A Statement of Faith
The church is led by its one and only head, Jesus Christ, who has particular plans for every church… As pastor, I hope to shepherd a community through hard and joyful times, mourning with those who mourn and rejoicing with those who rejoice… As a model of Christian living and by the grace of God, I strive to exhibit and hope to convey faith, hope and love in all I do and say.
Faith is the dynamic process of receiving God. We can receive only because God gives and God’s gifts are always gracious. Beginning with creation, God gave us the good gifts of light, water, and life. God chose to covenant with a particular people, the Israelites, so that all peoples might eventually return to the goodness in which they are made.
God raised from among this people a savior through whom God’s ways and thoughts might be concretely made known. This Son of God, Jesus the Christ, revealed the wisdom and love of God in history and is therefore our firm foundation of faith. When the good news born by the Son is proclaimed or exhibited and received well, individuals and communities participate in the long process of reconciliation, brought about by the gift of the Spirit, sent by the Father and the Son.
New life in Christ is entered upon through water and Word. The mystical anointing and embrace of the Spirit are enacted as the community lovingly receives a new covenant member. And when the community of the baptized gathers around the table of our Lord to eat and drink, the dynamics of faith are simplified and the tensions of faith resolved, at least momentarily. We receive the Spirit of the body and blood of Christ as we thankfully eat and drink, nourishing our souls for our return to the world to again live out the faith that we have just taken in.
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David Jahnke grew up in Minnesota and South Dakota and was raised in the United Church of Christ. He attended Gustavus Adolphus College where he majored in Religion. Following college he lived in Tennessee before moving to Korea where he was an English teacher. It was there that David met his future wife, Hyun-Ae Kim, who was then working in the finance department of Wal-Mart Korea’s headquarters. They were married in Austin, TX, and are now raising two boys, Seth Michael, four, and Dietrich Andrew, sixteen months.
David attended Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and, after graduating, was called as an Associate Pastor by First Presbyterian Church in Corpus Christ, TX. His responsibilities included mission, pastoral care, and Christian education, as well as leading a monthly contemporary worship service. In addition, since September 2006, David also served another local Presbyterian church where he preached and moderated the Session.
David and Hyun-Ae have a clear sense of God’s call to Fanwood Presbyterian Church. They are both very excited about moving to the metropolitan area — Hyun-Ae (who also goes by Hailey) because she is a city girl from Seoul and David because he has a sister at Princeton Seminary and a brother in New York City. They enjoy golf, tennis, music and movies. David says that until the time comes when they can once again do these things together, they love spending time with their children.
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