Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Pastor, teacher, and staff minister call report

8/8/2023 – 8/14/2023

The call report details when pastors, teachers, and staff ministers change positions within WELS. The Conference of Presidents oversees and coordinates the calling process.

Correction: Rev. Tao Nguyen’s call to Peace in Jesus Vietnamese, Boise, Idaho, was incorrectly listed as an assignment on last week’s call report. It is not an assignment but rather a call from the field.

NO DECISION REPORTED

Pastors	Current call	New call	Date issued
Prof Joel Thomford	Martin Luther College New Ulm MN	Zion LC Valentine NE Pastor	7/12/2023
Rev Jeffrey Samelson	Christian Life Resources Hartford WI	Faith LC Radcliff KY Pastor	7/16/2023
Rev Nathaniel Timmermann	Peace LC Otsego MI	St Paul’s LC North Mankato MN Associate Pastor	7/16/2023
Rev Benjamin Birner	Cross of Christ LC Liverpool NY	One Africa Team (OAT) Missionary	7/17/2023
Rev Dustin Bergene	Zion LC Bristol WI	St Paul LC Prescott WI Pastor	7/20/2023
Rev Jordan Bence	The Vine LC Joplin MO	Emmanuel LC Hudson WI Pastor	7/20/2023
Rev Mark Gabb	St Paul LC Beverly Hills FL	Board for Home Missions Administrator	7/20/2023
Rev Shaun Arndt	Peace LC Sun Prairie WI	Good Shepherd LC Plymouth WI Pastor	7/23/2023
Rev Sean Steinke	Mt Olive LC Bay City MI	St Luke LC Little Chute WI Pastor	7/23/2023
Rev Brian Krueger	Bloomington LC Bloomington MN	Beautiful Savior LC Cincinnati OH Pastor	7/23/2023
Rev Troy Schreiner	Victory LC Jacksonville FL	Faith LC Antioch IL Associate Pastor	7/23/2023
Rev Jay Bickelhaupt	Apostles LC Billings MT	Peace LC Trinity FL Pastor	7/23/2023
Rev Jon Hartmann	New Hope LC West Melbourne FL	Gloria Dei LC Grand Blanc MI Pastor	7/23/2023
Rev Michael Killinger	Bethel LC Bay City MI	St Stephen LC Beaver Dam WI Associate Pastor	7/23/2023
Rev David Pries	Eternal Love LC Appleton WI	Prince of Peace LC Fairport NY Pastor	7/25/2023
Rev David Warskow	Beautiful Savior LC Spooner WI	St John LC Hancock MN Calvary LC Glenwood MN Pastor	7/26/2023
Rev Matthew Brown	Abiding Word LC Houston TX	Hope LC Irmo SC Pastor	7/26/2023
Rev Nathanael Scharf	St Paul’s LC New Ulm MN	Michigan Lutheran Seminary Saginaw MI Pastor; Dean of Students	7/26/2023
Rev Jonathan Bergemann	Good Shepherd LC Downers Grove IL	Cross of Glory LC Peoria AZ Pastor	7/27/2023
Rev Jeffery Drake	Trinity LC Hartford WI	Living Hope LC Peoria IL Pastor	7/27/2023
Rev Andrew Schultz	St John (Barre Mills) LC La Crosse WI	New Mission Start Kronenwetter WI Pastor	7/29/2023
Rev Benjamin Kuerth	Divine Savior LC-Doral Doral FL	New Mission Start Panama City Beach FL Pastor	7/29/2023
Rev Aaron Bublitz	Heritage LC Gilbert AZ	Salem LC Stillwater MN Associate Pastor	7/30/2023
Rev Benjamin Kuerth	Divine Savior LC-Doral Doral FL	Pilgrim LC Minneapolis MN Pastor	7/30/2023
Rev Dr Jacob Haag	Redeemer LC Ann Arbor MI	Zion LC South Milwaukee WI Pastor	7/30/2023
Rev Tao Nguyen		Peace in Jesus Vietnamese LC Boise ID Pastor	7/30/2023
