A seven-month journey has resulted in a new spiritual leader for Peace Lutheran Church in St. Joseph and he is slated to take on the role of full-time Senior Pastor effective this weekend.
Kevin Kunst is Council President for Peace Lutheran Church and he says that the council and the Call Committee have been at work since February studying the needs of the congregation and interviewing potential candidates. Following a congregational vote, the Reverend Steven Hartten has be revealed as the new leader for the church, which is located at 3590 Lincoln Avenue in St. Joseph. He takes the reins on Sunday, October 2nd.
Kunst says, "This is the beginning of great things to come for Peace Lutheran Church." He says Pastor Hartten's background will be a huge asset to the church.
Hartten is a native of New York, however he comes to Peace Lutheran from his most recent service in Colorado. He says, "Loretta and I couldn't be happier to move to the St. Joseph area." He adds, "We were impressed with the friendliness and warmth of the people during our interview and we love the natural beauty of Southwest Michigan."
Pastor Hartten earned his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at Polytechnic Institute of New York and worked as an engineer for several years before deciding to attend seminary. He earned his Master of Divinity Degree at Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.
Pastor Hartten brings nearly 20 years of ministry experience to Peace. His most recent call was Peace in Christ Episcopal-Lutheran Ministry in Elizabeth, Colorado, where he served for nine years. For the last several years, Pastor Hartten has been on leave from the ministry, and is excited to be returning to preaching.
Hartten tells the community, “I am very excited to be part of a congregation that is involved in the community and prayerfully seeking new avenues of involvement.” He adds, “As I have talked with people in and around town, I have received several comments about how inviting our church building is. Not only is the building inviting, the members are as well.”
Peace Lutheran Church offers services at 10:15am on Sundays and 7pm on Wednesdays. Christian Education is at 9am on Sundays and includes classes for all ages and all stages of faith development. For more information about Peace, you can visit their website by clicking this link: www.peacelutheranstjoe.org.
Peace is a member of the North American Lutheran Church, which encompasses more than 300 congregations across North America and stands at the theological center of Lutheranism.
