MEET OUR FORMER ASSOCIATE PASTOR

Rev. Dr. Gary W. Zieroth

Rev. Dr. Gary William Zieroth, the second of three children, was born to Glenn and Norma Zieroth on August 26, 1959 in Burnaby, British Columbia.  Most of his family now lives near Toronto, Ontario.  He attended Erindale Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario, graduating in 1978.  He spent the next four years in the business world, working both as a salesman in the construction industry and a manager of a health club.

Pastor Zieroth entered Concordia College (now called Concordia University Ann Arbor) in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1982 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts in 1986.  His area of concentration was counseling and psychology.  For his seminary education, Pastor Zieroth attended Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana where he was a classmate of Pastor Wollman.  Pastor Zieroth spent his vicarage year at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Edmonton, Alberta.  He received his Master of Divinity degree and was ordained into the office of the holy ministry in May 1990.

From 1990 to 1998, Pastor Zieroth served God's people at Trinity Lutheran Church in Fort McMurray, Alberta, and King of Kings Lutheran Church in Saint Albert, Alberta.  In 1998, he accepted a call to become the first Associate Pastor of Saint Paul's Lutheran Church.  He was installed here on September 13, 1998.

Pastor Zieroth's wife, JoAnn (Bickel), holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, also from Concordia Ann Arbor, as well as a Master of Arts degree from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.  She previously taught in Lutheran schools in Fort Wayne and the Detroit area.  JoAnn served as Saint Paul's principal organist and choir director for several years.  She also taught music at Saint Paul's School and Harford Lutheran School.

Pastor Zieroth has a special interest in what the Bible teaches concerning marriage, families, and catechesis.  This led him to pursue a Doctor of Ministry degree focusing on the area of Christian parenting.  In October 2006, Pastor Zieroth completed and successfully defended his doctoral dissertation.  His dissertation is based on a Christian parenting course he developed here at Saint Paul's.  Pastor Zieroth has led Bible study retreats called Real Men Follow Jesus hosted by CTS in Fort Wayne.  He has also been interviewed on the Issues, Etc. radio program on the subject of men and the church.  To listen to Pastor Zieroth's interviews, search the archives of the January and February 2009 programs.  The program dates are January 7 and February 9-11.

In February 2009, Pastor Zieroth accepted a call from Saint John's Lutheran Church in Chaska, MN to serve as that congregation's senior pastor.  He preached his final sermon here at Saint Paul's on April 26.  He was installed at Saint John's on May 17.