New CFNA Secretary

A New CFNA Secretary

Rev. Michael Okine

Christian Friends of New Americans is pleased to introduce Rev. Michael Okine as its new Secretary, a position filled for several years by Dr. Al Senske. Presently, Rev. Okine serves as Pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in urban St. Louis.

Born on June 5, 1959 in Accra, Ghana (West Africa) to Mr. Jacob and Mrs. Comfort Okine, Mike is one of nine children; five sons and four daughters. Rev. Okine’s father was a high school teacher, who later became the Principal of the school in which he had taught. With nine children, his mother was a busy housewife.

Having attended primary and secondary schools in Accra, Rev. Okine received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Ghana in 1982, and subsequently taught high school level math in Accra for three years. In 1985 he was recruited by the highly respected West African Examinations Council to serve as its Registrar. In 1994 he left that position to work as Audience Relations Secretary for The Lutheran Media Ministry; the Ghana branch of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Three years later Rev. Okine enrolled at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, to begin work on an M.Div. degree, and after graduating was accepted at the University of Houston where he began work on a Masters degree in Communications. He completed this degree in 2003 and in 2006 accepted the call to serve as the Pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church.

Rev. Okine married his beautiful wife, Joan, in Accra on December 19, 1992. Their marriage has been blessed with three children: Eve, a Lutheran High School South graduate and now a student (psychology major) at the University of Missouri; John, a junior at LHSS; and Jude, presently an elementary school student in St. Louis.

Please join us in welcoming Rev. Okine as the Secretary for CFNA.

From information received from Rev. Okine