Hope Lutheran Church welcomes new pastor
Hope Lutheran welcomes Rev. Aaron Smith
– Hope Lutheran Church in Atascadero recently installed Rev. Aaron Smith as its new pastor. Pastor Smith says that shifting social values have combined with the pandemic to present historic tests for the church. “For a while now, the church has become decentered from public life, and the interruption to regular routines caused by COVID has accelerated its enigmatizing. Folks are no longer sure where it fits into their lives or into the wider culture, even though many have a sense that it does belong.”
Rev. Smith says he sees the work of giving people a framework for understanding Christian faith as central to his ministry. “In many ways, the church suddenly finds itself to be a frontier institution, like it was in its earliest days. We pastors have to take that situation seriously.”
Parishioners describe Pastor Smith as down-to-earth, humble, and unassuming even though he holds two seminary degrees in theology and a Ph.D. in religion from Marquette University. Rev. Smith is the third full-time pastor in Hope Lutheran’s 28-year history. He and his wife, Dawn, relocated to the Central Coast from southern Pennsylvania, where Pastor Smith served three churches. He also taught as adjunct professor of theology at United Lutheran Seminary.
Smith takes a special interest in the interface between faith and science. His most recent book (The Lord, the Giver of Life: Spirit in Relation to Creation) brings environmental and biological science into conversation with philosophy and theology to consider what “creation” means today.
Before immersing himself in theology and ecclesial life, Rev. Smith made a career as an athlete and coach. He met Dawn while playing on the professional beach volleyball tour (AVP) and working as assistant men’s volleyball coach at the University of Southern California. Dawn happened to have a successful career in Hollywood film production. She now is the director of development for the San Luis Coastal Education Foundation.
Hope Lutheran is located at 8005 San Gabriel Road in Atascadero and can be found online at ourhopelutheran.net.
