by Victor Minetola

On Monday, September 8, 2014, St. Luke Lutheran Church extended a Divine Call to Pastor David Gaddini of McHenry, IL to serve as Associate Pastor at St. Luke Lutheran Church. With the Call, he would serve as site-leader at University Lutheran Chapel and on the lead pastoral team for the multi-site.

What does this mean?

pastor GaddiniAt this point, Pastor Gaddini technically has two calls: one to St. Luke Lutheran Church and one to his current congregation, Fellowship of Faith. The Lutheran Church believes a pastor is called by God to a congregation through the means of that congregation. It is then up to the pastor—through the power of the Holy Spirit—to discern between those two calls. Does he feel called to serve with us, or does he feel called to remain where he currently serves?

During the first part of the Call Process, the Call Committee spent time discerning if Pastor Gaddini was who we felt God is calling to serve here with us. We interviewed him on the phone. We brought him out to meet him face to face. All of this was our opportunity to get to know him and see if we felt he could fit the needs we have in our community.

Now that the ball is in his court, the second part of the Call Process begins. As Pastor Gaddini discerns between his two calls, he will likely come visit Ann Arbor again, only this time he gets to interview us. He is the one directing the conversation and asking the questions as he, with his family, determine where God is leading them. We lift up the Gaddinis and our brothers and sisters at Fellowship of Faith during this entire process.

We lift up the Gaddinis and our brothers and sisters at Fellowship of Faith during this entire process.

Rev. David Christian Gaddini is currently the senior pastor of Fellowship of Faith Lutheran Church, McHenry, IL. He is 40 years old and has been married to Tina for over 18 years. They have three children: Reagan, Ben and Rileigh.

Pastor Gaddini was ordained in 2000, served as an associate pastor for 3 years and has been the senior pastor of Fellowship of Faith since 2003. The congregation has an average attendance of 250–300 on a weekend. His district president noted that Pastor Gaddini is “regarded as one who would do well in a team ministry context.”

While he has administrative skills, his focus is not on administration, but shepherding.

Bio from the Fellowship of Faith web site – 

Dave is responsible for charting the course of Fellowship of Faith and leading it in accomplishing its mission. Along with the elders he oversees the spiritual health of the church, and the day-to-day operations of the staff.

Dave is a Chicago native, and his wife Tina is from Indiana. They met at Valparaiso University, where Dave earned a degree in History. He later graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.

Dave’s heart is for people who are spiritually hungry yet disillusioned with church. He thinks he has a sense of humor (yeah, but it’s weird), and loves nothing more than helping people get lost in the Biblical text. He likes to work out, read dead languages, and rock climb.

Dave and Tina have been at Fellowship of Faith since 2003. They have three kids.

Some comments from the Call Committee

“I was initially drawn to Pastor Gaddini by his approach to discipleship. His idea that the church’s mission is to “make disciples who make disciples” fits well with SLLC’s approach to discipleship. He is relational in his approach in sharing the gospel in everyday ways and encourages others to “just get out and do it.”
His idea that the church’s mission is to “make disciples who make disciples” fits well with SLLC’s approach to discipleship.
“Much has been said about his ability to encourage change. The example he used of leading his current congregation though a forty week series on a deep dive into the New Testament shows his ability to not only lead, but his ability to lead and to stick to it. He would be an asset to the multisite ministry team in terms of the positive energy he would bring to the team and positive affect the team would have on him.”

Rick Darragh, SLAA Elder

“Pastor Gaddini thrives on relationships. When he talks about the daily life of a Christian, it sounds like the language we use at SLLC to talk about intentional relationships and personal discipleship. Best of all, he is blessed with the gift of vision. His energy and direction can make a huge impact at all three sites, helping us to establish and achieve our vision and goals for the congregation.”

Sam Fink, ULC Elder

“I remember being captivated by Pastor Gaddini’s leadership style when I first met him four years ago. After meeting with him again, it still strikes me. I feel his preaching is captivating and engaging, hitting the mind as well as the heart. I especially resonated with his notion that the Chapel should be a sanctuary for the students and a base camp for the residents, giving rest and training to send us out to do relational ministry.”
Victor Minetola, ULC Staff