His education includes a bachelor’s in sociology from Susquehanna University in central Pennsylvania, a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, and a Doctor of Ministry in Marriage and Family Systems from the Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He said he sensed a call to the ministry when he was in college in the late 1970s and followed that call to the seminary in Philadelphia. His father had been a pastor and eventually bishop, and Hand was very active in the Lutheran church. The Philadelphia native was ordained in the ministry in 1982.

Hand said he expects to spend the next 12 to 18 months working with the congregation to select their new, permanent leader. It’s a lot of change, but the church is a close community and I think they’re handling it really well.” “Things are going as well as could be expected for such a big transition,” she said. Adjusting to a new pastor is challenging after Erlenbusch’s lengthy tenure, but Hand brings 40 years of experience and the parishioners feel comfortable with his service, Parker said. Jessica Parker, Spirit of Joy’s Church Council president for three years, said the congregation has had a “really positive” response to Hand. We try to serve our neighbors in the community where we’ve been placed.” “The message we convey is to lift God’s grace and love and acceptance of all people no matter where they’re from. “I’m honored and privileged to serve in his footsteps,” Hand said. The two pastors had known each other while serving in the same conference, which is a territory of the Pacifica Synod covering Southern California and the Hawaiian Islands. Hand said Pastor Erlenbusch did “incredible work” over the years. The Erlenbusches are currently serving at a Lutheran church in Newport Beach. The couple decided to move into full-time interim ministry after spending more than 30 years at Spirit of Joy. Hand is temporarily replacing Erlenbusch, who departed the congregation with his wife, Karyn, in late February. Recently, he had an interest in serving part-time as an interim pastor and was appointed to Spirit of Joy by Pacifica Synod’s Bishop David Nagler. Hand retired from active ministry in January 2021. “I was ready to go back to the parish after serving as an assistant to a bishop for 12 years,” said Hand, who went on to serve in Kailua Kona, Hawaii for three years and then as senior pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in Solana Beach. While Hand was serving as an assistant to a bishop in the Philadelphia area, a colleague who was elected bishop of the Pacifica Synod suggested he take a parish congregational call in Southern California, where he could surf. His interest in surfing was a link to his transition from the East Coast to the West, he said. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Ramona Sentinel.

The ramona collection