Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Pastor, teacher, and staff minister call report

5/29/2024 – 6/3/2024

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

NOTE: Last week’s report erroneously included a resignation of Martin Plocher. His service came to an end as the expiration of a limited duration call.
Angela Randall will be serving a new call as Learning Resource Coordinator at West Lutheran High School, Plymouth, MN; not English Language Arts as previously reported. 

CALLS ISSUED

Pastors	Current call	New call	Date issued
Rev John Koelpin	Calvary LC Dallas TX	Asia Lutheran Seminary Board Professor; Asia Lutheran Seminary	4/11/2024
Rev Nathaniel Winkel	Mountain Valley LC Eagle CO	Peace LC Marshfield MO Zion LC Springfield MO	4/24/2024
Rev Frederic Berger	Christ LC Beatrice NE St Paul’s LC Plymouth NE	New Mission Kronenwetter WI	4/26/2024
Rev Thad Bitter	Grace LC Portland OR	New Mission Bend OR	5/5/2024
Rev Tyler Peil	Prince of Peace LC Salt Lake City UT	Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee WI Assistant Professor of Theology	5/13/2024
Rev Nickolas Haasch	Peace LC Green Lake WI	Grace LC South Saint Paul MN	5/19/2024
Rev Daniel Heiderich	Good News LC Lehi UT	St Paul LC Beverly Hills FL	5/19/2024
Rev Joshua Odell	Christ LC Eagle River WI	St Stephen LC Beaver Dam WI Associate Pastor	5/19/2024
Rev Matthew Reis	Trinity LC Bangor MI	Zion LC Olivia MN	5/19/2024
Rev Stephen Apt	Divine Savior LC-Liberty Hill Liberty Hill TX	Illinois LS Inc Crete IL President	5/20/2024
Rev Nathan Buege	Victory of the Lamb LC Katy TX	Christ LC Big Bend WI	5/20/2024
Rev Adam Bode	St Paul LC Howards Grove WI	Eastside LC Madison WI Associate Pastor	5/21/2024
Pastor John Raasch Sr	Bethel LC Menasha WI	Beautiful Saviour LC Carlsbad CA	5/21/2024
Rev Aaron Duve	Holy Redeemer LC Port Huron MI	St John’s LC Dakota MN	5/22/2024
Rev James Fleming	St Peter LC – North Campus & St Peter-The CORE Campus Appleton WI	Ministry of Christian Giving Christian Giving Counselor, Northern Wisconsin District	5/22/2024
Rev Joshua Kesting	St Paul LC Neosho WI	Peace of Our Savior LC New Carlisle OH	5/26/2024
Rev Kendall Cook	Trinity LC Crete IL	CrossWalk Lutheran Ministries – Midtown Phoenix AZ Associate Pastor	5/28/2024
Rev Brett Krause	Zion LC Denver CO	New Mission Cedar Lake IN	5/29/2024
Rev Benjamin Radtke	St Martin’s LC Watertown SD	Mt Olive LC Delano MN	5/29/2024
Rev Mark Kom	Crown of Life LC Eagan MN & West Saint Paul MN	St Paul LC Sodus MI	5/30/2024
Rev Michael Quandt	Redemption LC Saint George UT	New Mission Easley SC	5/30/2024

Teachers	Current call	New call	Date issued
Ms Gail Krause		St Martin’s LS Watertown SD Administrator	5/19/2024
Mrs Michelle Lowry		Cross of Christ Preschool Boise ID ECM Teacher	5/20/2024
Mr Douglas Meyer	Arizona Lutheran Academy Phoenix AZ	Arizona Lutheran Academy Phoenix AZ President	5/20/2024
Mrs Carolyn Steinbrenner	Cross of Christ Preschool Boise ID	St Matthew LS Iron Ridge WI ECM Teacher; 4K, 5K	5/20/2024
Mrs Sarah Birsching		Our Savior LS Wausau WI Grades 5-8	5/22/2024
Mrs Emily Huonder	St Paul LS Franklin WI	St Paul LS Algoma WI Grades 1-2	5/22/2024
Mr Philip Krueger	Centennial LC Milwaukee WI	Our Savior LS Grafton WI Principal; Grades 7-8	5/23/2024
Mrs Jody Bitter		St John LS Goodhue MN Grades 3-5	5/24/2024
Mrs Katrina Reis	St Paul LS South Haven MI	St John LS Redwood Falls MN Grade 7	5/24/2024
Ms Amy Helwig	St Stephen LS Beaver Dam WI	St Matthew’s LS Stoddard WI Grades 5-8	5/26/2024
Mrs Candice Learman	Abiding Word Lutheran Preschool Houston TX	Little Town of Bethlehem Preschool Carmel IN ECM Teacher	5/26/2024
Mrs Jessica Mork		St Jacobi LS Greenfield WI Grade 5	5/26/2024
Mrs Amy Reede-Nunez		King of Kings Christian Academy Garden Grove CA Grades 3-5, Athletic Director	5/26/2024
Ms Kristin Massman		Bloomington LS Bloomington MN Resource Teacher	5/28/2024
Mrs Alyssa Dohmen		St Matthew’s LS – First Steps Child Care Center Oconomowoc WI ECM Teacher; Infant Lead	5/30/2024
Mrs Stephanie Larive		St John LS Bay City MI Grades 7-8	5/30/2024
Mrs Elizabeth Forrester		St Paul LS Stevensville MI ECM Teacher	6/2/2024
Mrs Lori Gieschen		Christ LS Eagle River WI Kindergarten – Grade 1	6/2/2024
Mrs Karen Hall		St Paul LS Stevensville MI Grades 5-6	6/2/2024
Mrs Candice Learman	Abiding Word Lutheran Preschool Houston TX	Zion LS K-8th Grade Hartland WI	6/2/2024
Mrs Candice Learman	Abiding Word Lutheran Preschool Houston TX	St Philip LS Milwaukee WI Lower Grades	6/2/2024
Mrs Kim Pappenfuss	Cross of Glory LS Peoria AZ	St Paul LS Stevensville MI Grades 7-8	6/2/2024
Mr Paul Pappenfuss		St Paul LS Stevensville MI Principal	6/2/2024
Mrs Jennifer Yahnke		Trinity-St Luke Clark St Campus (3-8) Watertown WI Upper Grades, Choir Director	6/2/2024

