Pastor Runge

Richard H. Runge graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary, Springfield, Illinois, in 1969. Prior to receiving his M.Div. degree, he attended Concordia College, St. Paul, Minnesota and Concordia Senior College, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, from which he received a B.A degree.

Reverend Runge served his vicarage at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Madison Heights, Michigan, and upon graduation from the Seminary was called to Our Savior as Assistant Pastor, where he served until January 1977.

Beginning in 1977, Reverend Runge served St. John's Lutheran Church, Orchard Park, New York. He is past President of the Orchard Park Ministerium (The Park Parsons); has served: as Counselor of the South Buffalo Circuit of the Eastern District, LCMS; Chairman of the Eastern District's Commission on Ministerial Health; and a part-time member of the pastoral counseling staff of the Samaritan Pastoral Counseling Center, Buffalo, N.Y.

In 1987, Reverend Runge received the Doctorate of Ministry degree in Pastoral Care and Counseling from Christ Seminary/Seminex located at the Lutheran School of Theology, Chicago. In 1991, he was certified as a member of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC).

In January 1994, Reverend Runge began serving Ascension Lutheran Church in Charlotte, NC. He served at Ascension until his retirement in November 2005. He is currently the Assistant to the Pastor at Ascension on a part-time basis.

Born in Grafton, North Dakota, on October 27,1942, Reverend Runge grew up in North Carolina. In 1965, Reverend Runge was married to Lois Marie Lorenz of South Amana, Iowa, a graduate of Concordia Teachers College, River Forest, Illinois. The Runges have been blessed with three boys: Christopher, Eric, and Timothy and three grandchildren.