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E-Newsletter
May 5, 2015
News and photographs from
The South Dakota District—LCMS
NEW THREE-POINT PARISH IN ABERDEEN CIRCUIT
The Reverend Bret Bierman was installed on May 3 as the pastor of the newly formed three-point parish
of Trinity Lutheran of Mansfield, St. Paul Lutheran of Stratford, and St. John Lutheran of rural Aberdeen. The service was held at Trinity Lutheran with South Dakota District President Sattgast serving
both as preacher for the service and officiant for the installation. Bierman was one of the original lay
participants in our District’s Lay Leadership Institute when the first classes were offered in 2007. He
assisted with visitation when Pastor Wes Hafner was serving the Trinity and St. Paul parish. After Pastor
Hafner accepted a call in late 2009, Bierman continued to assist with visitation when Pastor Lloyd Redhage
became the vacancy pastor. In 2010, Bierman was accepted into Synod’s Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP)
program, serving as a SMP vicar until his ordination in 2012. He continued to serve the Trinity and St. Paul
parish and completed his SMP training in 2014 . After St. John Lutheran became vacant in 2014, a series
of discussions were held which eventually led to the decision to form the new Trinity, St. Paul, and St.
John Lutheran parish of Mansfield, Stratford, and rural Aberdeen. St. John is approximately 13 miles
from Trinity and 18 miles from St. Paul. Dr. David Peterson, a 2010 graduate of the District’s Lay Leadership Institute, serves as a lay assistant to Pastor Bierman.