Our Vicar: The Rev. Randall W. Frenz

  Randall Frenz is a 1979 graduate of Thiel College with a BA in Philosophy and Religion. He attended the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago for 1 year but left to work with street addicts on the north side of Chicago. In 1982 He moved to Charlottesville, Virginia and worked at a shelter for homeless alcoholics. In 1987 he moved back to western Pennsylvania and was hired as an outpatient addictions counselor at what is now AHN Grove City.  Starting as an outpatient addiction counselor, he was soon promoted to clinical supervisor and finally director of the counseling program. After a brief time in private practice, Randall was hired as a clinical manager/social worker at George Junior Republic. In 2011, he felt that God was still calling him to ordained ministry, so he applied for and was accepted into the Theological Education for Emerging Ministries program (TEEM). This led to his ordination in 2015 and a call to serve as pastor (part-time) at Grace Lutheran Church in Franklin. In 2016 he was also called as a part-time chaplain at UPMC Sugar Creek Station near Franklin. He was called to full-time chaplaincy at Bethesda Lutheran Services as of November 27, 2017 where he remains today. In September of 2021 Randal became the regular supply clergy at Christ Episcopal Church on the Diamond in Meadville. He was honored to be named Vicar by the Bishop and the Bishop’s Committee in October 2023.

Randall and his wife Joyce have 3 grown children, Amanda, Roman and Wes; 4 dogs, Mitzi, Kiki, Macey and Binky and 2 cats, Moli and Esther. They reside in Franklin.

 1. Your professional history has a recurring theme of service. Please discuss your career path and why service to others is so important to you both personally and professionally.  All of my life I ‘ve had a soft spot for the underdog. Maybe because I’ve always seen myself in that light. My reading of the gospel compels me to serve others, I think that is what Christians are supposed to do. We are to love one another; we are to take care of each other. I believe that God’s grace and forgiveness, fully embodied and present to us in the person of Jesus Christ, transforms us, removes our fear of sin, death and the devil and frees us to serve others. I left seminary 43 years ago because I didn’t believe that the Church in that time and place was really about social justice i.e.  serving the poor and the hungry and seeking justice for the oppressed among God’s people. My career choices have, for the most part, reflected my convictions in this area. I don’t see my professional and personal lives as in any way separate, especially with regard to my basic convictions.

 2. Is there an individual you credit as an influential person in your personal faith journey? My parents were a profound positive influence on me. They fulfilled the promises they made at my baptism and saw to it that I went to church and they put the Bible into my hands. My mother in particular natured my faith intellectually and my father through his faithful service to the church and his great love for us. There are many others though, too many to name. Pastors, Sunday School teachers, college professors, friends and colleagues, my wife. As an example of living the Christian life, Dietrich Bonhoeffer has had a profound influence on my life and thought as well.

3. Please share your favorite scripture passage and why you feel a connection to it. Luke 4:18-19 18"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." This was Christ’s mission statement and it should be ours as well.