Pastor Ryan Groh

The Rev. Ryan M. Groh was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on September 21, 1999, to his mother, Elizabeth Groh, and his father, Jeffrey Groh. He was baptized and confirmed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Moore, Oklahoma.

He attended the preschool and elementary school at St. John’s in Moore, then went on to a local public junior high and high school. He later enrolled at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska, where he met his beautiful wife, Grace. They were married on April 18, 2020, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia, Missouri. He graduated from Concordia University with a degree in Psychology, having also completed the Pre-Seminary program.

Following graduation, they moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where Pastor Groh attended Concordia Theological Seminary. He did his fieldwork at St. Thomas Lutheran Church in Ohio City, Ohio, and his vicarage at Faith Lutheran Church in Capistrano Beach, California. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity and was ordained into the Office of the Holy Ministry on July 12, 2025, at St. John’s Lutheran Church - Schubert in Jefferson City, Missouri.

John 20:22-23

“22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

Luther’s Small Catechism on Confession

What sins should we confess?

Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even those we are not aware of, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer; but before the pastor we should confess only those sins which we know and feel in our hearts.

Each week we faithfully come to the Divine Service, we confess our sins and receive the Absolution. And yet, it is sometimes later that day or at night–when we lie in bed–that we sometimes remember a certain sin that we’ve committed, whether in recent time or in long past. Maybe it’s a besetting sin, a sin we struggle with, hate, and yet keep falling back into. And we’re left asking the question, “Can God really forgive me for that?” 

The Lord has an answer to this question, and the answer comes in the gift of Individual Confession. When a particular sin is plaguing us, we come before the pastor and confess that particular sin. Why? So that our troubled consciences can hear Christ’s forgiveness given to that particular sin, answering the question, “Can God really forgive me for that?” with a definitive answer that crushes any attempts by Satan to cast doubt of God’s forgiveness: “Yes! I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

The practice of Individual Confession and Absolution is one that has a rich history in the Church, a practice that was retained by our Lutheran forefathers in the Reformation. In many churches today it has fallen into disuse, and the treasure of this rite has sadly not been widely enjoyed. In order to help restore this precious gift, particular times for Individual Confession will be offered throughout the month; keep an eye on the monthly calendar and weekly announcements for dates and times. 

If it’s your first time making use of this rite, I’ll gladly walk you through it and explain things as we go. There is no shame in making use of the gift of Individual Confession; we all have sins to confess. 

Again, keep an eye out for dates and times, and know that you can always make an appointment if those times don’t work!

Soli deo gloria,

Pastor Groh

October 2025