In the Old Testament, God tells his people to designate cities of refuge.
These were places people accused of unintentional murder could flee to escape an avenger and await redemption.
Later, King David writes as he is being pursued by men who want him dead, "Have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge."
Meet Our Pastor
Pastor
Andy Westra
Pastor Andy Westra didn’t grow up in Texas, but he got here as fast as he could!
He grew up in Columbia, Tennessee where his mom is a nurse at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and his dad is the pastor of the church he planted in 1990. Pastor Westra saw his dad in action sharing the love of Jesus with people, and he knew that was what he wanted to do, too.
He attended a boarding high school in Wisconsin called Luther Preparatory School designed to train future pastors. Pastor Westra continued his training for pastoral ministry at Martin Luther College where he received a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in biblical languages. He then attended seminary at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary where he received a Master of Divinity in 2019. During his time at seminary, he served a one-year internship at Victory of the Lamb in Katy, Texas, and his love for Texas was born.
After graduation, he served as a religion teacher and dorm supervisor at Luther Preparatory School, and also coached basketball. In 2021, he was called to plant Christ Our Refuge Lutheran Church here in Waco.
Pastor Westra enjoys playing basketball, hiking, and attending Baylor sporting events of all kinds! Most importantly, he loves digging into God’s word with people and being reminded over and over again that even in this dark and sin-filled world, Christ is our refuge!
Questions? Contact Us!
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