Assigned by the Synod at Concordia Theological Seminary on Tuesday, April 28, The Rev. Candidate Daniel Ulrich will become the new Associate Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church; we are happy to welcome Daniel and his wife Katie!We expect that ordination and installation will be at Grace early in July. We hope to see them soon as they visit to begin the job of finding a house.
Both Daniel and Katie are from Indiana (he from Lafayette and she from Ft. Wayne area). Katie is a civil engineer currently employed by a firm from Indianapolis.
Our parish excitedly awaits the formal welcome and official reception of our newest pastor and his wife into the life of our congregation. Until then our prayers go out in thanksgiving to God and for their safe keeping and guidance in the coming months!
17 comments:
"Rev. Candidate"?!? That's an oxymoron! A candidate is one who has not yet received a Divine Call.
Having received and (presumably) accepted the Divine Call to be Associate Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Daniel Ulrich is already the Rev. Daniel Ulrich, Associate Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church.
As we all (except Grabau and Löhe) were taught at our mother's knee from Die Stimme unserer Kirche in der Frage von Kirche und Amt, particularly Thesis 6 on the Ministry, "The ministry of the Word is conferred [übertragen] by God through the congregations as the possessor of all ecclesiastical power, or the power of the keys, by means of its call, which God Himself has prescribed."
Congratulations and God's blessings to the Rev. and Mrs. Ulrich, and to the congregation at Grace, as preparations are being made for his ordination, as a solemn public confirmation of Pastor Ulrich's Divine Call.
Congratulations to all parties
Rick,
He has the call, not yet accepted, and we are awaiting the paperwork. So, yes, the Rev. Candidate...
If Daniel Ulrich has not yet accepted the Call, then he is still Candidate-Declared-Qualified Urlich (per LCMS Bylaw 2.8.1).
Perhaps some might claim that, like Schrödinger's cat, which, until observed when the door to the box is opened, could be considered both alive and dead at the same time, Urlich could be a pastor and a candidate layman at the same time, until the mailbox is opened to observe his acceptance. This would make the office of the ministry into a quantum superposition, complicating Kiche und Amt with a "many-worlds interpretation or quantum decoherence.
Better to leave it just as "Candidate-Declared-Qualified," and then "Rev." when he accepts the call.
Carl, you indeed are an anomaly of sorts, whether you are serious or not your comments sometimes leave a lot to be desired.
Mr. Mous, is there something you are trying, in an ambivalent way of sorts, to state?
Pr. Peters,
Were you expecting an associate pastor? Does your parish need one? The reason I ask is because I know of several small Lutheran parishes in rural areas that are completely lacking any priest, even for once a month Liturgy or services. So, why would your parish, which has been doing so well with just you all this time, get an associate pastor when there are so many churches without one? it seems like the LCMS has just written off a number of these small parishes. Also, this just shows how stupid and inefficient the assigning of pastors to churches is in the LCMS. Chris
"Were you expecting an associate pastor? Does your parish need one?"
Wow, Chris!! Ask, then answer your own two questions with this: "[T]his just shows how stupid and inefficient the assigning of pastors to churches is in the LCMS."
Perhaps you may want to read the Memorial Sermon for the Rev. Dr. William Martin Childress - 1939-2013.
Chris
I doubt that rural parishes lack a priest due to the inefficiency of the Synod's assignment process. If a parish has the resources to support a pastor and his family, a pastor can be found to serve that parish.
If Pr Peters's parish has had an associate assigned, it is because they can afford the salary for an associate.
BTW, it may be the low resolution of the photo of Mr. and Mrs. Urlich, but it's hard to see the distinction between the uniform worn by a candidate-declared-qualified layman and a uniform usually identifying the man as a "called and ordained servant of the Word."
... and hopefully for other reasons also ...
Dr. Strickert,
The proper title is Pastor-Elect.
Tim
Congratulations, and many years of wonderful service to Our Lord and the building up of His Kingdom!
Yes, "Pastor-Elect" appears more appropriate than "Rev. Candidate."
God bless this man called to be a faithful pastor of Jesus. He needs our prayers and support as he serves faithfully. Blessings to this congregation also.
Carl,
So you think that the depth of names on the CRM is not an issue or a problem for the LCMS and her respective churches? It is stupid and inefficient to keep such men in limbo just because churches either do not want to pay a pastor (which is a stupid reason) or because they think they don't need one since a layperson can do just as well (inconsistent with the confessions). From what I have seen and read, being on the CRM is pretty much a death sentence for a pastor's career. With so many men who wish to serve why must they be made to wait with so much uncertainty until a congregation decides to call them? on the other hand, there are a number of congregations who desperately need a pastor. WHy doesn't the LCMS just assign available pastors. Are pastors not to serve the church? Being a pastor is not about being able to pick out plush vacation resort towns for you to do your ministry and frankly, with the call process in its current application, that is what happens. Men who want to go to a more urban or suburban environment from a rural congregation, will take calls for that reason. THe converse does not happen. Are you still going to defend the CRM and the polity of the LCMS when placing pastors? I'm sure your words will be of great comfort to a congregation I know of in rural Kansas who is eagerly awaiting someone to minister to them.--Chris
Chris: "So you think that the depth of names on the CRM is not an issue or a problem for the LCMS and her respective churches?"
Chris, this thread has nothing to do with CRM; neither I nor anyone else has commented about CRM on this thread. This thread is about the call to CTS graduate Daniel Erlich to become associate pastor of Grace Lutheran Church.
Focus, man, focus.
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