Faith Lutheran Church: the mission for a Great Commission

Faith Lutheran Church

Contact: 700 E. Bobier Dr., Vista 760-724-7700 www.faithvista.org

Membership: 200

Pastor: Paul Martin

Age: 61

Born: Pomona

Formation: California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks; Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO. 

Years Ordained: 11

San Diego Reader: What is your main concern as member of the clergy?

Pastor Paul Martin: Because the importance of teaching and equipping the current and future generations in the church occupies my mind a lot, I lead six Bible studies and two prayer groups. The average age of Lutherans is pretty high, so I’m also working hard to reach out to the younger generations.

SDR: Why did you become a minister?

PM: I’m a second-career pastor. I started a mortgage banking firm back in the mid-1980s after I graduated from college. I did that for about 27 years before I decided to enter seminary. But long before that — in second grade — I told my mom I was going to be a pastor. I guess it’s always been in the back of my mind. Then in college, I let the idea drop because I didn’t really want to go into any more schooling. I thought I’d be a lawyer, but for the same reason I didn’t really want to do that either. I saw how hard pastors worked, and that they didn’t get paid tons. I didn’t know about that as an option. But I’ve always been involved in my church. In sixth grade, I was the president of our youth group at our church… My involvement with my church been central to my social and spiritual life. So, eventually, I began to think about serving my church. While I still had my mortgage banking company, the Lutheran church I attended had a deacon program. I went through four years of schooling and received my license for serving as a deacon. Then my dad died and my mom needed care. When she was in hospice, I told her I had decided to go to seminary, and she said, “Well, it’s about time!” After she passed, I thought, Now is a good time to become a pastor.

SDR: What is the mission of your church?

PM: Our mission is based on the Great Commission from Matthew 28 (“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit…”). Our mission today is to call people, teach them and send them out. We seek to evangelize, especially in the community. For the last eight years, we’ve been providing a food-distribution program to the community. On Fridays twice a month, we’re giving out food to about a hundred families who come through… We say a quick prayer with each family we serve and they really appreciate that.

SDR: Where do you go when you die?

PM: According to Lutheran doctrine, if I die before Jesus comes again, my body will buried but my soul will be with Christ in heaven. Then when Jesus comes again on the last day, my body will be recreated and my soul will be reunited with my body and we’ll be living a new life in the new heaven, wherever that is. The Lutheran position is that all Christians who have saving grace in Jesus Christ are going to heaven. Those who are not in Christ go to hell. I call hell being separated from God and Christ. Is it place, a fiery pit? I don’t know. I know it is not going to be in the presence of God — and being in God’s presence is going to be amazing.