Rev Stephen Meyer	Resurrection LC Rochester MN	Zion LC Monroe MI Associate Pastor	7/30/2023
Rev Dr Jacob Haag	Redeemer LC Ann Arbor MI	Resurrection LC Chesapeake VA Pastor	7/30/2023
Rev Matthew Ewart	NorthCross LC Lakeville MN	Good Shepherd LC Omaha NE Pastor	7/30/2023
Rev N. Mielke III	Ascension LC Sarasota FL	Apostles LC San Jose CA Associate Pastor	7/30/2023
Rev Robert Guenther	St John’s LC New Ulm MN	First German LC Manitowoc WI Associate Pastor	7/31/2023
Rev James Buske	Lighthouse Youth Center Milwaukee WI	Peace LC Livonia MI Pastor	8/1/2023
Rev Michael Neumann	St Paul LC Alexandria MN	St John LC Kendall WI St Matthew LC Ontario WI Pastor	8/2/2023
Rev Allen Kirschbaum	Spirit of Life LC Caledonia MI	St Paul’s LC Fort Atkinson WI Associate Pastor	8/6/2023
Rev Matthew Rothe	The Way LC Fredericksburg VA	St Mark LC De Pere WI Associate Pastor	8/6/2023
Rev Joshua Bishop	Grace LC Saint Joseph MI	St John LC Two Rivers WI Associate Pastor	8/6/2023
Rev Jacob Hanneman	Shepherd of the Plains LC Fort Morgan CO	St John LC Riga MI Pastor	8/6/2023
Rev Benjamin Schmudlach	First LC La Crosse WI	Grace LC Kenai AK Pastor	8/6/2023
Rev Steven Gabb	Hope LC Los Angeles CA	Mountain View LC Calgary AB Canada Pastor	8/6/2023
Rev Philip Bigelow	St Matthew’s LC Oconomowoc WI	Bethany LC Manitowoc WI Associate Pastor	8/7/2023
Rev Daniel Voigt	Calvary LC Sheboygan WI	St Peter LC Savanna IL Trinity LC Mount Carroll IL Pastor	8/7/2023
Pastor Jon Cox	Bethel LC Galesville WI & Arcadia WI	Grace LC Ringle WI Pastor	8/7/2023
Rev Thomas Glende	Beautiful Savior LC Fayetteville NC	Mt Olive LC Lincoln NE Pastor	8/7/2023
Rev Benjamin Golisch	St Paul LC Slinger WI	St John LC Centuria WI Redeemer LC Saint Croix Falls WI Pastor	8/8/2023
Rev Jonathan Werre	Good Shepherd LC Sioux Falls SD	Our Redeemer LC Yorktown VA Pastor	8/9/2023
Rev Dennis Rawerts	Trinity LC Aberdeen SD	Christus LC Delavan WI Pastor	8/9/2023
Rev Theodore Bodjanac	Shepherd of the Hills LC Fredericksburg TX	St Paul’s LC Broken Bow NE Pastor	8/9/2023
Rev Scott Henrich	Shepherd of the Hills LC Knoxville TN	Living Savior LC Kalispell MT Pastor	8/10/2023
Rev Caleb Schoeneck	Beautiful Savior LC College Station TX	Living Shepherd LC Laramie WY Pastor	8/10/2023
Rev Scott Bergemann	New Life LC – Central Kenosha WI	Salem LC Owosso MI Pastor	8/10/2023
Rev Edward Frey Jr	WLCFS-Christian Family Solutions Germantown WI	Wisconsin Lutheran Institutional Ministries Inc Oconomowoc WI Director of Ministry	8/11/2023
Teachers	Current call	New call	Date issued
Mrs Marlene Bruss	St John LS Maribel WI	St John LS Maribel WI Teacher; Grades K-2, One-Year Call	7/11/2023
Mrs Emily Elmquist		St Stephen LS Beaver Dam WI Teacher; Grades 5-8 Science, Grade 8 Spelling, English, Provisional, Half-Time Call	8/8/2023
Staff Ministers	Current call	New call	Date issued
Mr Jon Woldt		Divine Savior LC & Lutheran Academy Delray Beach FL Congregation Staff Minister & School Administrator	8/7/2023

