Tom Van Duzer

Interim Pastor

Contact Pastor Tom

Meet Pastor Tom and Mary Van Duzer -

Tom says, “The most profound experience in my walk with Christ happened when I was 16 years old. Two friends, Rick and Jim, were at our home eating pizza when my father cornered them and asked “What do you think about God?” I was terribly embarrassed. But when both of them over the next months came to faith in Jesus and got excited about their new faith, I had to reassess and find out why I was not enthused about my Savior. That re-awakening resulted in God’s calling me into ministry and forms who I am today.”
Tom was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1953, grew up in Michigan, graduated high school near Lansing, and attended Concordia College in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he met Mary. Mary grew up in Corvallis, Oregon. Her parents were active in the Lutheran church and she chose to go to Michigan to study education to be a Lutheran teacher. They were married in 1974. Mary put Tom through 5 years of schooling.

Churches:
Tom was assigned out of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis as a Missionary-at-Large to suburban Milwaukee, WI. That church came to be Lamb of God Lutheran Church in Pewakee, WI, a church with about 200 worshippers when Tom left 8 years later.
In 1988 the Texas District issued Tom a call to start a church in Sugar Land, Fishers of Men Lutheran Church, which, by the time Tom left 17 years later had 400 in attendance, a preschool with 85 students, and a full staff.
In 2004 the Pacific Southwest District called Tom to plant yet another church in the desert near La Quinta, CA, Light of Life Lutheran Church, which unfortunately closed in 2012.
In 2012 Tom became pastor of Our Saviour Lutheran church in urban Kansas City Kansas until his retirement in 2019.

Mary is a talented and artistic person who is much quieter than Tom. She loves to weave and has several looms. Mary plays the bass guitar and has played music with Tom for almost 40 years. She plays bass viola Our home church. You will find her easy to talk to. She enjoys spending time with their three daughters (all in Texas) and 6 grandchildren.

Tom enjoys a number of avocations. A music lover he writes and produces music as well as plays. He builds and repairs instruments, does woodwork, enjoys distance cycling and pickleball. He does outreach to Chinese students through the University Lutheran Chapel at Texas A&M. Tom and Mary are active Bible Study leaders in their home church, Holy Cross Lutheran Church in College Station.