Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Looking for a Confessional Pastor?

Chris Rosebrough, on the June 7 Fighting for the Faith show:

"Now listen carefully if you happen to be attending a confessional Lutheran congregation and you’re looking for a confessional pastor. Pay close attention. You might want to give Pastor David, well Vicar David Whan a call. We want to help him out. We want to help him get placed here. I’m telling ya, this guy is gonna, if you’ve got a confessional congregation, this is your guy."

Who the heck is Vicar David Whan? I’m proud to say that Dave Whan is my close friend. He’s one of this year’s Concordia Theological Seminary graduates who is patiently awaiting the Lord’s call to a congregation. Chris called him “vicar” because he’s filling in for the pastor at Chris’s church, who is taking a few weeks off. I’ll second what Chris said. If you’re looking for a confessional pastor, this is your guy.

On this Fighting for the Faith segment, Chris plays a very interesting recording of Vicar Dave teaching the Bible class, in which he recounts his journey from unconfessional Lutheranism to a church absentee to pastor at an evangelical seeker-driven emergent type church, and by God’s grace, miraculously to Concordia Theological Seminary.

As Chris warns at the beginning of the segment, “…this is one of those things where Lutheranism is discussed, as if Lutheranism is true. The confessions of Lutheranism are proclaimed and upheld as being faithful and true interpretations of the Bible. If you are put off by denominations, and titles such as ‘Lutheran,’ well then you’re going to be put off by this sermon, uh, this lesson.”

I’ve heard Dave’s story a few times now, first told to us as he and his family joined us for dinner when he served his vicarage at our congregation. I share his excitement as he recalls the unfolding of Lutheran theology in his life, and of how that foreign-sounding theology gradually became a living thing in his family’s life. I look forward to seeing how the Lord will use Dave to deliver His good gifts of Word and Sacrament to those who need Christ’s blessings.

Dave’s lesson begins at the 1:08:00 mark.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This guy moved from an evangelical seeker-driven emergent type church to confessional Lutheranism? Fascinating!

Anonymous said...

Thank you Scott, for all of your support and encouragement! We are reminded that those who wait on the Lord renew their strength...may God grant us His strength as we wait on His timing!
...NW

Unknown said...

Being at the same church as Scott, I can heartily second the nomination! Vicar Whan is meant to be leading a confessional congregation. And if you are lucky enough to get him, you get the added bonus of his lovely, musical, Christ-confessing wife and family, too!