Trinity Lutheran Church in Kent welcomes new pastor

On a recent Sunday morning, the congregation at Trinity Lutheran Church in Kent was abuzz. Normally church members quiet down during the musical prelude, but on this day the excitement was palpable. On July 10, after an almost three-year search for a new pastor, Trinity welcomed the Rev. Eric L. Bodenstab in an installation service led by pastor Larry Klinker.

Bodenstab “has a very, very clear notion of what Lutherans believe, and why we believe that, and what that means in these times,” said Ron Phillips, president of Trinity Lutheran's Church Council.

The church's Call Committee members were impressed with Bodenstab for several reasons, committee chair Ted Linden said.

“He enjoys both teaching and preaching and is very interested in interacting with the community and other churches in the area,” Linden said. “He has a passion for sharing Christ with people from all walks of life and will help to energize us as we continue to share God's love in the city of Kent and beyond.”

Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Bodenstab attended public school before earning a degree in mathematics at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He graduated from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina, and earned his doctorate at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Bodenstab has served at congregations in Kansas, St. Paul, the Chicago area, and most recently, Zion Evangelical Lutheran in Sandusky.

He recently moved to the Stow-Kent area from Sandusky with his wife, Deacon Erin Bodenstab, and their daughter, Thea, who starts kindergarten in the fall.

Bodenstab said as the new pastor at Trinity, he is looking forward to “having fun, administering the sacraments and seeing where God calls us in the future.”

A self-proclaimed “church nerd,” he loves board games and hopes to introduce his game collection to any congregation members who want to join him for game nights.

Linden invited the public to attend a Trinity Lutheran service and meet Bodenstab.

Trinity Lutheran Church is located at 600 S. Water St. in Kent. During the summer months, the service is at 9:30 a.m. In early fall, the church has two services, at 8:15 and 10:45 a.m.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Trinity Lutheran Church in Kent welcomes new pastor Eric L. Bodenstab