Ordination joy for LCANZ … and more to come!

Joyful praise has rung out among Lutheran communities from east to west across New Zealand and Australia in recent days, as the LCANZ has welcomed two new pastors – including a Mandarin-language pastor and the first woman pastor.

Mark Tung was ordained by LCANZ Bishop Paul Smith as a Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) in Auckland, in Aotearoa – New Zealand on 6 April. He has been installed by District Bishop Richard Schwedes to serve Botany Lutheran Church in Auckland, a predominantly Mandarin language-speaking community.

On Sunday (13 April), Maria Rudolph became the LCANZ’s first female pastor when she was ordained by Bishop Paul at Concordia College chapel in suburban Adelaide. She has been assigned by the LCANZ’s College of Bishops to serve as Associate Pastor at St John’s Lutheran Church in Perth, alongside Western Australia District Bishop Peter Hage.

In his sermon, Bishop Paul proclaimed the message of Luke 10:38–42 about hearing the life-giving word of the Lord, as Mary sits at Jesus’ feet listening to him. ’It’s the task of the ordained to be a servant of the Word,’ he said. Quoting the Lutheran Confessions from the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, he added: ‘Those who bear offices in the church … do so on account of the call of the church, they represent the person of Christ, they do not represent their own person. When they offer the word of God and when they offer the sacraments, they offer them in the stead and place of Christ.’

These ordinations are among eight taking place in the LCANZ in the first half of 2025. Sean Hotinski was ordained by Bishop Paul at Blair Athol, South Australia, on February 16. Pastor Sean has been assigned to serve Queensland’s Goombungee/Maclagan Parish.

On Sunday 27 April, Sue Westhorp will be ordained at Luther College, Croydon, in suburban Melbourne and has been assigned to serve alongside Pastor Neville Otto at St Paul’s Box Hill, Victoria.

Four people will be ordained in May – Justin Allen (Pastor for Papunya Community, Northern Territory) and Abraham Poulson (Pastor for Utju Community, NT) on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 May respectively; Dr Tanya Wittwer on Saturday 10 May at St Stephen’s Adelaide, where she also has been assigned to serve; and Adam Morris on Sunday 11 May at Aberfoyle Park SA, where he will serve as Specific Ministry Pastor.

Bishop Paul said: ‘Our Lord has called us to pray for workers to be raised up for the harvest. Let us thank God for these sisters and brothers in Christ who have offered their gifts in the cause of the gospel as servants of the Word – to the glory of God.’