OUR PASTOR

Pastor Gilbert Eliason

Pastor Eliason recently retired as a Chaplain in the US Army and is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

“I am very much looking forward to serving our Lord’s people in this community,” he said. “I have hung up my uniform and am a civilian now, but some things don’t change. Spiritual warfare is still spiritual warfare. It’s still a case of ‘onward Christian soldier’ and “stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross.’”

Pastor Eliason, who has bachelor of arts degrees in Chinese language and in journalism, a master of divinity degree from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO, and a master of arts degree in pastoral counseling from Ashland Seminary in Ashland, OH, served for six years as pastor of a Lutheran congregation in Lorain, OH, before entering the Army to serve as a Chaplain.

His 22 years of military service was accomplished in two separate stretches of time. Serving in military intelligence from 1967 to 1978, he was both an enlisted man and a warrant officer. Following a 20-year break in service, he donned the uniform once again, this time to serve as a commissioned officer, an Army Chaplain.

“My military career path was most certainly out of the ordinary,” he says, “and I would not necessarily recommend it. I found myself serving in a light infantry unit at the age of 50! But I was reminded from the Scriptures that we can indeed do all things through Him who strengthens us.”

All told, his assignments include several stints at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA, and tours of duty in Taiwan, Okinawa, Korea, Ft. Lewis, WA, Fort Wainwright, AK, Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX, and Ft. Gordon, near Augusta, GA where they made their home in Grovetown, GA since July, 2004. Overseas deployments include service in the Sinai Peninsula with an international peace-keeping force and in Afghanistan.

He and his wife Diana consider it a blessing to have the opportunity to serve at Immanuel Lutheran Church. Diana Eliason (nee Mazur) was born in Detroit, MI, and raised in Cleveland, OH. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Psychology and is a Mary Kay consultant and a real estate agent. They have enjoyed relocating to the Simpsonville area and making Immanuel Lutheran Church and School their home.