Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Pastor, teacher, and staff minister call report

9/13/2022 – 9/19/2022

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
Rev Joel Hoff	Trinity LC Neenah WI	Multi-Language Productions TELL Missionary	8/9/2022
Rev Mark Westra	Prince of Peace LC Fairport NY	Bethlehem LC Menomonee Falls WI Associate Pastor	8/14/2022
Rev David Birsching	St Paul LC Tacoma WA	Faith LC Harrison MI St John LC Clare MI Pastor	8/15/2022
Rev Robert Weiss	St Peter LC Chilton WI	Pilgrim LC Minneapolis MN Pastor	8/21/2022
Rev Matthew Krenke	St John’s LC Jefferson WI	Mt Olive LC Las Vegas NV Pastor	8/21/2022
Rev Benjamin Blumer	NorthCross LC Lakeville MN	New Mission Start Windsor CO Pastor	8/23/2022
Rev Walter Gawel IV	Victory LC Lexington KY	Mount Olive LC Appleton WI Associate Pastor	8/23/2022
Rev Stephen Melso	Bethany LC Manitowoc WI	Peace LC Livonia MI Pastor	8/25/2022
Rev Emile Burgess	Crown of Life LC West Saint Paul MN	Trinity LC Marinette WI Pastor	8/27/2022
Rev Jason Free	Christ the Lord LC Brookfield WI	Peace LC King of Prussia PA Pastor	8/28/2022
Rev Brett Brauer	Trinity LC Watertown WI	Faith LC Antioch IL Associate Pastor	8/28/2022
Rev Andrew Ewings	Resurrection LC Verona WI	Grace LC Spring Hill FL Pastor	8/28/2022
Rev Joshua Schultz	Mountain View LC Great Falls MT	Immanuel LC Salem OR Pastor	8/28/2022
Rev Paul Schulz	Risen Savior LC Chula Vista CA	Redeemer LC Mandan ND Pastor	8/28/2022
Rev Thomas Jeske	Living Hope LC Omaha NE	St Peter LC Juneau WI Pastor; Part-Time Call	8/29/2022
Rev Joel McKenney	St Paul LC Algoma WI	St John LC Fox Lake WI Pastor	8/30/2022
Rev Joel Stuebs	St Peter LC Mishicot WI	New Life LC Rockford IL Pastor	8/30/2022
Rev Frank Italiano Jr	Trinity LC Crete IL	Good Shepherd LC West Bend WI Associate Pastor	9/1/2022
Rev Samuel Biebert	Christ LC Cambridge MN	Our Savior’s LC East Brunswick NJ Pastor	9/1/2022
Rev John Schwartz	Redeemer LC Pierre SD	St Peter LC Modesto CA Pastor	9/1/2022
Rev Brent Merten	Fount of Life LC Colorado Springs CO	Christ LC Juneau AK Pastor	9/4/2022
Rev Stephen Wiesenauer	Asia One Team	Asia One Team Missionary	9/5/2022
Rev Joel Voss	Emanuel First LC Lansing MI	Water of Life LC – Caledonia Campus Racine WI Associate Pastor	9/6/2022
Rev Todd Engel	St John LC Red Wing MN	St John LC Whitewater WI Pastor	9/6/2022
Rev Michael Gehl	St John LC Greenleaf WI	St John LC & Trinity LC Janesville MN Pastor	9/6/2022
Rev Joel Schwartz	Peace LC Trinity FL	St John LC Wauwatosa WI Associate Pastor	9/6/2022
Rev Peter Sternberg	St John LC Red Wing MN	St John LC Lewiston MN Associate Pastor	9/7/2022
