Colfax Lutheran Church welcomes new pastor
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NEW PASTOR — Pastor Mamy Ranaivoson and wife Noel (center) with their family were welcomed to Colfax in late November. —photo submitted
COLFAX — Colfax Lutheran Church welcomed Pastor Mamy Ranaivoson on Sunday, November 20, 2022, with his official installation on December 4, 2022.
Pastor Mamy has a rich history of life and professional experience. He is originally from Madagascar and began working as a missionary medical doctor in the 1990s in Papua New Guinea, serving as the only doctor for a 215-bed hospital, then transferring to a 110-bed hospital a few years later.
As the only doctor, often Mamy found himself being the person with patients at the time of their death. He was the last person to see that and he would tell them “God loves you. Christ dies for us, giving us hope.”
The experience led him to Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, and his call as a pastor. He served congregations in Kansas, Wisconsin and Texas for the last 10 years and has returned to Wisconsin to be closer to family.
The Colfax Lutheran Church congregation considers themselves very lucky to have Pastor Mamy and his wife Noel joining them in their ministry. He is enthusiastic, loves learning new things and wishes to be a blessing to others in what he does.
Pastor Mamy and Noel are the proud parents of daughters Vola, Sera (and husband Matt), Joella, Clara (and husband Charles), and son AJ.
They are also excited to be so much closer to their four wonderful grandchildren now that they are back in Wisconsin.
Parsonage
In preparation for welcoming a new pastor, members of the Colfax Lutheran parish updated and remodeled the parish’s parsonage.
On August 9, 2021, Pastor Les Walck officially moved out of the Colfax Lutheran Church parsonage after 25 years of serving Colfax Lutheran Church and the community.
Soon after, the Colfax Lutheran Church Council, Interim Pastors, and the Transition/Call Team started the search process for a new pastor to serve Colfax Lutheran Church.
During the search process, a committee to plan and conduct upgrading of the parsonage was formed. The design plan was to freshen up the parsonage to make it a warm and welcoming home for the new pastor.
The parsonage is located at 106 Viking Drive in the Village of Colfax. The home is a beautiful ranch with approximately 1,500 square feet of finished living space. It also features an attached garage, fenced in backyard with deck, and front porch overlooking tasteful landscaping.
On the main floor are 3 bedrooms with walk-in closets; two full bathrooms; a spacious living and dining room; kitchen; and laundry room. The basement includes a finished portion, a full bathroom, and ample space for a craft room and workshop.The two-car attached garage is fully insulated and Sheetrocked.
Over the last year, the updating committee organized several workdays at the parsonage.
Volunteers from the Colfax Lutheran Church congregation met during those work days and accomplished a lot. Carpet and ceiling tiles were removed, disposed of and replaced in the basement; walls and ceilings in all rooms upstairs and downstairs were painted; wood cabinets in kitchen, laundry, and bathrooms were deep cleaned and new pulls installed; front porch and back deck were power washed and stained; exterior wood trim was painted; flower beds cleaned, replanted, and mulched; garage insulated and Sheetrocked; laundry room refreshed with new accent paint and wall hooks installed.
New appliances include an energy efficient dishwasher, microwave, refrigerator and gas stove.
Wood trim around all windows was cleaned and stained and sealed.
H and H Plumbing installed new toilets, laundry and kitchen sinks; new bathroom and kitchen faucets; and a water heater.
Klukas Electric upgraded electrical; installed new light fixtures and fans throughout; and wired for the microwave.
Patio door and basement window glass was replaced. New carpet was installed on stairs and in the living area of the basement; vinyl flooring was also replaced in the bathrooms and laundry room.
A project of this undertaking took a lot of work by many individuals and they deserve recognition: Colleen Verdon and Paul Verdon, Mark Mosey, Joel Steinke, George and Barb Entzminger, Ron and Joyce Hoffman, Jaci and Audrey Ackerlund, Bruce Buckley, Michelle and Troy Knutson, Eldoris Toycen, Carol Boyd, Mona and Gary Thorson, Carrie and Tylar Spielman, Dorothy and David Enger, Mike Dombrowski.
An open house at the parsonage was held Sunday, September 18, 2022.