MEET OUR ASSOCIATE PASTOR

Rev. Dr. Gary W. Zieroth

The 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 University (formerly Concordia College), 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.  His vicarage year was spent at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Edmonton, Alberta.  He received his Master of Divinity degree and was ordained 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 Associate Pastor of Saint Paul's Lutheran Church here in Kingsville.  He was installed on September 13, 1998.

Pastor Zieroth is married to JoAnn (Bickel), daughter of the Rev. Kurt and Betty Bickel of Convoy, Ohio.  JoAnn holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, also from Concordia in Ann Arbor, as well as a Master of Arts degree from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.  She has taught in Lutheran schools in Fort Wayne and the Detroit area.  JoAnn currently serves as Saint Paul's principle organist and choir director.  She also teaches 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, JoAnn, and their four children live in Bel Air.