Faith Lutheran gets new pastor

Torus Tammer

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- After two years, Faith Lutheran Church has finally

been rewarded with the fruits of its meticulous labor. The Rev. Timothy

Krieger arrived in Surf City on Monday from Boise, Idaho, ready to take

his post as the new pastor.

“This is a big change from Boise, and it’s hard to leave friends

behind,” said Krieger. “But this is a big adventure for my wife, Lynette,

and I.”

Charles Burden, chairman of the church board, said the selection

process for a new pastor in the Lutheran faith typically can take as long

as two years. When a congregation loses its spiritual leader, it is

likely, as in Faith Lutheran’s case, that an interim pastor will take

over, Burden said. Then the hard work begins for the congregation.

“We took just over two years to make a decision as to who our new

pastor was going to be,” said Burden. “It took that long for the

congregation to work with the interim [pastor] and realize as a group

what we wanted and how to get there.” The church was searching for a

spiritual leader that was somewhat more aggressive than “the norm.”

Burden said the church wanted someone more contemporary, who would be

willing to implement ideas that paralleled that of the church’s populace.

Most importantly, the congregation wanted somebody willing to try to

cross ethnic lines by reaching outside of the immediate community.

Then along came Krieger, who was recommended for the position by the

head of the Lutheran Church’s Pacific Southwest District, Loren Kramer.

Krieger was ordained in June 1980 and spent his first nine years in

Elgin, Ill. He went from there to a church in Boise, Idaho.

Burden said the church found what it was looking for in the reverend

-- a pastor under 50 who was compassionate, aggressive and willing to

reach out in the community and cross ethnic lines.

Krieger said he feels extremely comfortable with his new endeavor. He

said he believes his strengths are Christian education and bringing

together diverse groups.

The reverend said his first order of business will be to get to know

members of his new community.

“The thing I would like to start doing is to implement a program of

visiting families who are part of the church community and get to know

them better,” he said.

Krieger will give his first sermon at Faith Lutheran Church, 8200

Ellis Ave. in Huntington Beach, this Sunday at 8:30 a.m.