Call Service 2018

Colloquy graduate Rev. Isaac Paik is flanked by supervised ministry candidate Rev. Ndriana Rakotoarimah and Vicar Vishal Paul, with seminary faculty and preacher

The 2018 Certification and Call Service was held at Christ Lutheran Church, St. Catharines, on Saturday, 26 May. It was an unusual event this year in that our seminary had no pastoral candidates ready to be placed in the ordinary manner. We ask you to pray that God would raise up men to study and serve in this vital vocation.

We did, however, rejoice that Rev. Insub “Isaac” Paik, a former Presbyterian minister of Korean extraction, completed the colloquy programme after a year of full-time study at CLTS and a supervised ministry period at Resurrection, St. Catharines, under Rev. Kurt Lantz. He is now eligible for a call to an LCC congregation.

Vishal Paul, a recent immigrant from India, was assigned vicarage at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Waterloo, under the supervision of Rev. Joel Kuhl. Vishal is married with two children.

Rev. Ndriana Rakotoarimah, an ordained pastor of the Malagasy Lutheran Church, has completed one year of study in the colloquy programme and was assigned a period of supervised ministry at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Gatineau, Quebec, under the joint supervision of Rev. Richard Lockstaedt and Rev. Dr David Somers. His wife Aimee recently joined him from Madagascar.

These three pastoral candidates represent the changing face of LCC, and indeed of worldwide Christianity. We are delighted with the linguistic and intercultural skills they bring to our church.

The service, at which Rev. Greg Johnson of Our Saviour, Etobicoke, delivered the homily, also bestowed honours on students for academic achievements. It recognised Daniel Fawcett’s completion of the Master of Theological Studies degree—Daniel, a native of Moncton, NB, will proceed to an MA in Toronto.

Rev. Nolan Astley, senior pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Kitchener, ON, received the Delta Chi (“Servant of Christ”) Award. He was recognised for decades of service to LCC as synodical Secretary and First Vice-President, as well as the difficult work he recently undertook as Interim Ecclesiastical Leader of the ABC District.

The Friend of the Seminary Award was given to Mike Bauer, who served as seminary Business Manager for 16 years. Mike is a member of Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Niagara Falls, ON.

Dr Winger with Mr Mike Bauer, Friend of the Seminary

Thanks are due to Christ Lutheran Church for hosting the service and to the Seminary Guild for providing refreshments, with support from FaithLife Financial.