LCA/NZ welcomes seven new pastors

Seven Australian Lutheran College graduates have joined the ranks of pastors of the Lutheran Church of Australia this week.

Paul Calnan, Jing Luan, Shaun Manning, Peter Noble, Carl Richter, David Seligmann, and Lee van Rossen were ordained by LCA Bishop John Henderson at Concordia College chapel, Highgate South Australia, on Sunday 8 December.

They will take up their first assignments in 2020.

Paul Calnan, who was baptised at Para Vista Lutheran Church in Adelaide’s north-eastern suburbs and confirmed at Kapunda Lutheran Church north of the Barossa Valley in South Australia, did his vicarage at Semaphore/Albert Park, in Adelaide’s western suburbs, with Pastor Avito da Graca Costa. Married to Kate and with three daughters, Pastor Calnan has been assigned to Holy Cross at Murray Bridge, east of Adelaide.

Jing Luan, who is known as Jim, migrated to Australia from China 30 years ago and has made Brisbane’s St Mark’s Lutheran Church Mount Gravatt his home congregation. Pastor Luan and his wife Lily have three adult daughters. He completed his vicarage at St Johns in Perth with Pastor Peter Hage and will begin his ordained ministry at Lockyer Valley Parish’s Laidley Ministry Area in south-east Queensland.

Originally from Melbourne’s western suburbs, Shaun Manning did his vicarage at St Petri Lutheran Church at Nuriootpa in South Australia’s Barossa Valley, with Pastor Adrian Kitson. His first parish will be at Naracoorte in South Australia’s south-east.

A former youth minister in the Anglican Church, Peter Noble has called St Paul’s Lutheran Church in the beachside Adelaide suburb of Glenelg his home congregation in recent years since joining the Lutheran Church. Married to Altamira with three young children, he did his vicarage at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Adelaide with Pastor Fraser Pearce. Pastor Noble has been assigned to Gladstone–Rockhampton Parish on Queensland’s central coast.

Baptised at Appila Lutheran Church in South Australia’s mid-north and confirmed at Langmeil Lutheran Church in that state’s Barossa Valley, Carl Richter did his vicarage placement at St John’s Unley in Adelaide’s inner-south, with Pastor Andrew Brook. Pastor Richter is married to Sarah and they have a young daughter, Emilie. He has been assigned to Mildura Parish in north-western Victoria.

Pastor Seligmann spent most of his formative years worshipping at St Peters Lutheran Church Indooroopilly in Brisbane’s inner-western suburbs and also attended St Peters Lutheran College there. He did his vicarage at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at Toowoomba in southern Queensland’s Darling Downs, with Pastor Ray Pace. Pastor Seligmann will begin his ordained ministry at Gympie, about 160 kilometres north of Brisbane.

Pastor van Rossen grew up in a missionary family and joined the Lutheran Church as an adult after studying the Lutheran Confessions. He completed his vicarage at St Paul’s Glenelg in Adelaide’s west, with Pastor Tim Ebbs. Pastor van Rossen and his wife Sonja have a young daughter Malia. He has been assigned to Whyalla Parish, on South Australia’s Spencer Gulf, north of Adelaide.

Queensland District Bishop Paul Smith preached at the ordination service on the text Romans 15:4–13, while Bishop Henderson encouraged the ordinands as they prepared to enter the public ministry. ‘Since you have this ministry by the mercy of God, care for God’s people, bear their burdens, and do not betray their confidence’, he said. ‘Give and receive comfort as you serve within the church. And be confident, for God has called you, and your labour in the Lord will not be in vain.’