 |
Erich
Westphal has served in the parish ministry since 2004. He is a
husband. He is a father. He is the child of a gracious God,
and a shepherd of God's chosen people.
Erich was
born in Longmont, Colorado, in 1977. He spent most of his
childhood in
Malawi,
Africa, where his father served as a
missionary for ten years.
In May of 2003, Erich graduated from
Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, inMequon, Wisconsin, with a Masters of Divinity. Three
months later, Erich was diagnosed with Stage IV
Rhabdomyosarcom, a rare pediatric cancer. A week after being
diagnosed he married his fiancee, Ruth Herrmann. God was with
Erich and Ruth through a strenuous first year of marriage
filled with daily chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Since
then God has continued to bless them with remission from his
cancer and with the gracious gifts of their daughters, Ella
and Maggie.
In July of 2004, he was
ordained as a public minister of the gospel. For
five years, he served as associate/youth pastor
ofChrist Evangelical Lutheran Church, in
Zumbrota, Minnesota, before accepting the Divine Call
to serve our congregation in North Branch,
Michigan in March,
2009. |