Chaplain’s Greeting
“With Pastor Andræ the Word is good and clean and clear. We appreciate what he brings to us. You are always in good hands with Pastor Andræ.” – John Hall, WORD-FM host & producer
The Rev. Eric R. Andræ has been the Campus Pastor at First Trinity Lutheran Church and Luther House student center since February 2001. As such, he is the most experienced full-time campus minister in Pittsburgh. He serves as the chaplain for Lutheran Student Fellowship and International Student Ministry, working with students from the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham University, Carlow University, Duquesne University, Point Park, Community College of Allegheny County, Robert Morris University, etc. Pastor Andræ also serves on the Beatrice Institute Advisory Council and as the President of the International Giertz Society (English Language Section), and has been published in numerous journals and books in North America and Europe. He has served two terms as the chair of the University of Pittsburgh Association of Chaplaincies, and is also a member of the Carnegie Mellon Council of Religious Advisors and the Chatham Multi-Faith Council. Pastor Andræ is the Rector of the Augsburg Academy in Pittsburgh, as well. He is a graduate of Valparaiso University, with a B.A. in 1993 (Political Science and Journalism), and of Concordia Seminary, where he earned his Master of Divinity in 1997 (Systematic Theology) and his Master of Sacred Theology in 2003 (Thesis on Pastoral Care). In summer 1998 he was a visiting research scholar at Uppsala University, Sweden.
A native of Sweden, he is married to Paola, a real estate agent and native of Mexico; they have two children, Linnea Michelina, born December 2007, and Annika Juliette, born March 2011.
“Every time I hear Pastor Andræ speak, I am inspired and impressed. He does not cut corners. He presents a Christian message that is strong; it’s open but tough; it puts demands on folks. His message about the meaning of Jesus is of real significance because he does not try to be ‘clever.'” – Mike Turzai, former Pennsylvania Speaker of the House
A Greeting from the Chaplain
“Imagine a church that is both evangelical – proclaiming the free forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ – and sacramental, centering its spiritual life in the regenerating waters of baptism and the real presence of Christ in Holy Communion. Imagine further a church that is strongly grounded on Scripture…, favoring a comprehensive, intellectually rigorous and imminently orthodox theological system. Imagine a worship service that features both strong preaching and the historic liturgy. Imagine that this is a historical church with a rich spiritual tradition, but without legalism. Imagine, in short, a church that has the best parts of Protestantism and of Catholicism. Finally, imagine that this church body is not some little made-up sect, but one of the largest bodies of Christians in the world” (Gene Veith). This is the church of the LCMS campus ministry in Pittsburgh.
Aren’t you tired of being a target of “niche marketing” in both the pop culture and church arenas? Don’t you want something with real substance and depth? How about plunging into the Truth?! The Lutheran Church, the true ancient and universal Church, proclaims the truth of the crucified and risen Christ. First Trinity Church’s thriving campus ministry, full-time since 2001, is part of this rich spiritual heritage of declaring the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ in Word and Sacrament ministry. We confess this Biblical faith with the whole church on earth as confessed in the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds.
In serving the Pittsburgh university community (Pitt, CMU, Chatham, Carlow, Duquesne, Point Park, CCAC, RMU, La Roche, Geneva, et al), the members of Lutheran Student Fellowship come together as one Body, wonderfully united as the liturgy of the Divine Service connects us to Christ, to each other, and to the Church of the ages. Today’s student has a place here! Our central location provides excellent opportunity to gather together regularly as a true community of believers, serving each other through the Sunday Divine Service, mid-week evening prayer, the diligent study of God’s Word and the Lutheran Confessions, local and international mission and service projects, congregational leadership, dinners, social activities, regional retreats, and much, much more! This is a place for creating, nurturing, and proclaiming faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. It is truly a home where you can live and belong and grow! This is a place for YOU!
“Pastor Andræ is a staunch defender of the faith, but he is not a ‘stick in the mud.’ He knows what outreach means.” – Wallace Schulz, LHF Evangelist & former speaker of “The Lutheran Hour”