On Sunday, November 5, Redeemer Lutheran Church in Tillamook, OR will introduce Rev. Kevin Oster as their next pastor. Rev. Oster will be installed as Pastor in a special worship service to be held at Redeemer at 3:00 pm that Sunday afternoon. A dinner reception will follow the service at 4:00 pm. Redeemer and Rev. Oster invite the community to come and attend this joyous event!
“We are excited to welcome Pastor (Kevin) Oster and his wife Reyne into our community,” exclaims Alex Iwaniw, the chair of Redeemer’s church council. “With deep roots in the Pacific Northwest and having served in the ministry for more than 20 years in a rural agricultural community, we know that Pastor and Reyne will make immediate and lasting contributions to Tillamook!”
Rev. Oster and his wife are joining the Tillamook community after serving the people of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Hutchinson, MN for 23 years. Prior to serving Our Savior’s Lutheran in Hutchinson, Rev. Oster served two parishes in rural Montana. Rev. Oster received his M.Div. from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN after graduating with a BA from Lutheran Bible Institute of Seattle (later renamed Trinity Lutheran College).
“We feel deeply blessed to have this call to serve Redeemer in Tillamook, and we are looking forward to becoming part of this amazing community of people in Tillamook County,” reflects Rev. Oster. “I love agricultural and rural communities, and we cannot wait to engage with our new community in this remarkable place.”
In addition to ministry and family, Rev. Oster has a whole host of other interests. In Minnesota, he had a 10-acre farm and enjoys farming, gardening, and cooking. He also has an interest in classic cars, motorcycles, and woodworking. Rev. Oster also notes, “I am an avid Seattle Seahawks fan and always have been since the beginning. There is no bandwagon or fair-weather fan here.”
Dedicated in August 1928, Redeemer Lutheran Church has been serving Tillamook County for more than 95 years! It has been located on the corner of 3rd St. and Grove Ave. in downtown Tillamook for as long as anyone remembers. The church building has gone through some changes over the years, and while the bell tower has been replaced with a stainless steel steeple, nearby residents may still attest to hearing the bells chime every Sunday morning at 10:30 am. Redeemer worships every Sunday morning at 10:30 am and offers adult, youth, and children’s education at 9:30 am on Sundays. Special midweek services are also offered throughout the year, largely corresponding with Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Holy Week and Easter.
You can always visit Redeemer Lutheran any Sunday morning at 10:30 am at 302 Grove Ave in downtown Tillamook. Redeemer is also available online! Please visit their website at https://redeemertillamook.org and subscribe to their YouTube channel @redeemertillamook.