Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ,

On October 18th I received a divine call to pastoral ministry at Concordia Lutheran Church of Louisville, Kentucky. After much prayer and careful consideration, I have been led to accept the call to Concordia. There were a number of factors leading me to this decision. In short, I concluded that it is best for both churches, as well as me and my family, that I accept the call.  As I stated two weeks ago, there are no negative reasons for my departure. I am grateful and humbled to have served Redeemer for the first twelve years of my ministry. You received me and my family from the seminary with open arms and have blessed us with Christian friendship and love.  My family and I thank God always for calling me here to serve you. Your next pastor will be incredibly blessed to be a part of the Columbus community and our Redeemer family.

I plan on remaining at my charge at Redeemer through the Christmas season and will confirm a release date with our leadership soon. That date will likely be in January. I humbly request a peaceful release from my call to Redeemer on the agreed upon date so that I may be installed at Concordia. Until then, I am keeping our church in my prayers. I trust that the call process will serve as an opportunity for spiritual and missional growth and that the Lord will bless Redeemer with a faithful pastor. 

As I complete my call to Redeemer, please know that I am here to minister to you. If I can do anything for you, please do not hesitate to ask. If you have any questions regarding my deliberation of the call to Concordia, I will be happy to answer them. May the Lord continually bless and keep you.

In Christ’s service,

Pastor Estes