The Rev. Robert Zagore of Traverse City, Mich., has accepted The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s call to be executive director of the LCMS Office of National Mission (ONM) and will begin serving in mid-May.
Zagore will be formally installed at the International Center chapel in St. Louis on a date to be determined.
The ONM works within the borders of the United States to support the programs and resources available to congregations, districts, schools, Recognized Service Organizations and other Lutheran organizations.
As the new ONM executive director, Zagore will fill the role vacated by the Rev. Bart Day, who left the position last July to become president and CEO of Lutheran Church Extension Fund.
Since Day’s departure, Deaconess Dorothy Krans, director of Recognized Service Organizations, has been serving as interim ONM director.
Since 2001, Zagore has served as senior administrative pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church and School, Traverse City, Mich.
He received his Master of Divinity in 1990 from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., and completed additional coursework toward a Master of Sacred Theology, also from the seminary. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Ind.
Previously, Zagore was pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church (1997–2001) in Niles, Mich., and Hope Lutheran Church (1991–97) in Stanton, Mich. He has served as a pastoral delegate at three LCMS conventions; circuit counselor in the LCMS Michigan District; and a vicarage and seminary field work supervisor.
He has also written and edited for a variety of Lutheran and Christian publications.
Before becoming a pastor, Zagore worked as an accounting consultant for Cleveland Business Consulting Services.
Zagore, who grew up in a blue-collar, immigrant Cleveland neighborhood and has served as a parish pastor for 27 years in small, medium and large congregations, both urban and rural, says he has seen “the need of God’s people in all of these places” and has experienced “from a congregational level what the Synod does well and have dreamed and prayed about some things we can do better. Therefore, I am thrilled … to partner with talented people all over the country to improve our outreach, strengthen our mercy work and, by God’s grace, lead His people to the altars and pulpits where the Lord provides His richest gifts.”
LCMS Chief Mission Officer Rev. Kevin J. Robson described Zagore as “a skilled church leader who will bless our efforts in ONM with outstanding pastoral and managerial abilities” and requested prayers for Zagore, his family and the Trinity congregation.
Zagore and his wife, Gwen, have been married for 32 years and have four adult children: Christopher, married to Leah; Katie, Elise and Faith.
Posted May 3, 2018
