Pastor Ken and his wife Kathy came to Mt. Olive in the summer of 1996. Pastor Ken is the fourth called pastor to serve our congregation since it began in 1960.    He began his career in the ministry in 1981 after graduating from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and was called by the International Lutheran Laymen’s League to serve as the Producer of The Lutheran Hour and all their domestically produced radio programs in the USA. At the same time, he also served three St. Louis area congregations as a part-time vacancy pastor and as a Brigade Chaplain in the US Army Reserves.

 In 1986 Pastor Ken accepted a call from the Armed Forces Mission Board of the LCMS to serve on active duty with the US Army. Together they spent the next decade ministering to US Army combat soldiers and their families. In 1989 Chaplain (CPT) Roberts was assigned to Bamberg, Germany and witnessed firsthand the end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany. A year later he served with the same troops who spearheaded VII Corps famous "Hail Mary" flanking attack from Saudi Arabia into Iraq thus making Pastor Ken the first US Army chaplain who entered Iraq during Desert Storm.

 “Throughout the early years of my ministry,” says Pastor Ken, “my heart was always in the parish. Everything I ever did beforehand was something God used to prepare me for being a parish pastor. I just didn’t know at the time how valuable those experiences would later be.”

Since his arrival at Mt. Olive, our congregation has been renewed through his ministry of reconciliation and prayer. As we approach our congregation’s 50th anniversary in 2010, we continue to be renewed in spirit as God hovers over our midst.

 We welcome all to visit and worship here with us, especially military families who are such a vital part of our San Diego community.