Our Pastor
Rev. Victor “Pastor Vic” Andersen has been serving St. John Lutheran Church and our sister ministry, Safe Harbor, for several years.
Pastor Vic was born in Kansas in 1956 to a Lutheran pastor’s family. After growing up in Nebraska, Kansas, and Texas, he graduated cum laude from Texas Lutheran College with a double major in theology and philosophy, and later earned his Master of Divinity from Wartburg Theological Seminary in Iowa.
Since his ordination in 1983, Pastor Vic has served congregations across Texas, from Abilene to Floresville to Orange Grove. Alongside his parish ministry, he helped establish Safe Harbor, a lakeside mission at Lake Corpus Christi that provides worship, Bible school, and a thrift store serving the local community.
Pastor Vic and his wife, Patty, spent time living in Italy before returning to South Texas. They have two children and grandchildren in San Antonio. With over 40 years in ministry, Pastor Vic continues to share God’s Word faithfully each week with warmth and humility.
Our Story
The roots of St. John Lutheran Church go back to April 13, 1913, when Rev. F. J. Lange traveled 125 miles from Mercedes, Texas, to lead a worship service in Bishop. That same day, 13 charter members organized what was first called Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Through challenges and triumphs — including the loss of an early church building to fire in 1919 and the faithful rebuilding that followed — the congregation remained steadfast. By the 1950s, members had built the beautiful stone sanctuary we worship in today.
Over the decades, St. John has been blessed by faithful pastors, active ministries, and strong lay leadership. The church sponsored Scout troops, hosted community gatherings, and in 2015 was recognized with a Texas Historical Marker.
Today, St. John continues as a small but vibrant congregation, committed to:
- Worship rooted in Lutheran liturgy and hymnody
- Service through quilting, food donations, and mission support
- Community through fellowship, potlucks, and intergenerational education
- Outreach through ministries like Safe Harbor, which we helped sponsor in 2017
As Rev. Fred Lentz once wrote for our 75th anniversary:
“A history is more than facts and figures; a history is about people. It is about you and your families. People who desired, more than anything, that their faith would have a strong foundation. What we need to remember as we read this history is the faith that these people displayed, and the strength they found in their faith to continue.”
Over 110 years later, God’s people at St. John continue to live out this faith — welcoming all with open arms and carrying forward the good news of Jesus Christ.