Pastor Richard Engel
Senior Pastor
rengel@gracelcms.com

During a six-year educational break, Rick worked as a Financial Planner for a local investment firm and then as a Juvenile Probation Officer for the City of Virginia Beach, VA. He returned to seminary and graduated from Concordia Seminary in 1977 then served as sole pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Easton, MD until June, 1995. In that capacity he also founded the Hospital Chaplaincy Corp at memorial Hospital, served as president of the Talbot County Mental Health Association, President of the Talbot Hospice Foundation, President of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and President of the Talbot Association of Clergy and Laity. During that time he also commenced doctoral work at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia.

In July, 1995 Pastor Rick began ministry at Grace Lutheran Church, Jacksonville, FL as sole pastor where he has overseen two building programs, initiated a parochial school, lead the circuit to develop plans for planting four new congregations and overseen the development of a church and school and staff that now numbers 25.

Pastor Rick has been married to Sandra (nee Brown) for 37 years and has four grown children: Chris (wife Gina) is a Regional Planner for the Greater Richmond (VA) Chamber of Commerce; Tara Chapman (husband Paul) is a 5th grade teacher living outside Roanoke, VA; Josh is an engineer with Whiting-Turner in Baltimore, MD; and, Janna, an Interior Design specialist living in Reston, VA. Pastor Rick has a passion for East Africa and plans regular short-term mission trips.