In the Field

Featuring the Rev. David Fischer, 
Pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church, 
Salt Lake City, Utah.

by Pam Knepper
Managing Editor, For the Life of the World

Doing Christ's Work

By the time he was a junior in high school, the Rev. David Fischer knew he wanted to be a pastor. Raised in Rochelle, Illinois, he grew up attending St. Paul's Lutheran Church where his pastor had a great influence on his life and eventual career decision.

"After I was confirmed I had an idea that the ministry might be where God wanted me to serve," remembered Rev. Fischer. "But it wasn't until I was in high school and discussed the possibility with my pastor that I knew for certain that the holy ministry was where I belonged."

Keeping this goal at the forefront, Rev. Fischer attended Concordia Teacher's College in Seward, Nebraska, where he earned a degree in speech and drama. Upon graduation in 1969, he began his seminary studies that fall at Concordia Theological Seminary in Springfield, Illinois.

"I particularly enjoyed my exegetical classes and a confessions class," remembered Rev. Fischer. "Professors Walter A. Maier II, David Scaer, Eugene Klug, Harold Buls, Warren Wilbert, and Heino Kadai were wonderful and I learned a lot from each of them while attending the seminary."

During his fourth year of studies, Rev. Fischer was assigned to serve Ascension Lutheran Church in Torrance, California, in order to complete his vicarage requirements. Rev. Fischer remembers that year with a particular fondness.

"My vicarage year was invaluable because it taught me all the things I didn't know and needed to continue to prepare for in my last year at the seminary," said Rev. Fischer. "Plus, I was given the opportunity by my supervisor, the Rev. Lloyd Warneke, to preach twice a month, lead the youth, teach Bible and confirmation classes, and visit shut-ins. It was a very good experience for me and my formation as a future pastor."

In 1974, he graduated from Springfield and accepted his first call to St. John's Lutheran Church in Bound Brook, New Jersey.

"I enjoyed my time at St. John's," he remembered. "The people loved my family and me and we loved them. The only drawback was that I ended up developing a mentality where I wanted to do everything for the congregation even if that meant not spending time with my wife and young son. As a result, I ended up taking a call three years later to another church so that I could save my family life."

In 1977, Rev. Fischer accepted a call to his current congregation, Redeemer Lutheran Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

"The first question that people always ask me when they learn where my church is located is whether it is difficult to do ministry in an area that is mostly Mormon," explained Rev. Fischer. "When I tell them 'No,' they oftentimes don't believe me."

Rev. Fischer explained that for people who are not part of the Mormon culture, Redeemer and other Christian churches often serve not only as a place where they are fed spiritually, but where one has social needs met. But, this too has begun to change, as the Mormon Church has become more accepting of other church bodies.

"The Mormon Church wants to be considered a Christian church in mainstream society even if their beliefs are clearly not Christian," he explained. "So they now are more accepting of other Christian denominations."

A confessional congregation that worships an average of 170 every Sunday, Redeemer prides itself on offering communion every Sunday at both of their services, offering private confession and Evening Prayer weekly, and using only the Divine service.

"The Divine service has been a drawing point for us in this community," said Rev. Fischer. "People are searching for the clear words of Christ, and the Divine service provides all that and much more."

Another drawing point for Redeemer is their Christian day school.

"We don't charge tuition for our members to enroll their children in our school, and it serves as a wonderful ministry of our church," said Rev. Fischer. "Plus, the public school system in Salt Lake is only average. Our school offers an alternative to parents that is far superior to the public schools."

Situated in a city that is known for its transient population, Rev. Fischer says the average member typically only stays a few years before they are either transferred out of the area due to a job change or they find they cannot adapt to the Mormon culture.

"It's not that the Mormon culture is bad, but the LDS church affects all areas of life: business, politics, the economy, education, etc. There are strict drinking laws here and in some cases dry counties," said Rev. Fischer. "So if you come from a fairly liberal part of the country, these laws and the Mormon Church's influence, even legislatively in an area like drinking alcohol, may be somewhat shocking and uninviting."

Rev. Fischer says that the greatest challenge he has had to face since coming to Salt Lake City has not been the Mormon culture, but recognizing his own hypocrisy as a pastor.

He says it began several years ago when younger colleagues started to challenge his own ministry.

"They wanted to know why I had bought into the whole church growth movement and why I was offering contemporary services for my members," he explained. "They challenged my brand of being a Lutheran." "When I had no concrete answers for their questions, I knew I had to make a change."

He says that change began in 1990 when he attended the annual symposium series at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

"The papers and discussions on true Lutheranism that resulted at that symposium helped me realize and acknowledge the fact that I was not following the Lutheran Confessions or the Bible faithfully according to my ordination vows, and that I was leading my congregation down a path that resembled anything but Lutheranism," explained Rev. Fischer. "Due to my own lack of reading, education, and not wanting to hurt people's feelings when it came to the truth, as well as wanting to be liked more than being faithful, I knew that I had to fix my own mistakes before it was too late."

As a result, the last ten years have been a time of reflection and repair for Rev. Fischer and Redeemer Lutheran Church.

"If it takes the rest of my life to repair my mistakes, then so be it," said Rev. Fischer. "The people at Redeemer deserve it and Christ commands it."

The Rev. David Fischer and his wife Cathy are the parents of two children, Daniel and Beth. They reside in Salt Lake City, Utah.