Interview with Vicar Alice Rothgordt by Council President Jocelyn Sommerfeld

September 21, 2025, 15th Sunday after Pentecost – 11:00 am German-English Service with Farewell to Vicar Alice Rothgordt (returning to Germany), presided by Pastor Annika Klappert & Vicar Alice Rothgordt. Followed by small reception in the foyer.
Please sign a farewell card for Vicar Alice at church or email your message to the office. You are welcome to bring a dessert for the reception!

 

Vicar Alice Rothgordt joined the Martin Luther Church Ministry Team in October 2024. She chose to spend one year working abroad before becoming ordained as a full-fledged Pastor in Germany. She has led church services, attended meetings, assisted with Dinner Church and confirmation classes, and visited many members of our congregation over the past 12 months. Her curiosity, openness, and strong work ethic have become an invaluable contribution to our church, especially during Pastor Annika’s maternity leave.

Before her official departure at the end of September, I sat down with Vicar Alice to share in reflecting on her journey to becoming a Vicar, her experiences at Martin Luther Church and in Canada, and her future wishes in her role as a Pastor.

Growing up in Hamburg, Germany, she didn’t initially strive to become a Pastor – though she does recall an early experience with church that piqued her interest. During family vacations as a child, her father always took her and her mother to see the churches in whatever area they visited. Though Alice had some experience with church – being Lutherans, her parents often took her to Sunday services, and she was baptized as an infant – she was curious as to what church was all about: “The church was always open for visitors but nothing was happening…and I was always like ‘Okay, what is actually happening there?’”

Her academic journey has certainly been varied. Her first career goal was to become a pilot because she was fascinated by aviation since she was a child. After high school, she went through an intense 3 month seminar to train to obtain a civil pilot’s license with Lufthansa. Though she was passionate and worked hard, she learned that the program had a mandatory wait time of 4-5 years before becoming a pilot, during which time participants had to work to earn money. In the end, Alice wasn’t prepared to wait that long, so with a heavy heart she quit the program: “I was sad about that and felt disoriented because that was my goal – I trained so hard, I got fit and everything.”

Reeling from this sudden life change and dealing with parental pressure to get back on a path, she took part in an introductory army training program to still try to achieve a license as a pilot. When she took issue with the ethics of that program, she quit and subsequently took part in a German government-supported “volunteer year” for about 10 months, where she chose to teach children sports like gymnastics and figure skating (which she herself enjoyed and experienced as a child). After the program finished, she switched topics and interned at a funeral home for a few months. It was here that her interest in theology began to really grow, largely due to the positive interactions she had with funeral directors and theologians: “We had great talks about spirituality and our faith, existential questions, deep topics, while we were at work. It was really nice and affected me deeply.” While she considered going to university to study theology – a choice supported by a chance encounter at the funeral home from a pastor whom she knew from confirmation class – she initially felt daunted by the requirement of learning three ancient languages (ancient Greek, Latin, and Hebrew).

At this point, Alice felt increasing pressure from her parents to obtain a university degree. Still with no clear direction, she switched topics again and decided, seemingly at random, to study law: “I didn’t want to study medicine like my mother, I didn’t want to do science and study physics like my dad…so I thought ‘Okay, I want to do something with people, but kind of formal.’ And I didn’t learn about law in school, I didn’t know what it was about…so I pushed myself into law studies.” In 2013, she left Hamburg and began studying law at Kiel University. She worked hard from the beginning and enjoyed the university experience, but after three semesters she discovered that law was not for her – for many reasons. While she made some good friends, she resented the antics and arrogant attitude of many of her peers, as well as the mindset of her professors: ”…One of them [said] ‘You’re studying law – it’s not about doing the right thing, it’s about getting the right thing’…So I thought no, absolutely not – I’m always about fair play and have high ethical standards, that people should treat each other well…” Between an increasingly depressing atmosphere and mountains of reading material, she no longer felt motivated and quit the program in 2015. However, not wishing to quit university entirely, she chose to switch into theology – a decision she didn’t tell her parents, at least not initially. Alice worked hard in her studies, and in the end enjoyed the program and the people, who she described as much more ‘down to earth’ and ‘humble’.

After seven years, including an exchange semester in Vienna, she completed her theology studies in 2022. She was then required to gain practical experience through a church internship in an area of her choosing. Ready to explore new territory, she chose, perhaps surprisingly, to go from west Germany to east Germany: “…none of my colleagues want to go east because it’s an ex-socialist zone, DDR and everything, and…church wasn’t valued there, because socialism and communism is not good with religion… I decided to go east because I wanted…to change my perspective on things. [Because] I wanted to convince myself it’s not the case, what the ‘Westerners’ are always saying about the ‘Easterners’, and vice versa.”

