If we live, we live to the Lord; if we die, we die to the Lord; and so, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's forever.  -Paul's letter to the Romans, 14:8
 
Dear Friends in Christ,
 
Our partner in ministry, the Rev. Rodney Arthur Gatzke, died on November 22, 2019.
 
Rod Gatzke was born on August 14, 1935, in Baltimore, Maryland. Rod was a graduate of Gettysburg College (BS, 1957); the former Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (now United Lutheran Seminary; BDiv, 1960); and Loyola College (now Loyola University; MS, 1980). He was ordained by the Maryland Synod of the United Lutheran Church in America on June 21, 1960 in Baltimore.

Rod's first call was as Assistant Pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in Baltimore, Maryland from 1960-1962. At the end of 1962, he was called to develop a new congregation in Bel Air, Maryland - the mission development that became the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. He was called as the first pastor of Good Shepherd in December of 1963. In 1969, he began serving part-time as a pastoral counselor with Pastoral Counseling and Consultation Centers of Greater Baltimore (which became Pastoral Counseling Services of Maryland, now Inspirit Counseling Services) and shifted into working as a full-time counselor in 1974. He served as a pastoral counselor until his retirement at age 80. He was a member of Ascension Lutheran Church in Towson, Maryland, and also found a community of faith at the Church of the Holy Comforter in Lutherville, Maryland.

Rod is survived by his wife, Kathryn Gatzke; his children, Michael Arthur Gatzke (Christa Smith), Heidi Elise Buckler (David), and Melissa Kathryn Schehlein (Jason Domasky); seven grandchildren; and his brother, Arthur Paul Gatzke Jr. (Janis). A funeral service will be held on Monday, December 16 at 1 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Comforter (130 W Seminary Avenue, Lutherville, MD 21093). In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Assistance Center of Towson Churches (120 W Pennsylvania Avenue, Towson, MD 21204), or to UNICEF.
 
May our brother Rod rest in peace and rise in glory.
 
With you in Christ,