Pastor Wilson has been with us serving as pastor of Ascension since 1998. He was born in and grew up in in North Tonawanda, New York. A gradute of Concordia High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Concordia College Milwaukee, he completed his Master of Divinity studies and preparation for the ministry at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. Formerly the pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Buffalo OK, Emmaus Lutheran Church, St. Louis, and Our Savior Lutheran Church, Buffalo NY he was the founding pastor and mission developer of All Nations Lutheran Church, a store front ministry in a low income neighborhood in Jersey City. After "flunking retirement" to use his words, unable to stand still, he came to Ascension and for a time, concurrently served as interim pastor at nearby Faith Lutheran Church in Hillsborough, where he and his family are also members. All in all he has devoted some 55 years to preaching the Good News.
Katherine was Pastor Wilson's parter in life and work for 47 happy years. He has 5 children, now grown, and scattered between San Francisco Buffalo, Syracuse, Virginia and New Jersey. Outside of church Pastor enjoys walking for good health, eating out, and following sports, especially the St. Louis Cardinals.
He also has a passion for translating. He directs his abilities to produce interpretive, accessable translations of Scripture. He began this work, ministering to Christians with low literacy levels in his congregation in Jersey City. When you come and visit us, you will have the chance to hear - and speak - some of Pastor Wilson's interactive Bible readings.
To him, the most important aspect of ministry is caring for the sick, and those shut in or isolated.
A favorite bible passage of his is Jeremiah 31:31-34 "Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel..... I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people... And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Pr. Wilson likes to joke about our "Alzheimer's God". But this verse holds a special place in his heart, because it speaks of a God who loves, and forgives to the point of forgetting, and of His relationship with us, His people.
Pastor Wilson's sermons are upbeat, postive, inspirational, concise and focus on the Gospel. We consider ourselves blessed to have him, with his experience, and dedication to the Lutheran Church here with us. We know his warmth, and personality will win you over too!
