The Rev. Marissa Becklin will conduct her first service Sunday at 9 a.m. as the new pastor of Faith United Lutheran Church, Denver, Lancaster County.
It will be the first call for Becklin, 25, who received a Master of Divinity degree in 2018 from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. She is a 2014 graduate of Luther College in Iowa with a double major in religion and psychology. She was one of six seminarians who were invited to present at the Hein-Fry Book of Faith Challenge in 2018, a competition for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s best Bible studies.
She completed her internship at a Lutheran church in Wisconsin. Her husband, Hans Becklin, was recently called as pastor of Salem Lutheran Church of Kissel Hill in Lititz, Lancaster County.
The couple reside in Ephrata.
Becklin said she is still getting to know the congregation and hopes to help members grow in their relationship as a community.
“God’s love sets us free to serve our neighbor,” she said.
She said her favorite parts of being a pastor are preaching, teaching and pastoral care. She hopes to promote cross-generational ministries so people of different generations can learn from each other.
Becklin replaces the Rev. Joe Veres, who retired in October.
An installation service will be held at a later date.
