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One campus, three languages
It’s not unusual in WELS today to see congregations that are bilingual. But to see a congregation that’s trilingual—with ministry in three languages—is more unique.
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This last August, King of Kings, Garden Grove, Calif., ordained and installed its second and third pastors in a trilingual worship service. The three languages woven throughout the service reflected the congregation’s three distinct ministries: English, Vietnamese, and Spanish. Trung Lê, a recent graduate of the Pastoral Studies Institute, was assigned to lead the Vietnamese ministry, which is funded by the WELS Joint Mission Council. Grant Hagen, a 2023 graduate of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, was assigned to lead the Hispanic ministry. Lê and Hagen now serve alongside Brian Doebler, lead pastor at King of Kings.
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Top featured image (left to right): Brian Doebler, Grant Hagen, and Trung Lê, pastors at King of Kings, Garden Grove, Calif. Trung Lê is then shown receiving his Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary diploma from seminary president Earle Treptow. Grant Hagen and Trung Lê are pictured during their installation service at King of Kings, receiving a blessing from Paul Prange, chairman of WELS Joint Mission Council.
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Trung Lê's confession of faith
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"It took many years for me to realize that God is the Way, the Truth, and the Life of my life. My family had a Buddhist background, but I have never been a homogeneous Buddhist. I rarely went to the temple or read Buddhist scripture. I did not understand Sanskrit recitations at all. They were too strange to me! But I became a Christian, and I want to share with you my long way to becoming a Christian."
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So wrote Trung Lê in 2021 as he detailed his journey to faith in Forward in Christ. Read his full story and then rejoice in how God is using him to now serve at King of Kings, Garden Grove, Calif.
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