Now entering the mission field.
That’s the sign members of Hope Lutheran Church see as they leave the church parking lot on Park Road.
It’s also one of the messages that the Rev. Dean Pfeffer tries to pass on to his congregation. For the pastor, who just celebrated his 20-year anniversary with the church in June, it’s all about outreach.
Worlds Collide
On Pfeffer’s first Sunday at Hope Lutheran back in 1996, there were maybe 60 people filling the pews.
Now, he expects anywhere between 250 to 275 people of the church’s nearly 400 members to show up on an average Sunday.
“We’ve seen over the years very consistent, very steady growth,” Pfeffer said. “Everybody worked hard to make things happen. We just did what we were called to do.”
For Pfeffer, that call began as a child. Growing up in New York, he was inspired to go into the ministry by the Rev. Otto Fink, the pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Pfeffer attended the church until he left New York in 1986.
“I always wanted to be a pastor,” he said. “My pastor instilled that desire in me. He modeled what it was to be a pastor. He showed me the joy of being a pastor. He held my hand, straight through seminary. He was always there for me.”
Pfeffer likes to refer to himself as a second career pastor. Though entering the ministry was always at the back of his mind, his first stab at the working world was in the political field.
At Long Island University, Pfeffer was involved with College Republicans. After graduating with a degree in political science, he began working for New York Senate Majority Leader John Camerer and Congressman Norman Lent.
But eventually, he was ready for a change.
“It was time to get out,” he said. “The itch was there to finally give in and become a pastor.”
After a stint working for Grumman Aerospace in Huntsville, Alabama, Pfeffer enrolled in school at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He moved to St. Louis for two months, where he lived on his own. His wife, Liz, and their three children, Kristin, Jason and Daniel, came later.
“Within two weeks of putting our house on the market, we sold it for our asking price,” Pfeffer said. “It was, ‘OK, we get the message loud and clear.’”
Pfeffer earned his master’s of divinity and moved to Wisconsin for an internship before briefly moving back to St. Louis.
He and his family eventually moved to Sebring, Florida, where he served for two years as the pastor at Faith Lutheran Church.
But two decades later, Hope Lutheran — and Plant City — have become his home.
Outreach
Pfeffer’s pleased with what he’s accomplished at Hope Lutheran so far, but he’s focused on continuing his ministry.
“I’m content, I’m happy,” he said. “My ministry is nowhere near done yet.”
Right now, the church needs a new worship facility. With three services on Sundays and one service on Wednesday afternoons, the congregation has outgrown its Park Road home.
It’s a vast difference from the 60 members Pfeffer preached to on that first Sunday.
“It was almost a fight to survive,” Pfeffer said. “We have just seen how the Lord has blessed this place.”
When Pfeffer first came on board, the church held dinner fundraisers to keep the church going. Now, those fundraisers serve as benefits for charities throughout Plant City. The church has transformed its focus toward outreach.
“The Lord has blessed us, so we’re blessing others,” Pfeffer said. “We are a community-focused church.”
A lot of that focus comes from Pfeffer. He serves as an ambassador for the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce, the first vice chairman of the Plant City YMCA and is involved with the Daybreak Rotary Club.
His congregation has matched his enthusiasm for Plant City. Church members serve as volunteers for South Florida Baptist Hospital and the Friends in the Park dinner feedings for the homeless and work the Plant City tourist information booth.
“Our mission statement is connecting people to Jesus, and that’s what this congregation has done,” Pfeffer said. “Until every church is filled beyond capacity and every person in Plant City is worshipping, we’ve got work to do.”
For Pfeffer, that work is a joy.
“Ministry is supposed to be fun,” he said. “It’s a blast. I am so blessed with leaders who have a passion for mission in ministry. My wife and I love this community. This is home for us.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.