Leadership
Fred Harms
Pastor Fred Harms, who presently serves as Senior Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, was ordained in 1973. He received his undergraduate B. A. degree in English and Speech from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa in 1969. His Master of Divinity degree from Luther Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota was completed in 1973.
The first parishes served by Pastor Harms were Christ Lutheran and Luther Memorial Lutheran Church in Syracuse, Nebraska (1973-1975); and, First English Lutheran Church in Kimball, Nebraska (1975-1981). While serving as a Pastor in Nebraska, Pastor Harms organized the community-wide CROP Hunger Walk, initiated a Hospice Program for the Panhandle of Nebraska, and presided as Clergy Dean for the Northern Colorado Conference of the American Lutheran Church.
In February of 1981, Pastor Harms became the Associate Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he served until the end of 1991. During his ministry in Ann Arbor, Pastor Harms received his M.S.W. degree from the University of Michigan, served on the Board of Recycle Ann Arbor, and was a member of the Board of Directors for the Ecology Center of Ann Arbor. He was involved in the initial plans for city-wide recycling efforts that have now come to fruition.
Pastor Harms received the Call to serve as Senior Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Grosse Pointe Farms and began his ministry here in January of 1992. He has served during the time of the acquisition of a 56 rank pipe organ, the remodeling of the entrance and installation of an elevator, and the construction of a columbarium. He has served on the Synod Council of the Southeast Michigan Synod and as Vice President of the Lay Theological Academy of Grosse Pointe. He presently serves as Clergy Dean of the Metro-East Cluster of the Southeast Michigan Synod and the Chair of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Lands Task Force for the Southeast Michigan Synod of the ELCA.
He and his wife, Margaret. have three children: Erik (wife: Nicole) Harms, Kari (husband: Jared) MacDonald, and Martin Harms and three grandsons.