Zion Lutheran installs Rev. Smuda
Staff report
cornersburg
The Rev. Dr. Erwin M. Smuda was recently installed as long-term interim pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, 3300 Canfield Road. He will provide full-time pastoral care for the church, which has worship services at 5 p.m. Saturdays and 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sundays.
The Rev. Dr. Smuda was born and raised in Minnesota. He received a master of divinity degree from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., and a doctor of ministry degree from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.
Dr. Smuda was ordained in 1969.
He was senior pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Canton from which he retired 10 years ago.
Previously, he served pastorates in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, and Wyoming, Minn.
Dr. Smuda has written articles for the Journal of Lutheran Education, Current in Theology and Mission; professional and devotional materials for Augsburg Fortress Press and publication on worship for the Northeast Ohio Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
He also served as president of the Southwest Ministerial Association of suburban Cleveland and president of Canton Association of Churches.
Since his retirement, he has served as pastor of four congregations in Northeast Ohio Synod of the ELCA and two in the Diocese of Ohio in the Episcopal Church. His last assignment was at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Youngstown.
He and his wife, Jan, a retired high school English teacher, live in North Canton.
They have two adult children and two grandchildren.