The Rev. Barry Keurulainen, pastor of St. Luke Lutheran Church in Jefferson Township, waves to church members during a drive-through ceremony Sunday afternoon at nearby SEBCO Park where he was given a fond farewell upon his retirement after nearly 39 years of leading the congregation. Seated in front was daughter Jennifer, and in back next to was wife Andrea.

JEFFERSON TWP — Parishioners of St. Luke Lutheran Church gathered under umbrellas Sunday afternoon at SEBCO Park to bid a happy retirement to the Rev. Barry J. Keurulainen — their beloved pastor of nearly four decades.

Hoots, hollers and clapping hands greeted Keurulainen as he puttered by in the back seat of a Ford Model T, accompanied by wife, Andrea, daughter Jennifer and honorary chauffeur and church member Simon Neubert.

The grim weather did not dampen the spirits of the grateful congregants — some holding signs that read “God Blessed Us With You,” “We Love You,” “May God Bless You & Your Family” and “Thank You.”

It was the chance to pay one final tribute to the man they know as “Pastor Barry” with a drive-thru reception — a sort of victory lap — at the park just down the road from the church on Hannahstown Road in Jefferson Township.

The event originally was planned as an indoor party at Laube Hall in Freeport, but was changed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Keurulainen last year announced his plan to retire after nearly 39 years as pastor.

He delivered his final sermon Nov. 8.

Upon reflection on the recognition, the subject of the acclamation said, “I liked it. It was fun. It was community. It was safe.”

The 68-year-old reverend even acknowledged, “That was pretty cool.” One could take that assessment both figuratively and literally.

“Being in a Model T Ford,” he admitted, “it was a little chilly for that.”

The attendees, his flock, were pleased with the opportunity to pay respects and sing praises.

“He's so good as a preacher and a teacher,” said Doug Miller, an elder, who was there with his wife, Cathy, to cheer on Keurulainen. The Millers have been members of St. Luke for 30 years or so.

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Miller said Pastor Barry has a gift of personalizing his sermons with everyday life issues to which church members could relate.“Everything that he taught us, everything that he preached about,” Miller said, “he brought into today's world and how it fit into our lives today. It connected so much better than just talking about the stuff that's in the Bible and not putting it in today's world.”A 39-year teacher at the church-affiliated, pre-school to eighth grade St. Luke Lutheran School, Brenda Fett singled out Pastor Barry's “commitment” and “dedication” to his calling.“He remained true to the word in leading the congregation,” she said. “He was relentless. He never gave up. He just kept on going.”“He was the ultimate Energizer Bunny,” chimed in Linda Bogan, a lifelong member who preceded Keurulainen at the church.“He's got a heart for the word, and he's got a heart for the people,” Bogan added, “and he brings the two together.”Miller and Fett, while speaking separately, each lauded Pastor Barry for his ability to “challenge” members individually and the congregation as a whole to do better and give more.“He's one who takes time to build relationships with people,” Fett said, “and in building those relationships, he was able to establish a lot of growth in his congregation.”One of the younger members, 27-year-old William Thiele, is a living and lasting example of Keurulainen's longevity — and reach.Before Pastor Barry baptized Thiele and his twin brother, he married their parents, and buried their paternal grandparents.“He's really an excellent pastor,” Thiele said. “The way he speaks, he grabs your attention. He makes you want to learn more. Whenever you listen to him, you say, 'I want to learn more about that subject he was preaching on.'”It didn't hurt either that Keurulainen was gifted with a loud, deep and resonant voice.“It's a booming voice,” Thiele said, “He does not have a dull, mundane voice.”The voice also reveals a New England accent. Keurulainen grew up in the town of Westminster in central Massachusetts. He ultimately headed west and became a pastor of a church in Monroeville, Allegheny County, before he arrived at St. Luke.He relished his time here, and his mission.“The best thing about being a pastor?” he asked, then answered, “Being a part of a person's journey, where their life is being transferred; their life is changing.”Pastor Barry continued, “Being part of their journey is where I walk beside them for a while and I help connect the dots in their life.”Scripture, he said, is used to facilitate — and comprehend — that connection.

Sunday's drive-thru at the park was just one of several events to mark Keurulainen's retirement. There was a celebration last month outside at the church pavilion, and there have been Zoom chats with members.Handwritten letters from members and non-members have also been passed on to the retiree.A huge Boston Red Sox fan, Pastor Barry said he got a big kick out of one such letter received from Sam Kennedy, the team's president and chief executive officer.Prior to Sunday's event, there was a special church service for the occasion.“It was incredibly sentimental and emotional,” Keurulainen said. He could feel the love from the members. It was reciprocal.Those kinds of personal relationships, he noted, are formed from sharing the human experience — life and death, celebration and suffering.“They're developed where you're by the bedside, you're by the grave side, you're by the wedding, you're by the hospital bed,” he said. “You know the stories. It's deep. It's rich.”Two of Keurulainen's mentors, lead Pastor Ben Berteau, and associate Pastor Jared Townley, will now lead the church.Pastor Barry has not settled on a plan for the rest of his life. It's in flux.He and his wife, better known as “Andie,” moved to Lake Latonka, Mercer County, in anticipation of his retirement. The couple is celebrating 45 years of marriage later this month.They have two daughters, Jennifer, the younger, of California, and Elizabeth, who lives in Virginia.Keurulainen hopes to spend some leisure time kayaking and fishing, and possibly participating in a summer theater group. He also wants to continue writing and do some “coaching” of pastors.He conceded that retirement is a foreign concept to him, and he has not come to grips with the thought of not working every day.“I don't get it,” he said. “I'm retired and I don't feel old. What's the story with that?”