Courtesy Photo Resurrection Lutheran Church of Alpena’s new pastor, Doug Lopez, is pictured here with his wife, Soonmi, and son, Daniel.

ALPENA — Resurrection Lutheran Church of Alpena welcomed Pastor Doug Lopez and his family on July 28. He will be installed and ordained later in August.

RLCA extended the call to Lopez in October of 2022 after a months-long process that culminated in a congregational meeting and approving the decision. Pastor Lopez and his family were in South Korea when he accepted the call. What followed was a very lengthy one-year and 9-month process of obtaining a VISA so they could move to Alpena.

In a letter to RLCA, Lopez said, “The intentional nature of your worship community and deep involvement in the community at large are real blessings and are marks of a spirit-filled church.”

Lopez received a Master of Divinity from Luther Rice College and Seminary in May of 2023 and was very active with the International Lutheran Church in Seoul, South Korea. He was a full-time ESL instructor at the second and tertiary education levels during his 18 years in South Korea. During his time overseas, he married Soonmi and together they have a son, Daniel. They are very excited about their move to Alpena and looking forward to the natural resources it has to offer.

Resurrection Lutheran Church of Alpena was formed on March 16, 2010, and is an affiliate of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ. The congregation meets at 500 S. Brooke St. in Alpena, where it shares a facility with the Tripoint Church of God.