St John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Miamisburg, Ohio proudly announces an accepted Pastoral Call for Pastor John Czarnota, who will begin his Congregational Service on Thursday November 16, 2023 and will preach his first Sunday on November 19th, 2023.
Below his picture is his personal letter of introduction to the Congregation and Community. He will be formally installed as our Pastor in a Ceremony administered by the Southern Ohio Synod within a few weeks of starting.
WELCOME PASTOR JOHN!!
Greetings from the snowy Northwoods of Wisconsin! My name is Pastor John Czarnota, and I am looking forward to relocating to southwest Ohio to serve you, St. John’s of Miamisburg.
Personal Notes:
I was born and raised in the state of Ohio, graduating from Miami Valley school in 1992, where my dad was a high school science teacher until his retirement in 2014. My parents still reside in the Dayton area, and I look forward to spending time with them. We’ve been 600 miles away for too long; it’s time to come home. I have a brother and sister, whose families also reside in the area.
Coming with me from Wisconsin is my wife, Erin and my son Jonathan. Erin works with character strength development through sports and will be working with the VIA Institute in Cincinnati. Jonathan will be attending school in Wisconsin with his mother and will spend holidays and summer here in Ohio, where he adores spending time with his 5 cousins. As a family, we enjoy hiking in the woods, sitting by the river, tent camping, playing board games and reading books. We also enjoy team sports of soccer and curling.
Professional Identity:
I love learning and have enjoyed educational experiences, both as a life-long student, and as faculty for multiple church learning organizations. I received my undergraduate degrees in computer science and religion from Cornell College in Iowa. I then completed my Master of Divinity from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus. My background as a Pastor has been quite diverse. I started my ministry in Southeast Ohio in 1995. I served many different churches, most in an interim ministry capacity. In 2005, I relocated to Wisconsin where I served the synod by being a dedicated intentional interim minister, going where sent for thirteen years. For the past six years I’ve served a settled call at Bethlehem Lutheran in Kronenwetter, WI. I enjoy leading Bible studies for youth and adults. I have a strong background in camping ministry, where I began as a counselor at age 15. I have a strong desire to get to know each of you. I look forward to a long, productive ministry at St. John, and am eager to deepen relationships with each of you!
In Christ’s service,
Pastor John
