The CNH Servus Christi Award is given each year to at least one deserving candidate who is affirmed by his peers and the president of the CNH District as an exemplary model of servant leadership.
Qualifications
The candidate is an emeritus pastor who exemplifies Christian servanthood in four areas:
Faithful and sacrificial service as a pastoral leader and shepherd in his congregation(s).
Exemplifies a heart to lead others to follow Christ in his mission.
Steadfast and loving attention to his family and, by extension, to his community in which he resides (has resided).
Intentional and sacrificial service to the greater LCMS and/or Christian church-at-large.
Robert F. Fickenscher - CNH Servus Christi award recipient - 2024
Robert Fickenscher was born August 10, 1937, in Sacramento, California. He was baptized and conrmed at Trinity, Sacramento, where his father, Rev. Carl Fickenscher, was pastor from 1916 1962. He attended elementary school at Trinity, and then Sacramento High School. He attended Concordia, Oakland, 1955-57; in the rst class at Concordia Senior College, Ft Wayne, 1957-59; Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, 1959-63. His rst call was to Corsicana, Texas, 1963-65. The rest of his ministry was in the CNH District, serving in Novato, 1966-72, and St. Andrews, Stockton, 1972- 2000. Since 2000, he has served interims in Sonora, San Leandro, Hawaii, Fair Oaks (twice), Placerville, Walnut Creek, Yuba City, Monterey, and Town & Country in Sacramento.
Currently, he does vacancy preaching in the surrounding Sacramento area, about twice a month. He has served the district in various capacities as Youth Committee Chairman; Circuit Counselor/Visitor (Circuits 6 and 3); 1st Vice President, 1985-91; Regional Vice President; Church Extension Fund Chair, 1997-2009; and Interim Ministry Director, 2009-2018. Most importantly, he married Millie Kruger in 1961, a nurse at Lutheran Hospital, St. Louis, and they are blessed with three children: Paul, Peter, and Pamela, and seven grandchildren. Bob has been a mentoring pastor and friend to many younger pastors as they have grown and matured in the CNH. During his time at St. Andrew’s in Stockton, he was a consistent and regular participant in the Stockton community.
Theo A. Iverson - CNH Servus Christi award recipient - 2024
Theo A. Iverson was born in River Forest Illinois and graduate of Oak Park High School in Oak Park, IL. He was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Forest Park, IL. He married Betty Joan Vogel (1959). Together they have four children: Mark, Kent, Adriene, and Allen. There are four grandchildren. He is a graduate of St. John’s College in Wineld, KS; Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (1958). He did graduate work at Fresno State University and San Francisco Seminary in San Anselmo, CA Ted served pastorates at Zion Lutheran in Magnolia IA 58-60; Redeemer Lutheran in Fresno, CA; (60-74), and Bethlehem in Monterey, CA (74-78) He served in the CNH District Oce from 1978 - 2009. During that time, he served as the business manager, Administrative Services Director for Missions, the Manager, then President of the CNH Church Extension Fund and for a time was the Interim Director for Evangelism and Stewardship. He was the primary architect for the design and function of the CNH Church Extension Fund and served as its Visionary President. Under his leadership the fund was expanded exponentially and took on a primary role in church planting utilizing the purchase of advance sites in the CNH District. During his tenure, CEF expanded from a $7,000 fund to $60M. He attracted and utilized an extensive volunteer force of lay leaders for the expansion of new and existing ministries through CEF through investment of CEF members and loans to churches, new starts, and schools Ted presently resides in a care home in the Oakland Hills after suering a debilitating stroke more than 10 years ago. His dear wife Betty entered the church triumphant in 2015. His daughter Adriene shares the following thoughts:
Ted invested deeply in friendships. Our holidays often had the same friends who had become family sitting around the table. Ted would smoke the turkey. He was a great baker and candymaker.
Of course - he is a Giants and 49er fan
Ted and Betty had decades long season tickets to the California Shakespeare Theater.
He and Betty invested in the grandchildren (Ryan, Claire, Shane and Julian), including annual trips to Tahoe.
He did not shy away from having tough conversations about money. "God asks us to give by faith, not spend by it." (Ted Iverson)
He was a woodworker - building several pieces of furniture – (including a dresser I still own. He is also a wonderful artist)
Ted was a gifted preacher and a sound theologian. Maybe one of his greatest gifts was to identify capacity and ability within present and future church leaders, (both lay and professional), before they saw it in themselves.
Comments