Our Pastor
Pastor Allen C. Bergstrazer
The Rev. Allen C. Bergstrazer was installed as pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Aug. 24, 2014.
Email address: pastor@goodshepherdcharleston.org
Telephone: (843) 901-0078
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
- Philippians 4:4–7
Biography:
Rev. Allen Bergstrazer serves as Pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Charleston, SC. He grew up near Denhoff, ND, where his parents farmed. After graduating from high school in 1977, he worked on the family farm until 1978 when he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. During his 14 years of service he was stationed at Nellis AFB NV, and it is there that he heard and answered the call to enter the Holy Ministry.
“My Pastor asked me if I had ever considered going into the ministry. I said I had, but dodged the question because I really didn’t want to pray about it! I was afraid of the answer. So for about three months I could barely eat or sleep because this same question was on my mind. When I was back in North Dakota, on leave, I finally decided to ask God if this is what He wanted me to do. When I returned to Las Vegas, I went to church on Sunday, as I always did, and Pastor Hinck announced; ‘The recruiters from the Ft. Wayne and St. Louis Seminaries will be here tonight for all of you young men who would like to meet with them.’ They never visited our congregation, but that day they did! God certainly knows how to open doors. After meeting with the recruiter from Concordia St. Louis I knew that my life was going to change dramatically. I look back on those days now and I cannot imagine doing anything else but being a Pastor, but so often we are afraid to follow the Lord because we are more concerned with what we will have to give up than with what God is yearning to give us.”
Upon leaving the Air Force in 1992 Pastor Bergstrazer attended Concordia University, Irvine California, where he graduated in 1995. He then attended Concordia Seminary St. Louis, MO, graduating in 1999 and was awarded the Master of Divinity Degree. On July 22nd 1999, Pastor Bergstrazer was ordained into the Holy Ministry at St. Paul Lutheran church Chambers, Nebraska. He served at Chambers and Bartlett, NE, 1999-2008, and at York, NE, 2008 to 2014. He served as a Circuit visitor from 2002 to 2008, LWML pastoral advisor 2004-2008 and also was a vicarage supervisor from 2006-2008.
In 2014 Pastor Bergstrazer accepted the call to Good Sheperd, he has a great love for the life of the local congregation, and believes it is the way in which God reaches out to the community through the Good News of Jesus Christ, and through acts of service and mercy.
Pastor Bergstrazer married his wife Carol in 2008. They are now foster parents to four children. They love living in Charleston, and they love Good Shepherd Lutheran church and look forward to many years of service to the Lord and His people in this area.
Previous Pastors:
Timothy E. Sandeno Mission Developer - 2005 - July 2013
Jeff VanOsdol (Associate Pastor) - Oct. 2011 - Feb. 2013