Ever ask yourself, “Who are these people who write for Forward in Christ?” Through this series, you can find out.

“Everything has been a blessing,” reflects Michael Seifert, president of the North Atlantic District, on his experiences in the ministry, “even the hard things that I haven’t recognized as blessings at the time. Our weakness magnifies God’s strength.”

Throughout his ministry, Seifert has seen God’s saving grace in action and is grateful to have opportunities to share the good news. This month he will be sharing the good news in a new way: as a contributing editor to Forward in Christ.

Seeing the blessings of ministry from his parents, who both served as called workers, led Seifert to pursue it himself. “My parents were the biggest influence,” he says. “I believe that when our called workers exude joy, it’s a powerful encouragement for younger Christians to follow in their footsteps.”

Seifert’s first call was to Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wis., as a tutor. After tutoring for two years, he was assigned to Living Hope, Midlothian, Va., where he’s continued to serve for 20 years. Additionally, he served on Martin Luther College’s governing board, as a circuit pastor, and on the North Atlantic District’s praesidium before being elected as district president in 2022.

As district president, Seifert supports the synod at large on the Conference of Presidents. He also serves in a pastoral role as he advises congregations and schools in his district. Encouraging called workers in his district and working alongside his district leaders have been some of his favorite parts of ministry.

As he begins writing for Forward in Christ, Seifert is looking forward to the opportunity to dive into Scripture and share God’s gift of grace to a wider audience. He says, “God has continued to be gracious to me. He’s kept on graciously forgiving my sins in Christ. He’s also kept on graciously allowing me to preach forgiveness in Christ. . . . I’m excited for the slightly different challenge of writing for the page, where the words do all the lifting.”