Some ministry careers follow a straight line. Andrew Farhat’s did not. Raised in Seattle, trained first in electrical engineering, formed through personal conversion, and later educated in Lutheran theology, Andrew Farhat arrived at pastoral leadership through a path shaped by discipline, study, faith, and service.
Today, he serves as Lead Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church and School in Denver, Colorado, where his work centers on Gospel proclamation, family discipleship, school ministry, and global outreach. His leadership reflects a combination of theological conviction and practical organizational experience, rooted in a life story marked by change and purpose.
From Seattle to Seminary: The Formation of a Pastor
Andrew Farhat was born in 1980 in Seattle, Washington, to Lebanese immigrant parents who had rebuilt their lives after fleeing poverty and civil war. Growing up in the Lake City neighborhood of Seattle, he developed a strong work ethic and a disciplined approach to school, athletics, and responsibility.
His early adult years included a period of personal searching. Around the year 2000, after difficult turning points that included a DUI citation as a minor and a serious car accident, Andrew Farhat began moving in a new direction. He started attending The Inn at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, where mentorship, apologetics, and the study of Scripture helped shape his conversion to Christianity.
That season became a defining chapter in the life of Andrew Farhat. Through a men’s group studying the Gospel of John and the guidance of a mentor, he encountered Christianity not only emotionally, but intellectually and spiritually. God gave Andrew a new beginning, and faith.
A Lutheran Conviction Rooted in Scripture and History
Andrew Farhat’s conversion did not end with belief alone. It led to a deeper study of Christian theology, Scripture, and church history. He examined Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy before concluding that the Lutheran Reformation represented the clearest recovery of the New Testament teaching on justification by grace through faith.
That theological conviction has remained central to his ministry. As a Lutheran pastor, Andrew Farhat’s preaching and teaching are grounded in Scripture, shaped by the Lutheran confessional tradition, and centered on the Gospel. His work reflects the belief that pastoral leadership begins with the faithful proclamation of Christ and extends into the care, teaching, and formation of the congregation.
Engineering Discipline Before Pastoral Ministry
Before entering seminary, Andrew Farhat completed a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington in 2002. He then spent three years working on U.S. Navy contracts in Bremerton, Washington.
That background did not disappear when he entered pastoral ministry. Engineering training strengthened his habits of careful analysis, structured problem-solving, and disciplined execution. Those qualities would later become useful in congregational leadership, particularly in settings that required both theological clarity and organizational steadiness.
In 2005, Andrew Farhat and his wife, Daisy, relocated to St. Louis so he could attend Concordia Seminary. He earned a Master of Divinity in 2009, with particular academic strength in Greek and Historical Theology. That seminary formation gave him the theological foundation for a ministry focused on preaching, teaching, and pastoral care.
Early Ministry at St. Paul Lutheran Church and School
After seminary, Andrew Farhat began his pastoral career at St. Paul Lutheran Church and School in Roseburg, Oregon. His first call placed him in a congregation facing significant challenges, including a financial deficit, a fractured elder structure, and a legal dispute with a former teacher.
The situation required more than routine pastoral administration. It required careful leadership, direct communication, and trust-building. Within a year, the congregation’s finances had been stabilized, the elder structure had been reformed, and the legal dispute had been resolved through direct conversation and mutual reconciliation.
That early experience shaped the practical leadership style of Pastor Andrew Farhat. It confirmed that healthy church structure is not separate from ministry. It supports the congregation’s ability to proclaim the Gospel, serve families, and care for the community with greater clarity.
Leading St. John’s Lutheran Church and School in Denver
In 2018, Andrew Farhat received a Divine Call to serve as campus pastor of the Wash Park site at St. John’s Lutheran Church and School in Denver. St. John’s is a multisite congregation with two campuses, a K-8 school founded in 1882, 15 city-wide Life Groups, and mission partnerships in 10 countries.
When the Lead Pastor accepted a call elsewhere in 2021, the congregation called Andrew Farhat into the Lead Pastor role. In that position, he now helps guide the full ministry of the church and school, including worship, teaching, family ministry, small-group life, education, and outreach.
The scope of St. John’s Church Denver is substantial. The ministry reaches more than 500,000 people annually with the Gospel through in-person worship, school programming, digital teaching, Life Groups, and global mission partnerships. That reach reflects not one program, but a coordinated ministry structure rooted in the life of the congregation.
Faith, Family, and School Ministry
Family formation is a central part of Andrew Farhat’s ministry. St. John’s School Denver, founded in 1882, serves more than 300 students and remains one of the congregation’s most important expressions of daily Christian education.
Through St. John’s School Denver, the ministry extends beyond Sunday worship into the weekly formation of children and families. That connection between church and school reflects Andrew Farhat’s conviction that Christian formation is lived in homes, classrooms, worship, small groups, and ordinary community life.
His own family life is also closely connected to that pastoral vision. Andrew Farhat and Daisy married in December 2004 and live in Denver with their four children. Together, they have participated in ministry that speaks directly to faith, marriage, parenting, and transformation.
Media, Teaching, and Ongoing Encouragement
From 2022 to 2024, Andrew Farhat co-hosted the podcast Transformed with Daisy alongside his wife. The podcast produced approximately 90 episodes and addressed topics related to faith, family, and personal transformation.
That work reflected a broader teaching impulse within his ministry. Pastoral care does not take place only from the pulpit or inside church offices. It also happens through conversation, encouragement, and resources that meet people in the rhythms of daily life.
A new five-minute daily biblical encouragement podcast is planned for 2026. The format reflects the same ministry priority: helping people engage Scripture and faith in a way that is accessible, consistent, and connected to ordinary life.
A Ministry Built on Gospel, Family, and Outreach
Three commitments consistently define Andrew Farhat’s work: sharing the Gospel, serving families, and strengthening outreach. These commitments are visible in the way St. John’s worships, teaches, organizes Life Groups, supports its school, and participates in global mission partnerships.
The congregation’s 15 city-wide Life Groups create relational connection across Denver. Its mission partnerships in 10 countries extend the ministry beyond Colorado. Its school supports Christian education for families. Its digital teaching and media work expand the reach of pastoral encouragement.
Andrew Farhat’s leadership brings those elements together around a single center: the Gospel. His path from Seattle to engineering, from seminary to Roseburg, and from campus pastor to Lead Pastor in Denver reflects a ministry shaped by transformation, discipline, and long-term service.
About Andrew Farhat
Andrew Farhat is the Lead Pastor of St. John’s Lutheran Church and School in Denver, Colorado. He holds a Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington. With more than 15 years of pastoral experience spanning congregations in Oregon and Colorado, his work centers on Gospel proclamation, theological education, family ministry, school ministry, and global outreach. More information is available through Andrew Farhat’s pastoral work at St. John’s Lutheran Church and School.
