HUNTSVILLE — Faith Lutheran Church recently welcomed Travis Pittock as the new pastor. Pittock was installed on May 16 after the retirement of Pastor Reinhard Wuensche.

Kristie Pacher, director and principle of the Faith Lutheran School is on the call committee and was instrumental in the installation of Pittock.

“Choosing a pastor is a lengthy process,” said Pacher. “The congregation completes a survey of what they feel the current needs of the church are, the committee then narrows down a list of pastors to choose from and the congregation votes.”

According to the committee, Pittock was chosen for many reasons, one of which was his enthusiasm.

“He has such a heart for the community,” said Pacher. “He knows how to think outside the box and has a desire to reach the lost and a strong devotion to the youth. His enthusiasm is just contagious. It’s exactly what the church body needs.”

Pittock felt called into ministry when he was 4 years old and took the necessary actions to become a pastor in the Lutheran church.

“It’s not something that I can really explain,” said Pittock. “It’s a knowing in my heart that my life belongs to God and I want nothing more than to spend my life serving His people.”

Serving God’s people has been a creative adventure for Pittock. Not only has he previously served behind the pulpit as a pastor across the states, but he has also been active on the streets of the inner cities in New York.

“It’s about people and building relationships,” he said. “I can only do so much from the pulpit. People are hurting, many of them needing to know they have a friend. It’s my desire to love these people the way Jesus does. Christ did not simply preach. He walked and talked with those in the community.”

Pittock’s vision for Faith Lutheran Church begins within the congregation as he wishes to continue to build “care groups,” small groups of the congregation meeting in homes and coffee shops to fellowship and discuss the Bible. He also wishes to update the sanctuary; provide more online services, including podcasts and become very active in the community.

“It’s time that we mobilize. I want to see us serving in the prisons, sharing God’s love on the Sam Houston State University campus, mowing yards and just loving on people in the community,” said Pittock. “I love the picture of the church that Acts chapter 2 provides. I want to model that.”

Picttock’s first impressions of Huntsville have been very positive as he says he has never felt more welcomed.

“We’re very honored to have Pastor Pittock with us,” Pacher said. “It’s a joy to work with him in the school, sharing the love of Jesus Christ with Faith Lutheran Church and the City of Huntsville.”