Trinity’s Pastors

On June 9, 2018, Trinity suffered a tremendous loss when our Senior Pastor, Rev. Dr. Michael Nirva, went to his heavenly home after a short fight with cancer.  Our Associate Pastor, Paul Rieger, has done an amazing job of keeping the ministry working during this time.

Pastor Nirva was a wonderful man who was tremendously supportive of the Radio Club and the ministry we do.  He also came into the church at a time when we hadn’t had a Senior Pastor for some time.  Shortly after Pastor Nirva arrive, we received Pastor Rieger, fresh out of Seminary.  Having both of these men with us was a great blessing to Trinity.

The Call Process – Getting a Senior Pastor

When there is an opening for pastor in a LCMS congregation, there is a very specific process that the congregation must follow to get a new pastor.  This is the Call Process and each congregation follows it to call a pastor to serve.

The process starts with the congregation setting up a call committee who requests a list of pastors from the church district office.  This list is compiled by the district office and contains names of pastors who are eligible to receive a call and is a worldwide list.  Once the committee receives this list, they review all of the candidates and whittle the list down to just a few.

Phone interviews with the candidates are conducted by the call committee and they compile information they think will be helpful for the congregation to make a decision.  Once all of the interviews are done, a final list is submitted to the district office for background checks to be completed.  When the results are received, a call meeting with the congregation is scheduled.  The congregation discusses who they think is the best person to call and a vote is held.

The called pastor is notified and asked if he will consider the call.  Specific documentation is sent to the called pastor and an on-site visit is normally scheduled.  The pastor will then pray for guidance and decide whether the call is where God wants him to be or not.  If the pastor turns down the call, the process begins again.  If the pastor takes the call then a transition is set and the congregation gets their new pastor.

Trinity’s Call

Trinity placed three calls before we received an affirmative response.  The pastor who took our call to be the Senior Pastor is our own Associate Pastor, Paul Rieger.

Pastor Rieger has been a blessing for Trinity.  He has taken on the role of Senior Pastor after Pastor Nirva’s death and kept the ministry flourishing.  His focus is reaching out to the community and beyond which fits great with the ministry of Trinity.

The Trinity Radio Club welcomes Pastor Paul Rieger as our new Senior Pastor and looks forward to working with him.  With his guidance and outward reach, we will be able to further the ministry.