Zion introduces new pastor

FALLBROOK – Zion Lutheran Church and School would like to introduce their new pastor to the Fallbrook community. Pastor Augie Ristow is an interim pastor filling a specialized role between former Pastor Mark Demel and a new pastor sometime in the future.

Pastor Ristow has found Fallbrook to be a beautiful community of faith and has been amazed at how Zion is integrated into the community through 62 years of church ministry and 32 years of ministry to families and children at the school. Now the congregation is looking back at its history and engaging in a process that will take them into the future through a process Pastor Ristow was trained to lead.

After pastoring various congregations in western states, Pastor Ristow went into private business repairing furniture for JCPenney, Macy’s and hotel chains. His training and skills drew him back to pastoral ministry through specialized training as an intentional interim pastor. He has served in this capacity previously in Las Vegas, Holtville, and Victorville. Finding the housing market very tight in Fallbrook, he recently purchased a Class A motor home that now resides on the property of a congregational member.

Change is hard for a church and, recognizing this, the church leaders at Zion elected to call a specially trained intentional interim pastor to lead them at this critical time. Pastor Ristow said that everything he does as Zion’s pastor is intentional and part of the process of the church coming to terms with its history, discovering its identity, rebuilding church systems, connecting with the greater church body, and determining its vision and mission.

Pastor Ristow said that he enjoys getting to know different people and sharing in their wisdom. It’s a reciprocal relationship as the church body shares in his wisdom and leading.