“For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5)

As distinct from the ministry of the people of God, in which all Christians share by virtue of their baptism, Christ has also instituted, as a special office, the ministry of teaching the Gospel and administering the Sacraments (Acts 6:4; 20:28; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Augsburg Confession V).

This ministry is a gift of Christ to his church, created by him so that through the proclamation of the Word and the use of the Sacraments, the Holy Spirit may work faith in the hearts of hearers and recipients. On behalf of Christ, the church calls and ordains into this ministry pastors; people who are qualified by endowment and training and who accept the office as a divine calling (Acts 13:2-4; 2 Timothy 1:6; 1 Timothy 3:1-7).

I was born in Mount Gambier, on the 19th of June, 1964. I am the youngest of a family of seven, including four sisters. I spent most of my Primary School years in Mount Gambier, until my Father received a call to be the Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Angaston, in the Barossa Valley.

After attending the local Lutheran Primary School, Good Shepherd, I then went on to Secondary education at the Nuriootpa High School. After completing my matriculation, I worked mainly in the rural sector as a farm hand, nursery worker in vineyards, and in the wine industry.

In 1989, I travelled overseas for one year, before returning to Australia to take up further studies, in Social Work. I graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work in 1993, and worked for a time with the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service in Port Lincoln, and Berri, in the Riverland, South Australia. In 1996, I felt the call to further study, and so I commenced study in the pastoral ministry stream, at what was then called Luther Seminary, North Adelaide (now Australian Lutheran College). In 2001, after completing my vicarage year at St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Box Hill, I graduated and was ordained as a Pastor in the Lutheran Church of Australia.

In December of 1997 I was married to Julie Schoff. We have been married for over ten years, and have been blessed with four beautiful children, Lucy, Emily, and our twin sons, Alexander and Nicholas.

In 2002, I was sent to Horsham, as an Associate Pastor to Pastor Glen Schulze. In 2005, I received the call to my current location, the Wodonga Lutheran Parish. It has been a very happy time for us as a family and in ministry here in Wodonga, and we look forward to a lengthy and fruitful stay, God willing!

Now to my interests. When I am not working, I love to fish. This can be a rather frustrating hobby because it doesn’t happen as often as I would like. If I’m not fishing I like to dabble in home-brewing. And to be totally unbiased, I make quite a nice drop. Being an old Barossa boy (well not that old), I also enjoy a glass of red with a good book or good company. To work off those extra kilojoules I put on from being stuck behind a desk, I also like to visit people or spend some time in the garden. I get enormous joy out of watching things grow, not the weeds mind you!

God bless you,
Pastor Joe.