Atlantic District News

Resurrection & THE LIFE Celebrate Ordination and Installation of Rev. Justin Vetrano

- by Ginny DeMille


June 25, 2010 at 2:57 PM

Justin Vetrano poses with Pastor Jeffrey Browning of Resurrection, Garden City

GARDEN CITY, NY – “All that’s happened here is because of Christ.” Amid much applause, music, prayers, and congratulations, that prevailing message echoed throughout Resurrection Lutheran Church recently. As they acknowledged God’s providence over the event, over 400 guests from Long Island and as far away as Germany rejoiced in celebrating the Ordination and Installation of Rev. Justin Vetrano.

Rev. Vetrano has ministered at Resurrection, Garden City, and its new church, THE LIFE Church, Old Westbury, as a Vicar for nearly two years. Having recently completed his divinity training, he was ordained into the ministry and installed as Associate Pastor at Resurrection.

The service began with a prelude by the Resurrection Bell Choir, followed by a grand procession of clergy and deacons, altar assistants, and choirs. Rev. Jeff Browning, Resurrection’s pastor, delivered the sermon, opening with, “Today as the church celebrates the ordination of our Vicar there’s a video from the past that we need to see.” He described the video as a clip from 1983 when the ten-year-old Justin Vetrano starred with Bill Cosby in a TV commercial.

Rev. Vetrano grew up in Seatauket, Long Island, and started a successful acting career from age five. At 18, he moved to Los Angeles to study acting and work in Hollywood. Soon after marriage, he joined up with “LOST & FOUND,” a Christian rock band, and travelled the world, all the while developing a passion for reaching people with the Gospel. After moving back to Long Island, he returned to his childhood church, St. James Lutheran Church in St. James, where he built their youth and family ministries into an impressive program serving over 300 youth and their families.

Rev. Browning explained that he drew inspiration for the ordination message from a quote by Adelaide List, founding member of Resurrection. “When Mrs. List received an award recently for her role in helping to start the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection over 60 years ago, she said only one thing: ‘All that has happened here at Resurrection is because of Christ.’”

Rev. Vetrano personalizes this theme as he stated, “For myself and any pastor, the most important calling is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. I look forward to continuing ministry here – with Christ, for Christ and all because of Christ.”

Resurrection Lutheran Church is a multi-site Christian community of faith, with its main campus located at 420 Stewart Ave., near Clinton Rd., in Garden City. All are invited to worship at 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and at 8:30 and 11 a.m. Sunday mornings, with Christian Education at 9:45 a.m. The second campus, THE LIFE Church, is located at 1 Old Westbury Rd., on Jericho Tpke., in Old Westbury. All are welcome Thursdays at THE LIFE, beginning with a Free Family Style Dinner at 6 p.m., followed by Worship and Holy Communion at 7 p.m. For more information, please visit resgc.org or thelifeny.org.

Rev. Justin Vetrano (center) is congratulated by his family.
From left, Bob (Justin's father), Sydney and Kassie (Justin's daughters), and his mother, Janet Vetrano.

        
Representatives from the clergy participated in the ordination service.