Pastor Phillip Vickers answered the call to lead the Shepherd of the Lake congregation.

Pastor Phil came to Tennessee after beginning his career in the Texas panhandle and more recently in Kansas City, Kansas. He brings with him his wife of 20 years, Cheryl, and their three children, Autumn, Zoe, and Sean.

Pastor Phil was raised in the Mississippi Delta. He was the first in his family to attend college. While studying English at Mississippi State, he also found faith, and was baptized by the campus minister at the Wesley Foundation (an outreach of the Methodist Church).

Shortly thereafter, Pastor Phil met his future wife Cheryl who introduced him to the Lutheran faith. He received his Master of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Seminary in 2007. He served an internship in North Carolina at Winston-Salem before his first assignment in Texas. At Hutchison, Kansas, he supervised an intern and served as dean of the area, providing pastoral care for Lutheran clergy. He served there as associate pastor for family life ministries. In Kansas City, he was chair of the Resolutions Committee, receiving and editing proposals to be considered by the yearly assembly.

Pastor Phil delivered his first sermon at Shepherd of the Lake on September 4 and is leading a Wednesday morning Bible study on the Biblical Foundations of Lutheranism.

Pastor Phil enjoys hiking with his family, cooking and, per his English degree, reading and writing.

He can be reached at [email protected]