Pastor Brandon Wittig
Hello! As pastor here at Trinity it's important to me that people know a little bit about who I am, why I became a pastor, and that path that brought me to Sawyer. I started college at Concordia Ann Arbor in the Fall of 2012 working towards a degree in Secondary Education in Math and Biology. This started to change my junior year for a number of reasons. Not the least of these was reading through The Hammer of God by Bo Giertz and feeling a real draw towards the work of pastors. I truly felt called to go to seminary and study to become a pastor. I completed a BA in Math and applied to Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO. I continued my education on vicarage at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Lansing, MI, under Pastor Bill Wangelin. During that year, at the encouragement of Bill and a classmate, I applied for and was accepted into the Diploma in Theology for Ministry program through Westfield House in Cambridge, England. After the COVID-19 pandemic sent me back home in March of 2020, I completed the program online and then my final year at the seminary. I was called out of seminary to Trinity, Sawyer on April 28th 2021. I was installed on July 11th of the same year and have been serving here ever since.
I spent my entire childhood living in Saginaw, MI with my parents Barry and Nancy Wittig, as well as my sisters Tricia Peck and Jenna Fauske. My father worked at Valley Lutheran High School in Saginaw for over 30 years as a U.S. History teacher until he retired in 2023. My father’s parents were both Lutheran School teachers (Henry and Evelyn Wittig), and I’m thankful to continue the legacy of church work that started with my grandpa and grandma. My mother has fought Multiple Sclerosis for almost my entire life. We continue to be thankful for the gifts that God has given to medical professionals who continue to make advances in that area. My sisters are both married: Tricia and Tyler in 2011 and Jenna and Kiel in 2019. They have each made me a proud uncle.
From an early age, I loved reading fantasy. My father started reading through the books for my sister and me when I was 7. When he read too slowly for me, I quickly started reading them for myself. This started me on a journey through many mystical and magical worlds over the years. My favorite author is Brandon Sanderson, and I've read most of his work.
Obviously, theology has been important to me for most of my life. Studying about God and his gifts has followed me through many years of my life. In eighth-grade Catechism class, I remember my teacher asking if I would tutor another student who wasn’t doing so well in the class. In high school, I loved asking questions in religion classes and working through the challenges that come with making one’s beliefs their own.
I also have been a life-long lover of games. I have spent many hours on puzzle and strategy-based video games. When I had people to play them with in college, I started playing lots of board games as well. A few of my favorites are Dominion, Clank!, and 7 Wonders.
Last, but certainly not least, I have been a huge fan of the Detroit Red Wings for almost my entire life.