Pastor Ratcliffe Leaves Lasting Impact on Campus Community
by Britnee Fear
Local pastor, Andrew Ratcliffe has accepted a call and will be leaving St. John Lutheran Church.
Ratcliffe came to Seward as a Pastor for Christian Nurture on Jan. 4, 2011 and was installed into St. John Lutheran church on January 9. Since then, he has been serving the Seward and Concordia communities. Ratcliffe will be installed as a pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School in Perham, Minnesota on April 29, 2018
Ratcliffe’s acceptance of the Call was directed by seeing God’s hand at work in the church at large. He was not familiar with Perham, Minnesota until he was called, but he sees a big part of his ministry and family life being involved in getting to know and becoming a part of the close-knit community of Perham.
“My ministry very much revolves around leading by example, encouraging new servants from within the body of Christ, and letting God’s people use their God-given gifts to serve and share the Gospel as I remain supportive,” Ratcliffe said. “Though St. Paul will not have all of the opportunities from a programmatic standpoint as St. John, the smaller congregation will allow for a more intentional one-on-one approach to ministry that they crave and that I feel equipped to bring.”
As a partner to the church, the Concordia community has impacted Ratcliffe’s ministry and family in enormous ways
“What an experience to see students and teachers worshipping side by side,” Ratcliffe said. “I, personally, have grow in my own understanding and application of God’s Word as I have studied and counseled with countless students who are at crossroads of balancing faith with academia, transferring faith from something learned to something that is “owned”, and who are very eager to put into practice in ways that the ordinary churchgoer may not have ever anticipated.”
Ratcliffe will also miss the meaningful friendships, performances on stage and in concert, as well as the intense, high-action sporting events that occur weekly, right in his backyard.
Pastor Ratcliffe, Pastor Ratcliffe with Dana Simpkin
Photo courtesy of Andrew Ratcliffe
Photo courtesy of Pastor Ratcliffe, Pastor Ratcliffe with members of Concordia’s Pre-Seminary club. Serving across the street from St. John has provided Ratcliffe with the unique opportunity to know individuals from across the country and across the entire church body, whether they serve as church workers or not. Concordia students come and go every four years, but Ratcliffe has become friends and gained colleagues with individuals who serve coast to coast
“Those kinds of connections cannot be replaced, and rarely can they be formed in another setting,” Ratcliffe said.
Reverend Ratcliffe reflected on many experiences with the Concordia Community that he remembers fondly and sticks out to him the most. He considers it a humbling privilege to work with and even preach God’s Word for those who he once knew only as professor, teacher, coach, boss or doctor. As a Concordia graduate, he loved the opportunity to get to know some of his former mentors in an entirely new light.
“Their generosity and graciousness have been undersized, but very welcome,” Ratcliffe said. “Their humility and servant hearts have been an inspiration.
Both Ratcliffe and his wife, Angie, were music majors at Concordia and they will miss how the gift of music is prevalent time and time again from the talented students who assist in worship and performances.
“I am also truly humbled by the friendships that have been formed through mutual conversation, counseling, individual conformation classes, and simply contagious fun,” Ratcliffe said.
The Concordia community will greatly miss Ratcliffe’s service throughout the Seward and campus community.
“I will definitely miss his attitude towards ministry,” Senior Jeramy Willis said. “I will miss his upbeat attitude and how interested he is in college ministry.”
