First Call for Sam Choi

Waiting for a group of people you do not know to call you to serve them as pastor can be an agonizing wait. Certified candidates for the holy ministry do not see all the prayers, meetings, conversations, communications, consultations and paper work that go into formulating and then issuing a call.

For various reasons not all 2013 graduates received placements last spring. The District Presidents work all year around to find suitable pastors for vacant congregations. Thus in January, Candidate Wes Hromowyk was called to serve as assistant pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Columbus, Ohio. The installation was 19 January.

Most recently, in a special service held Thursday, 1 May, in the seminary chapel, on the feast of St. Philip and St. James, Rev. Paul Zabel, President of LCC’s East District, was able to present Seungwoo (Sam) Choi call documents for the newly-formed dual parish of the Korean Lutheran Church meeting at Trinity Lutheran in Toronto and Holy Trinity

Lutheran Church in Bradford, Ontario. Seminary President, Dr. Tom Winger, used parts of the regular placement service to remind Sam and the 40 worshippers present, of the privileges and duties of a pastor. Placement Officer, Dr. William Mundt then announced the call, and President Zabel welcomed the candidate into the ministerium of the East District. A reception in the student lounge followed the service.