Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
At Messiah's special voters meeting held on Sunday, November 1, the assembly unanimously voted to call the Rev. Dr. Christopher Jackson to serve as our next pastor.
Rev. Jackson currently serves Saint Peter Lutheran Church in Forestville, Wisconsin and Saint John Lutheran Church in Algoma, Wisconsin.
Since the vote, we have spoken with Pastor Jackson; we will send him the official call documents today, along with further information about Messiah and the Grand Rapids area. Pastor Jackson said that he is honored to have been chosen to receive our call. Once he receives and reviews the call documents, he will contact us to let us know his plan for the deliberation process.
We'll inform you of further developments (Pastor Jackson's reception of our materials, the scheduling of any visit to Messiah, etc.) as they occur. Please wait to share the news on social media until after this coming Sunday, November 8, so that he has the chance to properly inform his congregations.
In the meantime, please keep Pastor Jackson, his family, the staff and members at Saint Peter and Saint John, and all of us at Messiah in your prayers. As before, our Lutheran Service Book provides all of us with a model for our personal prayers:
Lord Jesus Christ, You instituted the office of the public ministry and instructed Your Church to call ministers of Your Word. Having prayed for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit, we have called a pastor, the Rev. Christopher Jackson, to proclaim Your saving Gospel among us. Assist him to recognize the needs of this congregation and the welfare of Your kingdom and, if it be Your will, grant that he accept the call to serve among us. Hear us for Your own sake, as You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Yours in Christ,
Jonathan Chaffer, President
Mark Altemann, Chairman, Call Committee
