Sunday was a big day for Ryan Schlicht. And it ranked right up there for his family too.
Schlicht is now the pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Clintonville.
Bob Schlicht, Ryan's father, says his son was ordained and installed during a special service Sunday at St. Paul with Rev. Darrick Kolterjahn of St. Peter's in Sturgeon Bay presiding and Pastor Earle Treptow, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) District President serving as the installing preacher.
"The proudest day of my life," says the elder Schlicht, who says his son is "humbled" by the occasion.
Rev. Ryan Schlicht, a graduate of Sturgeon Bay High School, received his bachelor's degree from Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota and completed his Master of Divinity degree at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon.
"He is a graduate of high school here," says Bob Schlicht. "It's not very often that one comes through the public school system, enters the seminary and becomes a minister."
As part of his seminary training, Rev. Schlicht served for a year as an assistant pastor/vicar in Denver, Colorado.
Bob Schlicht says his son's ordination isn't the only piece of good news the family is celebrating. He says the day they found out that Ryan was assigned to Clintonville they also learned Ryan and his wife Stacey are expecting their first child in January.
"Proud about that but not near as proud as I am of him for having accomplished this feat," says Bob.
