The Rev. Richard Malivuk, Lutz, Florida will become the Vice President of Program for NovusWay Ministries on, October 1, 2016, according to Keith Johnson, Executive Director. The Vice President of Program position is part of a staff re-organization plan that came about when Susan Troutman concluded her service as Chief Operating Officer in June. Troutman was responsible for program, finance, and support services.
Johnson indicated that Becky Maxwell, a longtime assistant to Troutman, became Vice President of Finance and Support Services on June 17. Malivuk will serve as Vice President of Program on a part-time, interim basis in order to provide time for future planning. He went on to say, “The Vice President of Program position is too important to leave vacant and we’re fortunate to have someone of the caliber of Rick Malivuk to serve. He recently spent three days with program and executive staff, and there was strong affirmation of his ability to continue the tradition of providing quality Christ-centered programs and supporting program staff. We will also collaborate to hire a Lutheranch Director in 2017.”
Malivuk retired in December 2015 as pastor of All Saints Lutheran Church, Lutz, where he served since developing the congregation in 1983. He brings a solid history with Lutheran Outdoor Ministries to the position, having been part of a campfirmation cluster at Lutheridge, and he brought youth to Lutherock including two of his own sons. More recently, All Saints church has hosted a Luther Springs day camp for many years. He surfaced as a prospective candidate for the Vice President because of his strong support for the Mission Possible Campaign.
After graduating from the University of Miami, Malivuk served in the U.S. Army Artillery during the Vietnam War in 1969-1970. While working in business in Miami, he discerned a call to ordained ministry and received his Master’s of Divinity from LTSS in 1981. When asked about assuming the Vice President of Program position, Malivuk had this to say “I am both flattered and excited for the invitation to become Vice President of Program at NovusWay Ministries. Since I’ve already had a chance to meet so many of the NovusWay team, I also look forward to a wonderful partnership in the proclamation of God’s good news through outdoor ministry.”
Malivuk was a member of the Florida-Bahamas Synod’s Candidacy Committee for over a decade. He has a longtime interest in providing support to law enforcement, having served as a volunteer chaplain to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and as a Volunteer Chaplain to Tampa Fire Rescue since 2012. He has been certified in Critical Incident Stress Management for 17 years and has developed a series of retreats to support first responders in partnership with the Franciscan Center in Tampa called “Operation Restore.” He is active in leading these retreats on a monthly basis for law enforcement officers.