With a continued wish to learn, she was sent by the church to a congregation in Ludwigslust. She respected the sense of determination they had in their faith, especially after all they endured as a religious institution during a time when church was considered opposition to the government: “…they thought ‘we had those circumstances back then, but we’re still here, and this is our thing still – we are church in the east’.” She also strongly admired her mentor and pastoral teacher in that congregation, who was constantly working but made sure to support Alice during her internship.

Though as a Vicar she was technically qualified to become a pastor, she signed up for a program to do a year abroad with a congregation outside of Germany. She had visited the southern United States on a road trip in 2020, and was curious to know more about church work in the US and Mexico. For two months, she was convinced she would go to Mexico City (she even has relatives there), but one day suddenly that opportunity was no longer available. Her next option was in Washington, DC – however, a new pastor was starting there already, not to mention visa issues and the current US climate. She was then given the option of going to a few different places in Canada, and finally in the battle of Ottawa vs Toronto, Toronto was chosen.

Moving from a small town in Ludwigslust to a huge city like Toronto was a major transition, though perhaps in hindsight not entirely unexpected, as she described an interesting vision-like dream she had during the first weeks of her internship in east Germany: “…I was dreaming I was looking at [the church] in Ludwigslust, and I was going behind it and there was a huge skyline of a big city…Like in the middle of nowhere there was just skyscrapers, like ‘pow’! And maybe this was kind of a sign. …I didn’t know at the beginning of my pastoral training in Germany that I would go to Toronto. …Maybe now it makes sense.”

However, when she first came to Martin Luther Church in 2024, she wasn’t sure what to expect. She knew it would be a challenge to take on extra responsibilities without regular supervision from a mentor during Pastor Annika’s maternity leave, while still being careful only to do as much work as her qualifications allow. Now after having completed almost a full year here, she is grateful for the experience and especially to the congregation for welcoming her and helping to provide things like housing and a bike for travelling. She went on to state: “I’m still amazed by this year…I’m also a little proud of myself, because in the beginning I didn’t know. I was sitting in the plane thinking ‘What is it like? What are they expecting? I don’t know Canada…and this congregation – half Canadian, half German, bilingual services, language barrier…’ [But] it all turned out well! [I’m thankful for this] opportunity that the congregation trusted me, and that council trusted me, and my mentor Annika – they all trusted in what I can bring. I really liked to serve here.”

She described a few of her most memorable experiences at our church: for instance, she was very interested in the concept of Dinner Church – she “didn’t know church could look like that”, being a less formal, less strict, and more inviting format than a traditional church service. She loved experiencing this type of program, and hopes to bring it back to Germany in her work. She also very much enjoyed the baptism of Philippe Koo Tze Mew, after which she said she gained a better understanding of what this church might have felt like in previous years: “…people were telling me ‘oh it was so great, we were one big ethnic family, and every Sunday the church was full’…[and] when we were in the service with Philippe Koo Tze Mew’s baptism [I think] I got it a little bit…” She feels grateful to have experienced the “family” feeling of our church.

In planning for the future of Martin Luther Church, she posits that we have opportunities to grow while still being true to our German roots: “I think this congregation has the chance to merge with the neighbourhood, to do good things here, and also be proud still of German heritage. To have tradition, but not ignoring that the old times are over, [to] say ‘Okay, we have a German signature but we are here for the people’… You have the lake here, you have Mimico, you have the city, you have the other congregations – there is a lot of potential that I see.” She states that while it is necessary to know what the church can and cannot do, we should not be afraid to try new things. As an example, she spoke about a ‘baptism festival’ she was involved with when she did her internship in east Germany – where church members gathered outside and offered baptisms to passersby, offering an opportunity for the public to connect with the church. People in the area were initially skeptical, but it led to great conversations and people being more open to learn about church and Christian faith.

She is thankful to have had this experience in Canada, and described a type of mindset that she feels in this country compared to Europe, deepened further through the stories of immigration she heard from people at Martin Luther Church – the sense that those who immigrate here want to ‘make it’: “…you can get quite well when you’re ambitious…you can really create something, you know? And this is what I really like – it’s kind of like the ‘American Dream’. There is no guarantee that you can stay, but if you behave well and if you work well and a lot, you can achieve a lot…” And while she does have to return to Germany, she described with fondness the connections she has made with not only our congregation but other congregations, and the outpouring of support for her to stay in Canada: “…when you’re connecting with the people, when you’re open-minded and put a lot of effort into that, and when you really ask for what the congregation needs…you can do a lot, gain a lot from that.”

