Our Pastors

  • Rev. Dr. Scott Murray

    Senior Pastor


    The Rev. Dr. Scott R. Murray is a vice-president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and a member of the Council of Presidents of the LCMS. He was elected in 2010 and re-elected in 2013, 2016, and 2019. 

     

    He represents the church’s West-Southwest Region. He also currently serves as senior pastor of Memorial Lutheran Church, Houston, TX where he was called in 1996.

     

    Previously, Murray served St. Paul Lutheran Church, Cobourg, Ontario, Canada (1983- 1985), and Salem Lutheran Church, Gretna, LA (1985-1996). He served on the LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations — as a member from 1995 to 2001 and as a vice-chair from 1998 to 2001. He also served on the board of the Lutheran Education Association of Houston from 2001 to 2007. He has served as an editorial associate for Logia, a journal of Lutheran theology, and he was chairman of the Board of Directors of Luther Academy from (2012-2015), an organization that promotes confessional Lutheran theology.

     

    Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Murray graduated with a B.A. from Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1980 and earned a M.Div. from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1983. He also holds a M.A. from Loyola University and a Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

     

    Murray writes a devotion every weekday called “Memorial Moments,” which is based on the church fathers. He also is the author of Law, Life, and the Living God (Concordia Publishing House, 2001), A Year with the Church Fathers (Concordia Publishing House, 2011), has edited a number of books including The Gates of Hell (Concordia Publishing House, 2018) and has written numerous journal articles.


    Murray has served on the Board of Regents of Concordia Theological Seminary since 2010, and was elected chairman of the board in May 2021.

     

    Murray and his wife, Maryann, live in Houston. They have two daughters, two granddaughters and one grandson.

  • Rev. Robert Paul

    Associate Pastor and Headmaster

    Pastor Paul is a native of Sayville, New York, a town on the south shore of Long Island. After attending Sayville Public Schools, he went to Concordia College Bronxville (now Concordia College, New York) and earned a Bachelor of Arts in biblical languages, history and theology. While at Bronxville he studied at Westfield House in Cambridge, England. After graduating from Bronxville, he pursued his Master of Divinity at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN (CTS).


    He was previously called as Associate Pastor and Headmaster, and later sole Pastor and Headmaster at Immanuel Lutheran Church and School, Roswell, NM. Pastor Paul is currently working towards his Ph.D. at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.


    Pastor loves cooking, languages, reading, music of all kinds, and fine Lutheran beverages. Pastor and his wife Amy have two sons and three daughters. They also have a lovable and energetic English Springer Spaniel. 

  • Rev. Dr. Christopher Ahlman

    Associate Pastor and Director of Parish Music

    Rev. Dr. Chris Ahlman began his musical studies with a Bachelor of Arts (B. A.) in Music, Concordia University, Seward, Nebraska. Later he completed his Master of Divinity at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri. Pastor Ahlman immediately continued his musical training in Indiana where he completed his Master of Sacred Music from the University of Notre Dame. Pastor Ahlman moved to Texas shortly thereafter, and completed his Doctor of Musical Arts at The University of Texas, Austin, Texas.


    While he was working on his Masters and Doctorate in Music, he served as Assistant Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, Elkhart, Indiana, and then as Assistant Pastor at King of Kings Lutheran Church, Round Rock, Texas. After he completed his Ph.D., he served as Head Organist and Choirmaster for Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Lincoln, Nebraska for a year until he moved into the mission field.


    From 2012 to 2017, Rev. Dr. Chris Ahlman served as Strategic Mission Developer (based in Leipzig, Germany), for the LCMS Office of International Mission. His primary focus was planning, developing, and execution of a comprehensive evangelistic musical outreach program in western Russia through organ recital tours, lectures, and master classes in churches, conservatories, and universities.


    Pastor Ahlman is married to Elizabeth and they have four children. 

  • Rev. Dr. Sagar Pilli

    Assistant Pastor, Teacher

    Rev. Sagar Pilli was born and raised in Andhra Pradesh, India. His mother tongue is Telugu. His wife is Malini and their only daughter is Michelle Alika. Rev. Pilli received four university degrees from different universities: a B.A., with a major in English Language and Literature from Andhra University India (1983), M.A., with a major in English Language and Literature from Andhra University India (1986), B.Th. from the University of Auckland in New Zealand (1996), and M.Div. (2005) from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO. Pastor Pilli received CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) certification from the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He is also a certified Mission Planter of LCMS and received his training from Mission Planters Institute in California, Irvine. Pastor Pilli likes continuing education and wants to learn Latin and German languages in the future. Pastor Pilli started his missionary work as a Deacon at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Fort Worth, TX and served the Asian Indian community in the DFW area. Pastor Pilli’s vicarage was at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Hamel, IL., where he fell in love with Confessional Lutheran theology. Pastor Pilli is a major proponent of Confessional Lutheran Theology in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in India. Before beginning his missionary work at Memorial, Pastor Pilli served three years as a sole pastor at Christ Redeemer Lutheran Church in La Porte, Texas.

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