David Elliott photographed by Kitra Katz.

After working at Minnehaha for 14 years, the Rev. David Elliott has one thing that he says he will miss most: “I think that there will be people I miss,” he said. “I’ll very much miss Dan [Bergstrom] and Jeff [Crafton]. So I think that it will be people, most of all, that I miss.”

The three sacred studies teachers have been known to sit down and pray together. They pray, think, and talk about current issues plaguing our world today. His colleagues will miss him as much as he misses them.

“My friendship with David has grown out of the challenges that life has put before us,” said Bergstrom. “David has a sensitive heart that most don’t have the privilege of seeing. His laugh, his jokes and story-telling will all be missed. Even though we are on opposite ends of some spectrums dealing with theology, we have come to value each other’s position. I will miss his easy-going nature and our times of talking and praying.”

Not only does he hold relationships with other teachers, but he has also mentored many students.

“I’m still involved with a lot of former M.A. parents,” said Elliott. “Men’s groups and things like that. So I’ll still have ties to it.”

Elliott will be working at a construction company based in Hugo, Minn., as a superintendent of their architectural concrete division. He has already started working there on his days off, Wednesdays and Fridays. Elliott hopes to be able to continue mentoring after he leaves Minnehaha.

“I came here from pastoring, so I won’t have any outlet for my teaching and preaching now,” he said. “I’ll have to do that on the construction site.”