Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church, Westcliffe, CO

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Pastor Wayne

"He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young."
Isaiah 40:11

Wayne Riddering was born in 1952 in Chicago, Illinois. When he was 6 years old his parents moved to Oxnard, California, about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles. He graduated from high school in California when he was 18 and went on to college at Concordia Teachers College in Seward, Nebraska where he spent 4 years getting his teaching degree. While he was there he met the love of his life, DeDe, who was also pursuing her teaching degree. In 1973 they were married. Five children and 6 grandchildren (and one on the way) have come from that marriage.

After leaving Seward, Wayne and DeDe, moved to Springfield, Illinois where Wayne went on to attend Concordia Theological Seminary, graduating 4 years later in 1978 with a Master of Divinity. He did his Vicarage in Clay Center, Kansas at St. Paul Lutheran Church. Some time while Pastor Wayne was doing his Vicarage, the Seminary was moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana. With a smile on his face, Pastor Wayne will say, "They moved the seminary while we were gone, but we found it!"

Pastor Wayne took his first call to Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Broomfield, Colorado and was ordained into the ministry in July of 1978. Since that call he has pastored 4 other churches, taking the call to Hope Lutheran Westcliffe in 1994, where he is the present pastor.

When asked what he feels are some of the best parts of doing ministry, Pastor Wayne says, "I think the best thing that happens to me as a pastor is seeing the Gospel come into a person's life and seeing that person realize that Jesus loves them -- times like at confirmation, in the hospital...they just start changing...

"Seeing people finding joy using their gifts is great. They are working so hard they don't even realize it because they are serving the Lord.

"I had the privilege to start three churches while I was in Denver and I was able to help those churches get their start and work with them...

"Going to Walsenberg now is great. Those people are pioneers because there is no other Lutheran church between here and the New Mexico border." (Pastor Wayne serves the Walsenberg Lutherans--about 15 of them--once a month on a Saturday with a church service, Bible class, and lunch following.)

Pastor loves to read, jog, play guitar and be with his family. He is a true shephard in the Biblical sense and deeply loved by the sheep in his pasture.