We go Mid-South today to continue our conversation with the Council of Presidents! The Rev. Dr. Roger Paavola (President, Mid-South District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod) joins Andy and Sarah to answer the now infamous Lightning Round of Favorites (which every COP member will be subjected to) and to talk about his interesting childhood and how that influenced his vocational path, his path to pastoral ministry, the congregations he’s served along the way and how his experiences there shaped him into the pastor he is today, where the Mid-South District is and the people in it, and why President Paavola loves being a pastor in the LCMS.
Learn more about the LCMS President and Vice Presidents at lcms.org/about/leadership/president and the 35 LCMS Districts at lcms.org/districts.
Photo credit: LCMS Communications/Erik M. Lunsford
As you grab your morning coffee (and pastry, let’s be honest), join hosts Andy Bates and Sarah Gulseth as they bring you stories of the intersection of Lutheran life and a secular world. Catch real-life stories of mercy work of the LCMS and partners, updates from missionaries across the ocean, and practical talk about how to live boldly Lutheran. Have a topic you’d like to hear about on The Coffee Hour? Contact us at: listener@kfuo.org.
Today’s episode of The Coffee Hour is underwritten in part by Concordia University, Chicago. You can learn more about Concordia University, Chicago at cuchicago.edu.

