Tomorrow marks the start of a new chapter for David Trott.

The Bermudian takes over as the new pastor at Peace Lutheran Church after 27 years ministering in the United States.

He’ll be honoured at an installation service at 154 South Road, Paget, tomorrow afternoon. Refreshments will follow.

“I feel a bunch of emotions, but mostly excitement,” the father-of-three said. “It feels really great to be back home.

“I wasn’t sure if it was going to be difficult to transition back to life in Bermuda, but it’s been quite easy as I never really forgot how things are here. Being here also gives me a chance to be close to my mother who has Alzheimer’s. It also gives me a chance to slow down a bit.

“In the United States everything is always moving fast. You have to be doing this and that or be at some place or the other, but here it’s more laid-back and I don’t have to rush so much. It feels great to relax a little more and be able to focus on what I have to do to grow and develop the ministry here.”

Mr Trott grew up in a faith-filled household; just about everyone in his family went to church.

At the age of seven he dedicated his life to Christ while at an after-school Bible study at White Hill Gospel Hall. Then, at age 11, just before starting high school, he made the choice to renew his commitment to his faith.

“There was a part of me, even at a young age, that felt very drawn to God, and to Christ in particular. I knew that He was always watching out for me and guiding me,” the 50-year-old said.

“My mom dedicated me to God as a child, saying ‘I give him back to you’, but I also came to the conclusion that I really needed to make my faith my own and make my relationship with God something for me to pursue, rather than just resting on the religious concept of the church.”

By age 15, he started preaching his first messages, at Southampton’s Mount Zion AME Church.

Even in those early sermons, although shy and not a fan of speaking in front of large crowds, he felt the spirit of God upon him.

Three years later he decided to pursue a full-time career in the church and, soon after graduating from university, found work as a youth pastor in Atlanta.

“I pastored two AME churches in Georgia from 2004,” he said. “One for five years and one for three and a half years. Then I switched denominations and came over to the Lutheran Church in Georgia in January 2013. I was there for more than four years.”

He returned to Bermuda in August with his wife Camille and their nine-year-old son Amiel. Two older children, David Jr and Akeyla Furbert, are pursuing their studies overseas.

Mr Trott’s main focus will be helping to grow Peace Lutheran Church, not only in terms of the number of people who attend, but strengthening the faith of those already in the church body.

“Growing in Christ is the most important aspect or vision for the church,” he said. “And how we reach out into the community. Not just building Peace Lutheran and developing what’s within these four walls, but being part of the community and reaching and leading others.

“We don’t want to just exist here. We believe we are here to love Bermuda, love Paget and love the people in our community.”

Mr Trott encourages believers of all ages to search for what God is saying for themselves, rather than just taking someone else’s word for it.

He believes that some people are miseducated about God and the church because they are listening to others and not paying attention to what the word of God says.

“That’s something God is teaching me through my own faults and misunderstandings. Really going back and searching the Scriptures and analysing my life, and through prayer, God has shown me His love and how to move in the direction He wants me to go and not the direction we want to go ourselves.”

Mr Trott will speak at Peace Lutheran Church’s 10.30am service tomorrow. His 3pm installation will be presided over by Reverend Dr Philip Hirsch, assistant to the Bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan Washington D.C Synod.

For more information visit www.plc.bm