OUR PASTOR

A man in a black suit, white shirt, and a plaid blue, black, and gray tie, smiling in front of a beige wall.

Hello! My name is Orie Thomford and I have the privilege of being the pastor and shepherd of Our Savior here in Burlington, IA. I graduated from Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN with a bachelor’s degree that specialized in Greek and Hebrew. The next step of my training was four years of school at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, WI, where I graduated in 2021. During my schooling, I interned for a year at Abiding Grace, a church in Covington, GA. I also taught religion for a year in Manitowoc, WI at Manitowoc Lutheran High School. After graduation, I served for a year back at Martin Luther College, where I was a dorm supervisor, religion teacher, and chapel preacher. I married my wife, Bethany, the summer of 2023. We are overjoyed to be here in Burlington, IA. The parks are beautiful, the people are friendly, and the river is gorgeous. I would love to talk with you about anything! Contact me and I’ll buy you a coffee, tea, or whatever kind of latte they’ve invented this week.

Orie Thomford

Contact Me

 What do we believe?

  • We believe there is only one true God who is holy, eternal, and has all power and wisdom. In the Bible, God reveals himself as Triune - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

  • We believe the Bible is God's Word. It's true and without error.

  • We believe that in six days God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them.

  • We believe that every man and woman is a special creation of God, created in God's own image.

  • We believe that we lost the image of God when Adam + Eve gave into the temptation of Satan in the Garden of Eden. This separated us from God, unable to reconcile ourselves to him.

  • We believe that the gospel is the good news that a loving God sent Jesus Christ to take away the sins of all people, fully and freely given.

  • We believe Jesus is God's one and only Son, and that he suffered and died on the cross to pay for all of our sins. His resurrection is our sure hope, that God accepted his payment on our behalf—and anyone who puts their hope in Jesus and what He has already done is part of God's family.

  • We believe that we have eternal life, right now, because Jesus rose on Easter morning. There's nothing we can add or take away from Jesus' resurrection. Our salvation is fully paid for by Jesus alone.

  • We believe that the Holy Spirit creates faith in our hearts through the gospel.

  • We believe that there is one holy, Christian church, made up of all who believe in Jesus

  • We believe that we become God's children through baptism. We believe God's love and forgiveness is ours in the Lord's supper.

  • We believe that Jesus is ruling all things for the good of his people. And that we have sure, true, real hope because of what Jesus did for us.

Logo for a church or religious organization featuring a stylized cross with a red and white circular background, the acronym WELS, and the tagline 'Christ's Love, Our Calling'.
This We Believe

Visit us

 

2420 E Agency St,
Burlington, IA 52601

Service Times
Worship: 10 am

Bible Study: 11 am

Sunday School: 11 am

Pastor’s Contact
pastor@our-savior.church

(319) 457-9205