Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Pastor, teacher, and staff minister call report

8/1/2023 – 8/7/2023

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

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 Samuel Crass	Zion LC Bonesteel SD St Paul LC Naper NE	Divinity-Divine Charity LC Whitefish Bay WI Pastor	7/16/2023
Rev Nathaniel Timmermann	Peace LC Otsego MI	St Paul’s LC North Mankato MN Associate Pastor	7/16/2023
Rev Joel Free	St Paul LC Ixonia WI	Mt Olive LC Delano MN Pastor	7/16/2023
Rev Aaron Platzer	Peace LC Loves Park IL	St John’s LC Jefferson WI Associate Pastor	7/16/2023
Rev Joel Pankow	Trinity LC Bay City MI	Christ the King LC Port Charlotte FL Pastor	7/16/2023
Rev Roger Riedel	Grace LC Oronoco MN	Peace LC Granger IN Pastor	7/16/2023
Rev Paul Marggraf	Retired	Mt Olive LC Delano MN Pastor; Retirement Call	7/16/2023
Rev Benjamin Birner	Cross of Christ LC Liverpool NY	One Africa Team (OAT) Missionary	7/17/2023
Rev Patrick Freese	Trinity LC Abita Springs LA	St John LC Wauwatosa WI Associate Pastor	7/18/2023
Rev Frank Italiano Jr	Trinity LC Crete IL	Good Shepherd LC Midland MI Pastor	7/18/2023
Rev Timothy Johnson	Zion LC Mercer WI St Paul LC Hurley WI Bethany LC Bruce Crossing MI	St Stephen LC Fall River WI Pastor	7/19/2023
Rev Dustin Bergene	Zion LC Bristol WI	St Paul LC Prescott WI Pastor	7/20/2023
Rev Carl Schroeder	St Peter’s LC Sturgeon Bay WI	St John LC Burlington WI Associate Pastor	7/20/2023
Rev Jacob Reich	St John LC Bay City MI	St Mark LC Salina KS 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 S. 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 Troy Schreiner	Victory LC Jacksonville FL	Hope LC Andover MN 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 Frederick Guldberg	Star of Bethlehem LC Winston Salem NC	Rock of Ages LC Kansas City MO 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 Stephen Kurtzahn	Retired	Peace LC Wautoma WI Pastor	7/30/2023
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
Prof Paul Wendland	Retired	St John LC Saint Paul MN Associate Pastor	7/30/2023
Rev Dr Jacob Haag	Redeemer LC Ann Arbor MI	Zion LC South Milwaukee WI 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 Randall Johnson	Retired	Salem LC Owosso MI Pastor; Retirement Call	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
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 Madeline Jenswold		Loving Arms Child Care Center Wichita KS ECM Director	7/26/2023
Staff Ministers	Current call	New call	Date issued
Mr Thomas Benzing	St Paul’s LC New Ulm MN	Mt Calvary LC Redding CA Congregation Staff Minister	7/23/2023

CALLS ACCEPTED

Pastors	Current call	New call	Date accepted
Rev Mark Bartsch	Retired	Immanuel LC Johnson Creek WI Pastor; Retirement Call	8/5/2023
Teachers	Current call	New call	Date accepted
Mrs Laura Biesterfeld	Illinois Lutheran Elementary School Crete IL	Illinois Lutheran Elementary School Crete IL Teacher; Grade 3, One-Year Call	7/28/2023
Mrs Rebecca Seeger		Illinois Lutheran Elementary School Crete IL Teacher; Grade 6, One-Year, Three-Quarter Time Call	7/28/2023
Mrs Kerry Guzman	St Marcus LS – North Campus K – Gr 8 Milwaukee WI	St Marcus LS – North Campus K – Gr 8 Milwaukee WI Teacher; K5, North Campus, Permanent Call	7/31/2023
Ms Jordyn Jurss	St Marcus LS – Main Campus K4 – Gr 8 Milwaukee WI	St Marcus LS – Main Campus K4 – Gr 8 Milwaukee WI Teacher; Grade 5 Math, Main Campus, Permanent Call	7/31/2023
Mrs Amber Hodgson	St Marcus LS – North Campus K – Gr 8 Milwaukee WI	St Marcus LS – North Campus K – Gr 8 Milwaukee WI Teacher; Grade 1, North Campus, Permanent Call	7/31/2023
Miss Jadee Krueger		Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School Jackson WI Teacher; Computer Applications & Science Instructor, Provisional Call	8/1/2023
Mrs Rachel Schroeder		Bay Pines LS Seminole FL Teacher; Upper Grades English & Science, One-Year, Two-thirds Time Call	8/6/2023
Staff Ministers	Current call	New call	Date accepted
Mr Richard Gibson	Faith Evangelical LC Prior Lake MN	Faith Evangelical LC Prior Lake MN Congregation Staff Minister; Retirement Call	8/2/2023

