Hardo Ermisch

Pastor Hardo Ermisch and his wife Friederike, who is also a theologian, began their ministry at St. Markus Congregation in May 1991, following the unexpected early death of his highly respected predecessor, Adolf Gerber. Responding to an invitation from the Alberta-North Synod of the ELCIC, the Ermisch family emigrated from the former East Germany to Canada in 1988 with their three children.

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During their 30 years of service at St. Markus, Pastor and Mrs. Ermisch shared the work of the congregation. As parish secretary, Friederike coordinated the church office and organized all worship services as well as other events. This allowed Pastor Ermisch to focus fully on his pastoral duties, primarily in the German-speaking ministry. He placed special emphasis on personal pastoral care, counseling, and preaching as the core tasks of church work. He always saw preaching as an extension of pastoral care, often addressing current political and social issues, and worked to create a relevant connection to the daily lives of his listeners. These efforts were deepened through Bible study groups in Langley, Surrey, North Vancouver, and Vancouver, the visiting group he initiated, and a support group for widows and other single women that he encouraged.

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A Bridge Builder between Church and Society
From the beginning, Pastor Ermisch valued cultural openness and reaching beyond the congregation to establish a presence within the wider German-speaking community of Greater Vancouver. Efforts included a contemporary German literature reading group organized by Friederike Ermisch, weekly and monthly radio and TV devotions on current issues, lectures and discussion evenings within the outreach program of the German-Canadian Benevolent Society of BC, and cooperation with the German and Swiss Consulates, including in emergency and prison chaplaincy. Pastor Ermisch was also a regular guest and speaker at events of the German-Canadian Business Association, the Gesellschaft Deutscher Platz, the Vancouver Alpen Club, and maintained contacts with other German groups, businesspeople, and choirs.

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He also organized performances by choirs and musical ensembles from Germany, such as the Hamburg Police Choir, the Lüneburg Hunting Horn Ensemble, and the Jena Accordion Orchestra. A highlight was a trip to the Luther sites in Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt, prepared together with Ann Norville and Friederike Ermisch. During the pandemic years, weekly video devotions were produced and watched by several hundred viewers each.

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Guest preachers from various denominations in Germany, Guatemala, South Africa, Russia, the USA, and Canada were part of his open and welcoming ministry. This also included long-term partnership and support for the “National Association for Women’s Action in Development” (NAWAD) in Entebbe, Uganda, which provides education for children orphaned by AIDS.

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Pastor Ermisch skillfully honored traditions while building bridges to the present.