Pastor Jack Diehl Andrew C. 'Jack' Diehl III was called to Our Savior, Vero Beach in the summer of l977. Graduated from Concordia Seminary in Exile, also known as Seminex, in St. Louis Mo. in May l975. Having grown up in the Lutheran Church Mo. Synod, in a stable, loving working class home in the suburbs of Detroit, Diehl's quest for the answers to the questions about life, such as: why are we here? what does God have to do with our lives? and other similar questions led him to Concordia Jr. College, Ann Arbor Mich. then Concordia Sr College Ft. Wayne Indiana before going to Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Diehl's undergraduate degree was in social psychology. While at the seminary, Diehl found himself in the middle of the Mo. Synod 'Civil War', which found it's focus on the seminary's faculty and the seminary's board of control. While at the seminary he chose to go into exile with the ousted faculty and student body which stood up to the board of control's unsubstantiated claims of false teaching against some faculty members. Having graduated consequently 'in exile' Diehl received a call to an associate pastor position late in 1975 in an LCA parish in Bradenton Florida, (a long way from what he then considered 'the center of the universe', the mid-west). Since 1977 Diehl has been privileged to be the pastor of Our Savior in Vero Beach, having up to 7 retired pastors at one time in his congregation from whom he and the congregation (and neighboring congregations) were able to benefit. During his years in Vero the congregation has been through a couple of major building projects, been an intern site for 3 different 'Vicars', and has called two full time associate pastors, the most recent being Rev. Shelly Satran. While in Vero, Diehl has also been able to be involved in many Youth ministry events over the years on a synod level, he is a Lutherock 'veteran', has served on the LOMF board, is a member of "the Dead Pastor's Society" and presently is serving on the Florida Bahamas Synod Council. In the Vero Beach community Diehl has served on the Safespace (Spouse Abuse) Board, United Way Committees, Kiwanis, the Sunshine Physical Therapy Center board of directors, and many public school related boards and activities. He is the past president of the Fighting Indians Band Boosters for Vero Beach High School and currently a member of the Rotary Club. Diehl has been married to Karen, his high school sweetheart, since June 1971. They are the proud parents of Sara, Andrew, Katie and Anna. Diehl is also an avid light tackle saltwater fisherman. |
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