Reverend Dr. Samuel David Zumwalt
Senior Pastor
The Rev. Dr. Samuel Zumwalt has worked in churches for 50 years and in May 2026 celebrated the 45th anniversary of his ordination to the holy ministry. In March 2025, he was received by colloquy into the ministerium of the American Association of Lutheran Churches (taalc.org). Pastor Zumwalt also serves as a part-time adjunct faculty member for American Lutheran Theological Seminary (alts.edu) teaching both doctoral students and those preparing for the holy ministry..
In 2004, Pr. Zumwalt moved with his family to Wilmington from Texas, where he served for 23 years as pastor of small, midsize, and large congregations.
Having served an advanced clinical chaplain residency at Parkland Memorial Hospital, a major trauma hospital in Dallas TX, Pr. Sam is a skilled pastoral caregiver and is also a trained Stephen Ministry Leader. He devotes significant time to sermon preparation and Bible study. Pastor Sam teaches the Crossways Bible study on Wednesdays and Thursdays, leads a noonday Monday sermon study group known as Conversations, teaches Adult Confirmation in Sunday school, and midweek Confirmation instruction for sixth through eighth graders.
He remains a Lutheran Christian, because we are self-consciously faithful to the Bible in teaching and practice. We embody what St. Luke writes in Acts 2:42, “And they continued in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, the breaking of the bread, and the prayers.”