The culmination of four years of training, and a lot of prayer and preparation, is the annual “Call Service”, in which vicars learn where they will be serving and learning for the next twelve months and graduates are certified and then notified of where the synodical Council of Presidents after prayer and deliberation has decided they will begin their full-time ministry. The placements were announced to the 130 worshippers at Christ Lutheran Church, St. Catharines, on Saturday, 25 May, in a special 4pm service. At least 180 outside the area tuned in for part of the live-streamed internet version. LCC President Robert Bugbee, preaching on Isaiah 6, urged the students to answer as the prophet did with a solemn, “Here I am; send me!”
Special presentations were made to two individuals demonstrating faithful service to the Church-at-large, and to the seminary in particular. Mr David Schutz was honoured for his years of service on the Board of Regents and his continued support in numerous ways. He received the official designation, Friend of the Seminary. Dr Roger Winger, a former East District President and still an occasional guest instructor, was honoured with the Delta Chi (“Diakonos Christou”, or “Servant of Christ”) award for the many ways in which he served Christ and the Church. In addition, graduating student Wes Hromowyk received the Nadine and Kent Schappert award for Pastoral Care.
Following the service, at a reception hosted by the Seminary Guild with assistance from the ladies of Christ Lutheran, a FaithLife representative presented individual Communion kits for home visitation to each candidate. A surprise presentation was James Preus’s announcement on behalf of the Concordia Seminary Students’ Association that Dr Wilhelm Torgerson had been selected for the “Servant of God” award, presented to a faculty or staff member recognized by the students “for holding high the cross of Christ in word and actions.”
The following placements were announced:
Pastoral Candidate Placements
- Seungwoo (Sam) Choi: Placement pending
- Perry Hart: Waikerie Lutheran Church, Lutheran Church of Australia
- Wesley Hromowyk: Placement pending (commended to LCMS)
- Dereck Pillay: St. Matthew Lutheran, Scarborough, ON (LCMS)
- Andrew Preus: Placement deferred for graduate study at CTS, Ft. Wayne
- Jeff Swords: Placement pending
Vicarage Assignments
- Basil Christoforidis: Rev. Robert Krestick, Redeemer Lutheran, Waterloo, ON
- James Preus: Rev. Terry Defoe, Mount Olive Lutheran, Regina, SK
This year was unusual due to a much higher than normal number of deferments for candidates. One is postponing placement to pursue a graduate degree, another is currently caring for seriously ill parents. In other cases there were not enough suitable calls. The placement process then is ongoing and within a few months those currently seeking calls will most likely be placed. Thank you for your prayers on their behalf.
The video of the call service will be available online for three weeks:
https://new.livestream.com/accounts/771825/events/2122412
More photos are available:
https://picasaweb.google.com/103000629941768945067/CLTSCallService2013
Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary 