy children with gifts for Christmas.

He noted that community has been a big focus throughout his ministry, trying to connect members of the church.

In a small village like Renault, weekly services can often serve as regular family reunions.

He also expressed an affinity for outdoor services in Renault as well as those in which the church recognized elderly members of the congregation.

The church’s annual fall Wurstmarkt – a tradition for decades – was another community-centric event Grebing spoke of positively.

Caring for the youth was also a major part of his ministry as he frequently assisted with the church’s vacation Bible school. He noted the importance of having kids be active with the church in the present if they are to be the church in the future.

Grebing also discussed a trend he’s recognized over the years, as he has been with each of his congregations through some distinct difficulty.

For Odell, he stood alongside folks in the rural community who were struggling with sharp inflation and the resultant loss of family farms.

Eldon, like communities in Monroe County, experienced great tragedy with the Flood of 1993. Grebing also recalled the more widely felt impact of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack which occurred during his time in Bunker Hill.

This trend would unfortunately continue as he came to Renault, joining the village as they experienced the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Through each of those troubles, Grebing emphasized community and Christ.

“In all those dark times, my goal was to focus on the light of Christ,” Grebing said. “That was the approach that I had in those situations.”

Now looking to retirement after a lengthy career, Grebing said he will officially be stepping away from Holy Cross at the end of the year – though the church held a celebration in his and his wife’s honor this past Sunday.

He said they plan to enjoy their retirement in half of a duplex in Millstadt, though they’re interested in doing plenty of traveling as well as generally reconnecting with family.

“Just kind of waiting to see what next the Lord has in mind for us,” Grebing said.

Grebing looked back fondly on his time in Renault, describing how he has felt reinvigorated these past few years like a second wind toward the end of a 42-year marathon.

Many members of Holy Cross’s congregation will also look back fondly on the time he spent with them.

Brenda Seboldt spoke about how he helped reinvigorate the church, working with the Vacation Bible School and seeing Holy Cross through the pandemic in particular.

“He kind of brought a breath of fresh air, helped us recreate some things that had kind of gone by the wayside,” Seboldt said. “He brought an energy to our church.”

Bonnie Meyer likewise spoke highly of Grebing.

“He is very, very nice,” Meyer said. “He has wonderful, meaningful services all the time. We’re gonna miss that. Just a really nice person, and Diane, super nice too. They just pitched in on everything at church. We’re gonna miss them.”

Bob Keller also shared positive thoughts on Grebing, saying he came at an excellent time to unite the congregation.

“He’s been a very dedicated and loving pastor,” Keller said. “Always has been there for you whenever anybody had to go into the hospital for any kind of procedures or any difficulties. Just a well-liked guy. We’re gonna miss him, but we’re glad to see him being able to move on to retirement.”