Staff Ministers	Current call	New call	Date issued
Mr Derek Gulrud	Amazing Grace LC Amarillo TX	Amazing Grace LC Amarillo TX	5/14/2024
Mr Mark Werre		Ministry of Christian Giving Christian Giving Counselor, Western Wisconsin District	5/22/2024

CALLS ACCEPTED

Pastors	Current call	New call	Date accepted
Rev Joel Hansen	Bloomington LC Bloomington MN Living Hope LC Shakopee MN	Bloomington LC Bloomington MN Bethany Luth. Theological Seminary graduate assigned by the ELS Assignment Committee	5/10/2024
Rev Stephen Kuehl	Shepherd of Peace LC Powell OH	Minnesota Valley Lutheran High School New Ulm MN	6/1/2024

Teachers	Current call	New call	Date accepted
Mrs Lorra Klein		Grace LS Oshkosh WI Grade 1	4/7/2024
Mrs Allison Stevens		Mt Olive LS Delano MN ECM Teacher	5/9/2024
Miss Avianna Holmes		Risen Savior LS – East Campus – LES Milwaukee WI Grade 4	5/28/2024
Mrs Julie Lillo	Divine Savior Academy Doral FL	The Divine Savior School  9-12 Doral FL Vocational Training for Young Adults	5/28/2024
Mrs Sharon Richter		Morrison Zion LS Greenleaf WI Grades 5-6	5/28/2024
Mrs Lorrie Schneck		St Paul Lutheran Pre-Kindergarten Muskego WI ECM Teacher	5/28/2024
Mrs Katrina Walther		Risen Savior LS – Main Campus LES Milwaukee WI Grade 3	5/28/2024
Mrs Bethany Behm	Trinity LS Aberdeen SD	Trinity LS Marinette WI Grades 4-5	5/30/2024
Ms Theckla Schultz-Cortez	St John’s LS Sparta WI	St Paul LS Bangor WI Grades 1-2	5/30/2024
Ms Elizabeth Kuschel	St John’s LS Burlington WI	St John LS Libertyville IL Grades 5-6	5/31/2024
Mrs Jennifer Statz		Lakeside Lutheran High School Lake Mills WI Assistant Director of Student Services	5/31/2024
Mr Mark Zoellner	Bloomington LS Bloomington MN Living Hope LS Shakopee MN	Bloomington LS Bloomington MN Principal	6/1/2024
Ms Evodia Cassius-Noel	Grace LS Grand Anse Saint George Grenada	St John LS St John’s Saint John Antigua and Barbuda ECM Director	6/2/2024
Mr Steven Strong	First LS La Crosse WI	First LS La Crosse WI Principal	6/2/2024

CALLS RETURNED

Pastors	Current call	New call	Date returned
Rev Matthew Westra	Living Promise LC Morristown TN	Christ LC Pewaukee WI Associate Pastor; Outreach	5/29/2024
Rev Emile Burgess	Crown of Life LC Eagan MN & West Saint Paul MN	St John LC Wauwatosa WI Associate Pastor	5/31/2024
Rev Albert Meier II	Peace LC Milbank SD St John LC Summit SD	St Paul LC Crandon WI Christ LC Hiles WI St John LC Pelican Lake WI	5/31/2024
Rev David Salinas	Christ the Lord LC Houston TX	Risen Savior LC Milwaukee WI	6/1/2024

Teachers	Current call	New call	Date returned
Mrs Bethany Mueller		Atonement LS Milwaukee WI Director of Special Education	5/29/2024
Mrs Molly Taylor	Christ the Lord LS Brookfield WI	St Jacobi LS Greenfield WI Grade 2	5/30/2024
Mr Frederick Luehring	Holy Trinity LS (ELS) Oconomowoc WI	Trinity LS Waukesha WI Principal	6/1/2024

RESIGNED

Teachers	Current call	Date resigned
Mr Marcus Mortensen	Crown of Life Christian Academy Fort Atkinson WI	6/30/2024
Miss Sydney Peterson	St Paul LS Wonewoc WI	6/30/2024

RETIRED

Pastors	Current call	Date retired
Rev Daniel Schroeder	Christ the King LC Palm Coast FL	6/30/2024

Teachers	Current call	Date retired
Mrs Kim Brace	Trinity LS Minocqua WI	6/30/2024

CALLED TO ETERNAL GLORY

Teachers	Current congregation	Date deceased
Mr Merlin Putz		5/24/2024