ASSIGNMENT

Pastors		Assignment	Date assigned
Rev Tao Nguyen		Peace in Jesus Vietnamese LC Boise ID Pastor	7/30/2023

CALLS DECLINED

Pastors	Current call	New call	Date declined
Rev Daniel Lewig	Trinity LC Lime Ridge WI St John LC Hillpoint WI	Risen Savior LC Mansfield OH Pastor	8/2/2023
Rev Andrew Nemmers	Hope LC Houston TX	Trinity LC Watertown WI Associate Pastor	8/2/2023
Rev Adam Mueller	Redeemer LC Tucson AZ	St Paul’s LC Stevensville MI Pastor	8/3/2023
Rev Nathan Zastrow	Grace LC Yakima WA	Morning Star LC Jackson WI Associate Pastor	8/3/2023
Rev Joshua Jensen	Grace LC Oshkosh WI	Christ Our Rock LC Rochester MN Pastor	8/3/2023
Rev Jon Guenther	Retired	Holy Cross LC Standish MI Pastor; Retirement Call	8/4/2023
Rev Matthew Proeber	Peace LC Eagle River AK	Cross of Christ LC Kingman AZ Pastor	8/4/2023
Rev Michael Hollmann	St Mark LC Eau Claire WI	Hope LC Chino Valley AZ & Prescott AZ Pastor	8/4/2023
Rev Martin Luchterhand	Crown of Life LC Fort Myers FL	First LC Green Bay WI Pastor	8/5/2023
Rev Daniel Wagenknecht	Christian Giving Counselor	Grace LC Eau Claire MI Pastor	8/5/2023
Rev Timothy Spiegelberg	Carbon Valley LC Firestone CO	Crossroads Church Chicago IL Pastor	8/5/2023
Rev Aaron Boehm	Shepherd of the Hills LC La Mesa CA	Christ LC Oakley MI Pastor	8/5/2023
Rev Benjamin Zahn	Amazing Grace LC Myrtle Beach SC	Green Valley LC Henderson NV Pastor	8/5/2023
Rev Patrick Wilcox	Faith LC Tacoma WA	Faith LC Sussex WI Associate Pastor	8/5/2023
Rev Philip Hunter	Citrus Grove LC Wesley Chapel FL	Divine Savior Academy Doral FL Pastor; High School Theology	8/5/2023
Rev Daniel Rodewald	Paradise Valley LC Phoenix AZ	Christ LC North St Paul MN & Hugo MN Associate Pastor	8/5/2023
Rev Aaron Nitz	Good Shepherd LC Cheyenne WY	St Paul’s LC Rapid City SD Associate Pastor	8/6/2023

RESIGNED

Teachers	Current call	Date resigned
Mrs Sarah Ferge	Fox Valley Lutheran High School Appleton WI	8/4/2023

CALLED TO ETERNAL GLORY

Teachers	Home church	Death date
Miss Diane Wernicke	St Matthew LC Appleton WI	7/29/2023

RETIREMENT

Pastors	Current call	Date retired
Rev Paul Ziemer	Military Services Committee	9/15/2023