School Leadership

Education:

• I attended Lutheran Elementary School at St. Lucas, Milwaukee, where my father served as a pastor. My high school and college years were spent in Watertown, Wisconsin, at Northwestern Preparatory School and Northwestern College. I received my Master of Divinity from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1989.

How did you connect to St. Marcus?

I accepted a call to serve as pastor at St. Marcus on July 1, 2016. My pastoral ministry began in Salem, Oregon in 1989. In 1993 I began pastoring a church in Marietta, Ohio. From 1998 to 2016 I served as Professor of New Testament and Pastoral Theology at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon.

What do you love about what you do?

I have not found anything more rewarding than placing the gospel of Jesus Christ on the hearts of people. For that reason, I really love preaching and teaching the Word of God. A special thrill has been seeing "lights go on" in the eyes of people who have never considered the gospel seriously before. And the relationships that develop from serving as a group of Christians' spiritual shepherd are incredibly enriching. I love everything about being a pastor!

If you had a Bible passage/quote for your life and ministry what would it be?

Near the end of his Gospel, the Apostle John reminds me why it is so important to read, hear, and share the Scriptures with others:

"These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." John 20:31

Tell us about your family…

Leah and I were married on May 31, 1986 -- so that makes 33 years! The Lord blessed us with three daughters. Erin is 29 and married to Rev. Kyle Burmeister, lives in Summerville, SC, and has our two granddaughters, Maggie & Clara. Lauren is 26, married to Nathan Gartner, lives in Appleton, and has one of our grandsons, Jax. Allison is 24, married to Martin Johnston, lives in Thiensville, and has the other grandson, Owen.

“When I have free time, you will find me…”

Watching or playing sports. I'm a Milwaukee boy and have maintained an avid following of the Wisconsin sports teams. I love to play racquetball and have come to appreciate working out as something important for my physical and mental health. And whatever time Leah and I can have with our three married daughters and their families is special time indeed.

What’s your favorite vacation spot?

Any place where a house (preferably with a pool) can be rented with our family, and breweries and distilleries can be toured.

What’s one fun fact about you?

My tennis coach during senior year of high school was a young undergrad instructor by the name of Mark Jeske.