Pastor Roger Berner came to us from Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC. He studied history at St. Olaf College in Minnesota and continued on at Luther Seminary in St. Paul. While at seminary he organized a “summer internship” outside of Phoenix, doing youth work and going door to door, inviting people to “Come and See!” the new mission church. He also served as “the Vicar” at Zion Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, New York for his seminary training, to learn how it really works in the parish. Those two places were very different, but both were filled amazing, wonderful, and faithful members who were also my teachers.
Pr. Berner was ordained in January at his home congregation in South Dakota, it was -27 degrees (-69 degrees wind chill factor), and no one even suggested postponing the service. St. John Mark Lutheran Church in Homestead (Pittsburgh), PA called him as their Pastor, where he served there for 9 years. Then he was called to Trinity Lutheran Church in North Bethesda, MD, where he served for 28 years. Both were places of faith, hope, love, and great joy. After a year of retirement, the Interim Bishop of New York asked him to serve as the Interim Pastor of Emanuel Lutheran Church, Pleasantville, NY – a delightful experience to share the good news of Christ in Westchester County with a wonderful congregation, even through the challenges and learning opportunities of the pandemic. Then, after a little break, he has joined us at Lutheran Church of Our Savior to shepherd the congregation with the proclamation God’s gracious Word and administration of the Sacraments, and to guide the congregation through this time of prayer and discernment for reaching out to love and serve the people of Port Washington, New York, and to the ends of the earth.
