Glen Ellyn's Faith Lutheran Church welcomes new pastor
There's a new voice from the pulpit at Faith Lutheran Church in Glen Ellyn.
The Rev. Shelly Annan Satran has answered the call to serve as senior pastor of the 1,000-member congregation and was formally installed by Bishop Wayne Miller of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America during services held on Sunday, Jan. 27.
Pastor Satran comes to frigid Glen Ellyn from sunny Vero Beach, Fla., where she had served at Our Savior Lutheran Church as associate pastor and then as co-pastor for the past 11 years.
"Our family is a little chilly right now, having just moved up from Florida! But our hearts are warm because Faith Lutheran is such a great church, and we are so excited to be a part of this congregation and community," said Pastor Satran.
"I'm deeply grateful that Faith called me to serve as their senior pastor. When we first connected, it seemed almost uncanny how much Faith fit the kind of congregation I was seeking to serve - a place of joyful worship with thriving ministries serving within and beyond the walls of the church. It seems God brought us together."
No stranger to extreme weather, Pastor Satran hails from North Dakota and was ordained into ministry with the Lutheran Church in Haiti. She served on the island for several years before moving to Florida in 2007. Pastor Satran's educational background includes a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D., a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, N.J., and a Master in Sacred Theology from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia.
As a writer and guest preacher, Pastor Satran has had articles published in Sundays and Seasons and Sundays and Seasons: Preaching, and has delivered sermons at both the FL/Bah Synod Assembly and FL/Bah Synod Conference on Ministry.
"We are blessed to have Pastor Shelly join the family of Faith," said Beth Sekera, Faith's new church council president. "Her energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to leading and serving God's people in and through the church has created a great deal of excitement in the congregation. I look forward to working and worshipping with her!"
Pastor Satran's call to service rounds out Faith's pastoral ministry, which includes Associate Pastor Joe Yucha who has served the membership of Faith since 2017. Pastor Satran is the seventh senior pastor in Faith Lutheran's 72-year history. The church has a successful preschool, active youth ministry, vibrant music ministry, and many other programs and services that appeal to worshippers of all ages.
"I trust that God will guide us by grace to continue to grow faithfully together in many ways as a congregation that witnesses to God's love for us in Jesus," said Satran.
For more information about Faith Lutheran Church, visit www.faithonline.org or call (630) 469-2361.
We look forward to seeing you on Sundays! All are welcome!