Rev Andrew Schrimpf	Cross of Glory LC Baton Rouge LA	St John LC Fairfax MN Pastor	9/7/2022
Rev Jasper Sellnow	St Paul LC Mauston WI & Friendship WI	First German LC Manitowoc WI Associate Pastor	9/8/2022
Rev Jonathan Werre	Good Shepherd LC Sioux Falls SD	Crown of Life LC Warren MI Pastor	9/8/2022
Rev Steven Waldschmidt	Christ Alone LC Dardenne Prairie MO	Our Redeemer LC Yorktown VA Pastor	9/8/2022
Rev Jacob Jenswold	Rock of Ages LC Kansas City MO	New Mission Start Wichita KS Pastor	9/8/2022
Rev Andrew Johnston	1 Latin America Team	St John LC St John’s Saint John Antigua Pastor	9/8/2022
Rev David Karow	St John LC Rock Springs WI	Grace LC Crivitz WI Pastor	9/11/2022
Rev James Buske	Lighthouse Youth Center Milwaukee WI	Our Redeemer LC Madison WI Associate Pastor	9/11/2022
Rev James Buske	Lighthouse Youth Center Milwaukee WI	Bethany LC Fort Atkinson WI Associate Pastor; Lead Campus Pastor	9/11/2022
Rev Aaron Mueller	St Paul LC Howards Grove WI	Trinity LC Waukesha WI Associate Pastor	9/11/2022
Rev Joshua Zarling	Good Shepherd’s LC West Allis WI	Trinity LC Watertown WI Associate Pastor	9/11/2022
Rev Scott Schultz	Cross of Christ LC Portage WI	Redeemer LC Tomahawk WI Pastor	9/11/2022
Rev Thomas Spiegelberg II	Saving Grace LC Mobile AL	Abiding Word LC Highlands Ranch CO Pastor	9/11/2022
Rev Timothy Shrimpton	Gloria Dei LC Belmont CA	St John LC Wetaskiwin AB Canada Mighty Fortress LC Red Deer AB Canada Pastor	9/11/2022
Dr John Boeder	Martin Luther College New Ulm MN	Ascension LC Escondido CA Pastor	9/11/2022
Rev Russell Wilke III	St Paul LC Mauston WI	Mt Olive LC Lincoln NE Pastor	9/13/2022
Rev Craig Birsching	St John LC Westland MI	St John LC Sturgeon Bay WI Pastor	9/13/2022
Rev John Steinbrenner	Cross of Christ LC Boise ID	Board for Home Missions Administrator	9/15/2022
Rev Joseph Dietrich	Our Savior LC Bylas AZ	Our Redeemer’s LC Martin SD Rock of Ages LC Gordon NE Pastor	9/15/2022
Teachers	Current call	New call	Date issued
Mrs Jamie Johnson	Arizona Lutheran Academy Phoenix AZ	Arizona Lutheran Academy Phoenix AZ Teacher; Math, Science, Provisional Call	9/12/2022
Mr Mark Steiner		Arizona Lutheran Academy Phoenix AZ Teacher; Math, 6-month Limited-Duration Call	9/12/2022
Mrs Patricia Wenzel	Wisconsin Lutheran High School Milwaukee WI	Wisconsin Lutheran High School Milwaukee WI Teacher; Family & Consumer Education, Provisional Call	9/14/2022
Mrs Katie Chavez	Wisconsin Lutheran High School Milwaukee WI	Wisconsin Lutheran High School Milwaukee WI Teacher; School Counselor, Permanent Call	9/14/2022
Ms Brett Long		St Peter LS Appleton WI Teacher; Grade 2, Provisional Call	9/15/2022

