District president recovering from heart attack
Filed Under: District, Minnesota, president
Rev. Charles Degner, the newly elected president of the Minnesota District, is recovering at home from a heart attack he suffered July 24.
After experiencing chest pains, he was rushed to an emergency room in St. Peter, Minn., where he lives, before being transferred to a hospital in nearby Mankato where doctors inserted a stent into his left coronary artery.
Degner says doctors described his heart attack as "serious, but not horrible." Initial tests before he returned home indicated his heart was once again functioning well, but the extent of any damage won't be fully known until a stress test scheduled for Sept. 3.
Degner anticipates a month of cardiac rehabilitation—during that time he'll be delegating work to vice presidents and circuit pastors in his district and working from home. He expresses thanks for the prayers and well wishes from across synod. "It's just a wonderful thing," he says.
He's also expressing thanks to fast acting doctors and a gracious God. "When push comes to shove and you're lying on the table—you can say 'God, I'm your child and I'm in your hands.' There's no sweeter comfort than that."