During her time here, she also learned a lot about the German diaspora in Canada, as well as the experience of ‘ethnic’ churches in general: “I visited so many ethnic churches – Hungarian Presbyterian, Greek Orthodox…and they all have the same problem – shrinking, generational gap, merging into the Canadian society.” While she discovered a sense of identity loss that people in these churches share, she also understands that times are changing. In her perspective as a German, she posits that traditions will have to change in order to support growth: “…we live in different times. It’s not that church is a bad thing, but you can’t keep all of that tradition for generations and generations because people live in…such a flexible society where you have so many opportunities. You don’t have to stick with Germans.”

On the other hand, she reflected that she can now better understand what it feels like to come to Canada from Germany: “…in the beginning when I was coming here all by myself, I was definitely glad about having this church and also hanging out at Dimpflmeier – like, this is German! And I was drinking my coffee there and feeling so German in Canada because I didn’t know where to go in Etobicoke. …Also to have this feeling that you are allowed to be here – because you are German, and this café is German. Like in the beginning I was a little bit shy, sticking to what I’m used to …and it’s a completely natural behaviour of human beings – because when you are alone in a completely strange environment, the life saver is that you stick to what you know.” Now, she is proud of herself at the progress she has made – from being daunted at the prospect of navigating through a big city, to recently feeling like she knows the streets of Toronto. When she briefly went back to Germany in February, she was surprised to find that she really missed Canada: “…it doesn’t matter where you are in life, but when you spend time in another country or another place, it really becomes a part of you… Toronto feels a little bit like home”.

She also had opportunities to explore outside of Toronto, and described a few highlights – including exploring Quebec: enjoying the European style of Quebec City, the city of Montreal, time spent at Mont Tremblant surrounded by nature and birds. She also visited Tobermory and surrounding areas, and was particularly fascinated by Indigenous history and folklore. In general, she remarked on the friendliness of Canadians – especially when strangers exhibit kindness and are willing to help each other: “When I got in trouble in winter when I had problems with the car tires, it was snowing already and I was calling Tim like ‘It’s snowing, I can’t see a thing!’ – there was somebody stopping and saying ‘Oh, are you in trouble?’ and helping me. That was great.” She described the general warm-hearted mentality of the Canadian public as something she will miss when she leaves.

As she continues in her soon-to-be role as a Pastor in Germany, she is conscious of the checkered past of the church, and how, in her view, the church needs to clean up its image: “…if people don’t trust us anymore, [and] I can definitely understand in parts why it is like that, you have to break the stereotype…not [saying] ‘oh you’re full of sin, you failed…’ Just be supportive, ask what the people need…[and] very gently but constantly [say] ‘we’re still here, and we have a great thing to offer in this Christian faith.’ …having a living, fluid faith, and transport[ing] that in the new world – that is my opinion or mindset of being a clergy.” She also hopes to be a role model to others, to speak as a non-stereotypical Pastor and to showcase how faith can create positive change in one’s life. She described how her life hasn’t always been easy – feeling insecure and being strongly impacted by her parents’ divorce – but how her faith in God has supported her in tough times: “I know how it feels when you feel alone, and when you think there is nobody to help. And to get out of that…you can’t fall deeper than in God’s hands, that is something that I experienced. And this is something that my faith is built up, that…it’s really truly God that is reaching out to you and saying ‘Okay, I am here my child, I will keep you and I will not let you down’. …I was scared a lot in the past of things, but I am not anymore. [When] you have rough life experiences…you value and appreciate your faith even more because it was there and it’s still there, and it keeps you growing.”

In closing, she gave a word of advice: “If you have trust in God, in your faith, in Jesus Christ, and in yourself, nothing can go wrong. I think people underestimate what kind of power they actually have, if they get in any situation that in the beginning is like odd or not comfortable or strange – you can make the most out of it if you trust yourself a little more. [It’s] a great achievement…to be always curious and to trust yourself. And to trust also the ability that you get used to things, although you’re frustrated sometimes, although things are not working out, although you don’t know what people want from you, still believe in yourself. Maybe this is my last sentence – to know what you’re good at and what you’re not good at…to be honest, and to be honest with others…”

I also spoke to Alice about her favourite foods (as a vegetarian, chili sin carne and spaghetti arrabiata), making her own food (including German bread, because she missed it), her bucket list places to visit (Venice, Italy and Parga, Greece), favourite activities to relax (swimming and sports, for example), plus her time volunteering at an animal shelter in Mississauga and her love of dogs (adopt, don’t shop!)

We wish Vicar Alice Rothgordt all the best upon her return to Germany, and for her ordination in November 2025. Hopefully we will one day see her again in Canada!

Jocelyn Sommerfeld, President/Chair of Church Council