Our Pastor
The Rev. Richard A. Kwiatkowski
While awaiting call, Pastor Kwiatkowski assisted with a summer inner-city day camp at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Buffalo, New York and served as Vacancy Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Elma, New York.
Pastor Kwiatkowski received a call to serve as Pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in North Boston, New York in June 2002. He served this congregation until November 2014. For a couple of years, while serving as the pastor of Good Shepherd, he also served as the part-time Chaplain for the Niagara Lutheran Health System in Western New York. As Chaplain, he provided pastoral care, on two campuses, to residents of two nursing homes, two assisted living facilities, and a senior’s residence.
Pastor Kwiatkowski began his Master of Theology studies at Trinity College (University of Toronto), an affiliate of the Toronto School of Theology in 2008. He received his Master of Theology (ThM) degree in May 2015.
While in Toronto for his studies, he met his partner, Charles, in October 2010. Pastor Kwiatkowski and Charles were married in October 2015. Pastor Kwiatkowski and his husband Charles have been foster parents since December 2011. They have fostered eight children since becoming foster parents. Two of their former foster children, who are now young adults, have become their sons.
In December 2014, Pastor Kwiatkowski was appointed as Interim Pastor of First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Toronto. His service to First Evangelical Lutheran Church concluded at the end of July 2016. During the summer of 2016, the congregation voted to call him to be our pastor. He began his ministry with us in September 2016.
Latest from Pastor’s Blog
Witnessing to others through Canadian Lutheran World Relief
Back in March of 2017, Grace Lutheran hosted an evening presentation titled "What in the World are Lutherans Doing"? About 40 people attended, and Tom Brook from CLWR shared many of his experiences from his travels supporting their missions. Living in...
What opportunities does our Pastor provide for our continuing education as Christians?
Lenten series, Confirmation and weekly Bible study.
What is our Pastor’s role in administration?
One of my least favourite tasks as a pastor is administration, however it is a necessary component of pastoral ministry. For a congregation to fulfill its mission, there needs to be order and records. At the end of the previous year, Grace’s long-time secretary,...
How does our Pastor reach out to others?
Baptisms and Baptismal Counseling Baptisms are a joyous experience for the congregation, family, and pastors. The baptismal event is something that we all have experienced. Some are more memorable than others, depending on the activity level of the one who is being...
How our Pastor connects with the wider church?
Wider Church / Interfaith As a pastor in the ELCIC, I also must stay connected with what’s known as the “wider church”. This connection usually happens through email and other mailed correspondence. However, sometimes I attend meetings with other clergy. From time...
What does a Pastor do to prepare for a worship service?
Most members regularly encounter the pastor on Sundays in worship. My one friend has joked for years that “I have a pretty good gig by only having to work one day a week for an hour.” (He’s an airline pilot, so I joke back that he has a pretty good gig by only having...
How does our Pastor help serve our members?
Hospital Visitation There are ups and downs in life. This past year I have made many hospital visits to members and others. We are thankful and blessed that God has given us caring and knowledgeable people who work in healthcare. There are some things that medical...