The Reverend Philip T. Tonnesen

Philip Tonnesen grew up in the Grace Lutheran Church family. He is the son of Ken and Carol Tonnesen. Pastor Ken was the pastor of Grace for many years.

A message from Pastor Phil:

As I reflect back on my childhood and my sense of God's call to ordained ministry, I realize just how much of a positive impact Grace Church had in my life. I was seven years old when we moved to Raleigh in 1975 when my father, Ken Tonnesen, accepted the call to serve as pastor at Grace. I was immediately accepted and nurtured by both younger and older members. My life centered around the activities at Grace. You might expect a "preacher's kid" to say that, but I truly enjoyed being with the folks who called Grace their church home.

Memories of youth group trips, halloween parties, playing on the softball team, and singing in the choir warm my heart. It was because of these activities and, more importantly, the relationships that were developed with adult members, that my faith began to develop. So many adults took the time to ask me how things were going, they took an interest in my life, and they stopped by the house to play basketball. In other words, they accepted me for who I was. I did not realize it then, but these folks were instilling in me a sense of call into full-time ministry in the church.

I left Raleigh in 1985 to attend Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C. That sense of call continued to develop while I was a student at L-R, and I looked so forward to my return trips to Raleigh to catch-up with the folks at Grace. They continued to take an interest in my life and where I was heading vocationally.

I met Debbie at L-R and we were married after she graduated in 1988. Shortly thereafter, I realized that I could not turn away from that sense of call to ministry. Debbie and I moved to Columbia, S.C. in 1989 so that I could attend Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary and begin the journey toward ordained ministry. During our four years in seminary, Grace Church continued to support us in so many ways; through prayers, financial assistance with tuition, and letters and cards of encouragement.

In 1993 I graduated from Southern and received a call to serve as pastor of Cross and Crown Lutheran Church in Matthews, N.C. I was so proud to have many members of Grace attend my ordination service during synod assembly of that year. In 1993 I received a call to serve on the staff of our newly elected bishop, Leonard Bolick, and we moved to Salisbury, N.C.

Grace Church has been and will continue to be a blessing to so many people. You are the treasured people of God and you know what it means to live out your faith.

The Reverend Philip T. Tonnesen
February 5, 2003