Synod elects assistant bishop

Dr Andrew Pfeiffer will be the new Assistant Bishop of the LCA.

Dr Pfeiffer (pictured above right with LCA Bishop John Henderson) was elected unopposed to the position at the Eighteenth General Convention of Synod of the church at Rochedale, Queensland, today, for a synodical term of three years.

He succeeds Victoria/Tasmania Bishop Greg Pietsch, the inaugural LCA Assistant Bishop from 2013, who did not seek a further term in the role.

Dr Pfeiffer is a lecturer at Australian Lutheran College, where he has taught undergraduate pastoral theology, missiology and Lutheran Confessions, as well as supervising post-graduate students, across more than 20 years.

For the past decade, Dr Pfeiffer has been the Head of the School of Pastoral Theology and previously was Field Education director for ten years.

‘I have a special interest in mission and the pastoral care of pastors’, he said in his statement to delegates at Convention. ‘Teaching students and being involved in their pastoral care and formation is a joy and privilege. I allowed my name to stand for this position because of the understanding God has given me of the church and which now can be used in this type of leadership. It gives me great joy to see people grow in their understanding and practice of the Christian faith.’

Across his years as a pastor, Dr Pfeiffer has also been involved with the SA/NT District Church Development Committee, youth ministry, deaf ministry, Aboriginal ministry, the LCA Board for Pastoral Support, Lutheran-Catholic dialogue, and the Commission on Theology and Inter-Church Relations (CTICR), for which he has been vice-chair for past eight years.

Having grown up on a farm in South Australia, Dr Pfeiffer attended state schools in the SA Riverland, before studying for a Bachelor of Arts at Adelaide University and a Bachelor of Theology from the then Luther Seminary. He did his vicarage in Melbourne, was ordained in 1983 and served as parish pastor at Holy Trinity, Hampstead, SA, for six years, before twice undertaking further theological studies in the United States.

He has been married to Sue for 35 years and they have three adult children.

Dr Pfeiffer has been worshipping with Sue at St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Blair Athol in suburban Adelaide, for the past 22 years, where he initially served as part-time pastor specialising in education, outreach and the small group life of the congregation.

In his spare time, he enjoys gardening, watching movies and sport, travel and food and wine with family and friends.

Dr Pfeiffer will assist LCA Bishop John Henderson, who in 2013 was elected for an initial two synodical terms. He will be installed to the position at the closing service of General Convention on Sunday, 4 October.