CALLS ACCEPTED

Pastors	Current call	New call	Date accepted
Rev Randall Johnson	Retired	Salem LC Owosso MI Pastor Retirement call	8/9/2023
Rev Paul Marggraf	Retired	Mt Olive LC Delano MN Pastor; Retirement Call	8/11/2023
Prof Paul Wendland	Retired	St John LC Saint Paul MN Associate Pastor	8/12/2023
Teachers	Current call	New call	Date accepted
Mrs Alexandra Rothe		Divine Savior Academy – Santa Rita Ranch Liberty Hill TX ECM Teacher; PreK-4	8/7/2023
Mrs Madeline Jenswold		Loving Arms Child Care Center Wichita KS ECM Director	8/9/2023
Mr Benjamin Perushek		Fox Valley Lutheran High School Appleton WI Teacher; English, Provisional Call	8/10/2023
Mr Douglas Reinhardt		Garden Homes LC Milwaukee WI Teacher; Cong. Music Director/Teacher, Teacher MKE Urban Schools, Provisional Call	8/11/2023
Mr Nathan Lemke	Our Savior LS Wausau WI	Our Savior LS Wausau WI Principal; Grades 5-8	8/13/2023
Staff Ministers	Current call	New call	Date accepted
Mr Thomas Benzing	St Paul’s LC New Ulm MN	Mt Calvary LC Redding CA Congregation Staff Minister	8/8/2023

CALLS DECLINED

Pastors	Current call	New call	Date declined
Rev Carl Schroeder	St Peter’s LC Sturgeon Bay WI	St John LC Burlington WI Associate Pastor	8/8/2023
Rev Frank Italiano Jr	Trinity LC Crete IL	Good Shepherd LC Midland MI Pastor	8/8/2023
Rev Aaron Platzer	Peace LC Loves Park IL	St John’s LC Jefferson WI Associate Pastor	8/8/2023
Rev Joel Pankow	Trinity LC Bay City MI	Christ the King LC Port Charlotte FL Pastor	8/10/2023
Rev Roger Riedel	Grace LC Oronoco MN	Peace LC Granger IN Pastor	8/11/2023
Rev Joel Free	St Paul LC Ixonia WI	Mt Olive LC Delano MN Pastor	8/11/2023
Rev Patrick Freese	Trinity LC Abita Springs LA	St John LC Wauwatosa WI Associate Pastor	8/11/2023
Rev Samuel Crass	Zion LC Bonesteel SD St Paul LC Naper NE	Divinity-Divine Charity LC Whitefish Bay WI Pastor	8/12/2023
Rev Jacob Reich	St John LC Bay City MI	St Mark LC Salina KS Pastor	8/12/2023
Rev Timothy Johnson	Zion LC Mercer WI St Paul LC Hurley WI Bethany LC Bruce Crossing MI	St Stephen LC Fall River WI Pastor	8/13/2023
Rev Frederick Guldberg	Star of Bethlehem LC Winston Salem NC	Rock of Ages LC Kansas City MO Pastor	8/13/2023
Rev Stephen Kurtzahn	Retired	Peace LC Wautoma WI Pastor	8/14/2023
Rev Troy Schreiner	Victory LC Jacksonville FL	Hope LC Andover MN Pastor	8/14/2023

RESIGNED

Teachers	Current call	Date resigned
Mrs Lorna Kapanke	St Croix Lutheran Academy West Saint Paul MN	6/30/2024

RETIREMENT

Teachers	Current call	Date retired
Mrs Eileen Draper	Reformation LS San Diego CA	6/30/2023
Mrs Suzanne Steinmetz	St Martin’s LS Watertown SD	6/30/2024