Yang Tut, from Sudan to Owatonna to ministry

For more than 20 years Sudan native and Owatonna resident Yang Tut has been praying over his desire to become a pastor.

On Palm Sunday, his prayers became a reality as he was ordained in the Lutheran ministry at Our Savior’s Lutheran in Owatonna and officially became the pastor of the Nuer Community Lutheran Church of the Southeast Minnesota Synod of the ELCA.

The Nuer Community has congregations meeting in Austin, Albert Lea, Faribault and Owatonna.

Tut has been serving as a Synodically Authorized Minister for the Nuer community but with Sunday’s service he was officially installed as a pastor. Southeast Minnesota Synod Bishop Regina Hassanally presided over the ordination with Assistant to the Bishop Kathy Chatelaine conducting the installation as pastor.

Rev. John Weisenburger, former pastor at Our Savior’s and now at St. John’s Lutheran in Kasson, said he first met Tut 20 years. Throughout the years they have known each other, Weisenburger, who has been a mentor, said at the service, his response to Tut when he talked about his plans was often “how is this going to work.” Tut’s answer, he said, was always “God knows.”

What would the young Yang Tut have thought growing up in Sudan, Weisenburger said, if he had been told that years later, he would be in a strange country, with strange people, a strange language and learning to survive. He probably would not have even known where Minnesota was, Weisenburger said.

As the COVID pandemic began, Tut started online classes at Wartburg Seminary. Despite working fulltime and taking care of his family, Weisenburger said, Tut took “one class at a time for six years.”

Sunday’s ordination service was attended by Tut’s family, friends, members of the Nuer churches and choirs and fellow pastor’s from throughout the area.

Also participating in the service were Our Savior’s Pastors Mike Walerius, Lisa Carlson and Ron Huber. Music was provided by the choirs of the Nuer Community Lutheran Church.