“Little Ones Together”: New LCC President Stresses Servant Leadership at Installation

National – On September 6, members of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC) filled Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Winnipeg to celebrate the installation of Rev. David Haberstock as Synodical President, with nearly 600 people from across the country also watching online. President Haberstock was elected at LCC’s 2026 Synodical Convention on June 13.

The service of Vespers also saw the installation of three other LCC officials elected at the Synodical Convention: Vice President Ted Giese, West Regional Pastor Michael Schutz, and Central Regional Pastor Arron Gust. East Regional Pastor Marvin Bublitz, who was reelected at convention, served as lector for the service, reading the appointed lessons from Ezekiel 33:7-9 and Matthew 18:1-20. Rev. Cameron Schnarr, pastor of Beautiful Savior, served as liturgist.

In his sermon, President Haberstock noted that, while worldly understandings of leadership focus on influencing people to a desired goal, Scripture’s vision of leadership is quite different. “All offices, all authority that Scripture speaks about is always about service—not about influence, but about service. Service to others. Service to our Lord.”

“We serve others by doing as our Lord commands and as He teaches in His Word,” President Haberstock continued. “Leaders in the realms that He establishes are simply servants of His will, and leaders . . . in His Kingdom. It is ultimately all about being a ‘little one.’”

President Haberstock went on to unpack Jesus’ words in the Gospel reading, highlighting five points our Saviour is teaching us:

1. The greatest in His Kingdom are little ones.
2. Scandals which hurt little ones are serious business.
3. Little ones wander but there is always great joy in their being found.
4. We serve others by seeking out erring little ones so that by repentance and faith they might be rejoiced over as little ones in faith once again.
5. Little ones together are blessed by our Lord with His presence and with concord one with another.

“From our Lord’s words, we see that a little one is both a child” as well as “one who humbles himself or herself in faith and has the attitude of a child,” President Haberstock explained. “That is, one who repents, one who humbly knows their place as a child and receives all good things from their Father who is in Heaven.” And Jesus sets up little ones like these to exercise His authority on His behalf and as He directs: “The Office of the Holy Ministry is about authority in the Kingdom of Heaven, and authority in the Kingdom of Heaven is given to little ones in faith.” Such servants are to root out causes of scandal in the Church and seek to bring the erring back to Christ their Good Shepherd.

The result is concord between Jesus’ little ones—something experienced most clearly when we gather together to receive Christ’s body and blood at the altar. Further details of the sermon will be published in the next issue of The Canadian Lutheran. In the meantime, clips of the installation can be found here. Stay tuned on our YouTube channel for more highlights from the service.

LCC President Emeritus Timothy Teuscher officiated over the installation of President Haberstock. Upon his confession of belief in the Scriptures as the inspired Word of God, his acceptance of the ecumenical creeds and the Lutheran Confessions, his promise to perform his duties in keeping with the Confessions and the constitution and bylaws of Lutheran Church–Canada, and his intent to adorn the Gospel with a godly life through the Holy Spirit’s aid, Rev. Haberstock was installed as LCC President. As symbols of his office and promise, he was presented with a pectoral cross, the Holy Scriptures, the Book of Concord, and the constitution and bylaws of LCC.

Following his installation, President Haberstock conducted the installation of Vice President Ted Giese, as well as the installations of Western Regional Pastor Michael Schutz and Central Regional Pastor Arron Gust.

The installations concluded with the many pastors gathered for the event singing “Lord Jesus Christ, With Us Abide.” President Haberstock then led the rest of the service of Vespers, including a special prayer for President Emeritus Teuscher upon his retirement.

An offering of $1,871.00 was received during the service, which will go towards LCC’s Mission and Ministry Opportunity Fund with the Together One campaign.

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