Biography and Highlites
Rev. Robert “Bob” Fritch
A graduate of Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, OH, celebrated his thirty-second anniversary at Our Saviour Lutheran Church . He is married to Cynthia Chambers, who serves as Assistant University Librarian and Head of Information Management in the St. John’s University Library and is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Theology at St. John’s.
When Pastor Bob arrived in Queens in 1991, Our Saviour Lutheran Church was a church faced with closure, but the church has grown to be the largest of the 60 Lutheran churches in the Borough of Queens and in 1998, Our Saviour was named one of seven of the fastest growing churches in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Pastor Bob has deep-rooted connections to the Lutheran Church in Guyana (LCG), having preached in most of the Lutheran churches in the South American country, as well as having led two spiritual retreats for leaders of the LCG and three study-tours to Guyana for both clergy and laity.
In 2015, 2019 and 2023 he led pilgrimages to Israel, Jordan and Egypt, and hopes to return to the Holy Land in 2025. Throughout the years, he has presented workshops on evangelism and church marketing throughout the Metro NY region and as far away as Detroit and South America.
He has been published in a chapter of A Story Worth Sharing, Engaging Evangelism published in 2004 by Augsburg Fortress Publishers. You can also find him being quoted in Leading on Purpose: Intentionality and Teaming in Congregational Life by Eric Burtness and in an ELCA Resource, “One Body, Many Members.”
Our Saviour has been recognized three times by the Lutheran, the national magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA): in 1999 for implementing the first Swahili language ministry in the ELCA, in 2009 for outreach and evangelism and in 2016 as a part of the magazine’s cover story on hospitality.
In 2016, Pastor Bob was awarded the Bishop Wright Aviation Industry Award for “Clergy of the Year” by the Board of Directors at Christ for the World Chapel at JFK Airport in NYC. Awards from the City Council of NYC, the New York State Legislature, the World Tamil Coordinating Committee, and the Queens Borough President’s Office also grace the walls of his office.
During the Covid 19 pandemic, Pastor Bob created a new format of video ministry here at Our Saviour. With the help of Luke Cabading, this ministry continues to reach thousands every week throughout the region and across the globe.
Recently appointed as Vice-Pastor of Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in Ewing Township, NJ, he is still available to serve as your Concierge - to help you through your life transitions.