CALLS ACCEPTED

Pastors	Current call	New call	Date accepted
Rev Steven Saatkamp	Emmanuel LC Hudson WI	Ascension LC Jacksonville NC Pastor	9/14/2022
Rev Matthew Hennig	Christ LC North Saint Paul MN & Hugo MN	Living Word LC Montrose CO Pastor	9/17/2022

CALLS DECLINED

Pastors	Current call	New call	Date declined
Rev Paul Cerny	Immanuel LC Campbellsport WI	St Matthew LC Danube MN & Renville MN & St John LC Renville MN Pastor	9/14/2022
Rev Jeremiah Gumm	King of Kings LC Maitland FL	Trinity LC Neenah WI Associate Pastor	9/14/2022
Rev Jeremiah Gumm	King of Kings LC Maitland FL	Timothy LC Saint Louis Park MN Pastor	9/14/2022
Rev Matthew Natsis	Good Shepherd LC Livermore CA	St Paul’s LC Broken Bow NE Pastor	9/14/2022
Rev Steven Saatkamp	Emmanuel LC Hudson WI	Green Valley LC Henderson NV Pastor	9/14/2022
Rev Steven Saatkamp	Emmanuel LC Hudson WI	Abiding Love LC Cape Coral FL Pastor	9/14/2022
Rev Jonathan Zimpelmann	St John LC Hastings MN	Our Savior LC Grafton WI Pastor	9/15/2022
Rev David Barkow	Christ the Lord LC Cottage Grove MN	Pilgrim LC Menomonee Falls WI Associate Pastor	9/15/2022
Rev Jason Liebenow	St Paul LC Tipler WI St Mark’s LC Iron River MI St John’s LC Florence WI	Peace LC Hartford WI Associate Pastor	9/15/2022
Rev Matthew Kiecker	St John LC Lomira WI	Faith LC Elizabeth IL Our Savior LC Freeport IL Pastor	9/16/2022
Rev Stephen Luchterhand	Trinity LC Minocqua WI	Redeemer LC Tucson AZ Associate Pastor	9/16/2022
Rev Paul Hirsch	St Paul’s LC Norfolk NE	Faith LC River Falls WI Pastor	9/16/2022
Rev John Berg	Divinity LC Saint Paul MN	St John LC Riga MI Pastor	9/16/2022
Rev Lucas Bitter	Intown LC Atlanta GA	Asia One Team Missionary	9/16/2022
Rev Frederic Berger	St Paul’s LC Plymouth NE	Immanuel LC Greenville WI Associate Pastor	9/16/2022
Rev Thadeus Flitter	Zion LC Valentine NE	Ascension LC Antigo WI Pastor	9/16/2022
Rev Christian Marquardt	St James LC Milwaukee WI	Grace LC Neenah WI Pastor	9/16/2022
Rev Paul Schaewe	St John LC Bay City MI	St Paul’s LC North Mankato MN Associate Pastor	9/17/2022
Rev Michael Zarling	Water of Life LC – Racine Campus Racine WI	St John’s LC Juneau WI Associate Pastor	9/17/2022
Rev James Turriff	Gloria Dei LC Memphis TN	Gethsemane LC Oklahoma City OK Pastor	9/17/2022
Rev N. Mielke III	Ascension LC Sarasota FL	Grace LC Eau Claire MI Pastor	9/17/2022
Rev Peter Korthals	St Paul LC Amherst NH Beautiful Savior LC South Portland ME	St Peter LC Saint Peter MN Associate Pastor	9/17/2022
Rev Stephen Kuehl	Shepherd of Peace LC Powell OH	Riverview LC Appleton WI Associate Pastor	9/17/2022
Staff Ministers	Current call	New call	Date declined
Mr Stephen Pankow		Good Shepherd LC Sioux Falls SD Principal	9/10/2022
Mr Randel Fink	St Paul LC Muskego WI	Michigan Lutheran High School Saint Joseph MI President	9/13/2022

RESIGNED

Teachers	Current call	Date resigned
Mrs Donna Woldt	Jesus Loves Me Learning Center North Mankato MN	8/31/2022
Mr YoungKwang Kim	Arizona Lutheran Academy Phoenix AZ	12/31/2022
Ms Roseanne Millner	God’s Treasures Child Care Winthrop MN	12/31/2022

RETIREMENT

Teachers	Current call	Date retired
Mrs Kerri Bush	Wisconsin LS-Early Childhood Campus (K4-2) Racine WI	6/30/2023
Mrs Beth Schumacher	Trinity-St Luke Clark St Campus (3-8) Watertown WI	6/30/2023
Mrs Elisabeth Ziel	St Matthew’s LS Oconomowoc WI	6/30/2023