The Langford Lutheran Parish has welcomed a new pastor who describes himself as “reluctant but called by God.” Pastor Dan Cole recently sat down with the Journal to share the unusual path that brought him from the coast of California to the heart of small-town South Dakota.
Cole grew up in San Diego, where friends nicknamed him “Buddha” because of his easygoing and caring nature. Religion was not a big part of his early childhood, but that changed in junior high when a friend invited him to a youth group meeting.
“Something clicked,” he recalled. “Seeing all these kids talking about God and caring about me was my ‘ah-ha’ moment. At the time, I was a wallflower. If you had told me I would end up talking in front of people for a living, I would have said you were crazy.”
Cole originally pursued a music major after high school but soon found himself pulled back toward ministry. He enrolled at the Lutheran Bible Institute of California, then pursued biblical studies and youth ministry. Encouragement from others began planting seeds of pastoral leadership.
“It started sinking in,” he said. “What the church had provided for me, I wanted to provide for others.”
Still, Cole resisted the idea of the pulpit. He worked at a radio station for a time and explored other paths before eventually entering seminary in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. He was ordained in 2000, serving churches in Minnesota before returning to San Diego, where he worked in hospice care and helped congregations in transition.
But the pull of the Midwest and the desire to be closer to his three children and two young grandchildren in the Fergus Falls area eventually brought him back. Though he expected to land in Minnesota, his paperwork crossed the desk of the South Dakota Synod first, and Langford soon extended a call.
His first Sunday with the parish was memorable. “I was embarrassed because I was an hour late leading worship,” Cole said with a laugh. “But they still voted for me unanimously.”
Since arriving, Cole has embraced the rhythm of rural ministry and the closeness of the community. “This is not a job. It is a lifestyle. It does not feel like work,” he said. “I am not lonely in Langford. My job is to show up, be available, and be part of the community. It really feels like I have come back home.”
Cole describes his preaching style as relaxed, approachable, and often humorous. “If you like stand-up comedy, watch me on a Sunday morning,” he joked. His philosophy is simple. “You are a child of God no matter what. Everyone is loved and cherished by God.”
Outside of church, Cole enjoys music and hopes to help with that at the school. He plays guitar and drums, and he especially enjoys spending time with his grandchildren, ages one and four. He also likes getting to know people at local restaurants and taverns. “I am not the typical pastor,” he said. “When you are with me, just be you.”
The Langford Lutheran Parish service schedule is as follows:
-First and third Sundays at 9:30 a.m. at Highlanda Lutheran
-Second and fourth Sundays at 9:30 a.m. at Falnes Lutheran
-Every Sunday at 11 a.m. at Langford Evangelical Lutheran
