Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

Pastor, teacher, and staff minister call report
8/30/2022 – 9/5/2022

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 Timothy Denney	Shepherd of the Hills LC Duluth MN	Immanuel LC Neenah WI Pastor	7/26/2022
Rev Frederic Berger	St Paul’s LC Plymouth NE	Immanuel LC Greenville WI Associate Pastor	8/7/2022
Rev John Ehlers	Cross of Glory LC Peoria AZ	Trinity LC Saline MI Associate Pastor	8/7/2022
Rev Joel Hoff	Trinity LC Neenah WI	Multi-Language Productions TELL Missionary	8/9/2022
Rev Paul Micheel	St Paul LC Grant Park IL	St Paul’s LC Fort Atkinson WI Associate Pastor	8/11/2022
Rev Mark Westra	Prince of Peace LC Fairport NY	Bethlehem LC Menomonee Falls WI Associate Pastor	8/14/2022
Rev Paul Hirsch	St Paul’s LC Norfolk NE	Faith LC River Falls WI Pastor	8/14/2022
Rev Benjamin Golisch	St Paul LC Slinger WI	Salem LC Loretto MN Associate Pastor	8/14/2022
Rev N. Mielke III	Ascension LC Sarasota FL	Grace LC Eau Claire MI Pastor	8/14/2022
Rev Stephen Luchterhand	Trinity LC Minocqua WI	Redeemer LC Tucson AZ 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 Benjamin Phelps	Grace LC Kenai AK	Hope LC Chino Valley AZ & Prescott AZ Pastor	8/15/2022
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	8/16/2022
Rev Matthew Kiecker	St John LC Lomira WI	Faith LC Elizabeth IL Our Savior LC Freeport IL Pastor	8/16/2022
Rev Dale Reckzin	St John LC Oak Creek WI	Our Savior’s LC Wausau WI Pastor	8/16/2022
Rev Paul Cerny	Immanuel LC Campbellsport WI	St Matthew LC Danube MN & Renville MN (Flora) & St John LC Renville MN Pastor	8/17/2022
Rev Gregory Lyon	Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee WI	St John St James LC Reedsville WI Associate Pastor	8/18/2022
Rev Jonathan Scharf	Abiding Grace LC Covington GA	Our Savior LC Perry MI Pastor	8/18/2022
Rev Steven Saatkamp	Emmanuel LC Hudson WI	Green Valley LC Henderson NV Pastor	8/18/2022
Rev James Grabitske	Trinity LC Buffalo MN St Paul LC Montrose MN	Emanuel Redeemer LC Yale MI Pastor	8/20/2022
Rev David Wietzke	Crown of Life LC Pueblo West CO	Good Shepherd LC Pipestone MN St John LC Lake Benton MN Pastor	8/21/2022
Rev Thadeus Flitter	Zion LC Valentine NE	Ascension LC Antigo WI Pastor	8/21/2022
Rev Robert Weiss	St Peter LC Chilton WI	Pilgrim LC Minneapolis MN Pastor	8/21/2022
Rev Matthew Hennig	Christ LC North St Paul MN & Hugo MN	Living Word LC Montrose CO Pastor	8/21/2022
Rev Matthew Krenke	St John’s LC Jefferson WI	Mt Olive LC Las Vegas NV Pastor	8/21/2022
Rev Nathan Cordes	St John LC Lake City MN	Our Shepherd LC Lancaster CA Pastor	8/22/2022
Rev David Barkow	Christ the Lord LC Cottage Grove MN	Pilgrim LC Menomonee Falls WI Associate Pastor	8/22/2022
Rev Christian Marquardt	St James LC Milwaukee WI	Grace LC Neenah WI Pastor	8/23/2022
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 Paul Schaewe	St John LC Bay City MI	St Paul’s LC North Mankato MN Associate Pastor	8/23/2022
Rev Matthew Natsis	Good Shepherd LC Livermore CA	St Paul’s LC Broken Bow NE Pastor	8/24/2022
Rev Jared Oldenburg	Eternal Rock LC Castle Rock CO	Board for Home Missions Administrator	8/25/2022
Rev Jonathan Zimpelmann	St John LC Hastings MN	Our Savior LC Grafton WI Pastor	8/25/2022
Rev Stephen Melso	Bethany LC Manitowoc WI	Peace LC Livonia MI Pastor	8/25/2022
Rev Stephen Kuehl	Shepherd of Peace LC Powell OH	Riverview LC Appleton WI Associate Pastor	8/25/2022
Rev Steven Saatkamp	Emmanuel LC Hudson WI	Ascension LC Jacksonville NC Pastor	8/25/2022
Rev Dr Timothy Bourman	Sure Foundation LC Queens NY	Truth In Love Ministry Nampa ID Pastor	8/26/2022
Rev Emile Burgess	Crown of Life LC West Saint Paul MN	Trinity LC Marinette WI Pastor	8/27/2022
Rev Peter Korthals	St Paul LC Amherst NH Beautiful Savior LC South Portland ME	St Peter LC Saint Peter MN Associate Pastor	8/28/2022
Rev Jeremiah Gumm	King of Kings LC Maitland FL	Trinity LC Neenah WI Associate Pastor	8/28/2022
Rev Jason Free	Christ the Lord LC Brookfield WI	Peace LC King of Prussia PA Pastor	8/28/2022
Rev Michael Zarling	Water of Life LC – Racine Campus Racine WI	St John’s LC Juneau WI Associate Pastor	8/28/2022
Rev Brett Brauer	Trinity LC Watertown WI	Faith LC Antioch IL Associate Pastor	8/28/2022
Rev Steven Saatkamp	Emmanuel LC Hudson WI	Abiding Love LC Cape Coral FL Pastor	8/28/2022
Rev Andrew Ewings	Resurrection LC Verona WI	Grace LC Spring Hill FL Pastor	8/28/2022
Rev Jeremiah Gumm	King of Kings LC Maitland FL	Timothy LC Saint Louis Park MN 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 John Berg	Divinity LC Saint Paul MN	St John LC Riga MI 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 James Turriff	Gloria Dei LC Memphis TN	Gethsemane LC Oklahoma City OK Pastor	8/30/2022
Rev Lucas Bitter	Intown LC Atlanta GA	Asia One Team Missionary	9/1/2022
Rev Frank Italiano Jr	Trinity LC Crete IL	Good Shepherd LC West Bend WI Associate Pastor	9/1/2022
Rev John Schwartz	Redeemer LC Pierre SD	St Peter LC Modesto CA Pastor	9/1/2022
Rev Samuel Biebert	Christ LC Cambridge MN	Our Savior’s LC East Brunswick NJ Pastor	9/1/2022
Teachers	Current call	New call	Date issued
Miss Jamie Buss	St John LS Wrightstown WI	St John LS Wrightstown WI ECM Director	7/18/2022
Staff Ministers	Current call	New call	Date issued
Mr Randel Fink	St Paul LC Muskego WI	Michigan Lutheran High School Saint Joseph MI President	8/17/2022
Mr Stephen Pankow		Good Shepherd LC Sioux Falls SD Principal	8/21/2022

CALLS ACCEPTED

Pastors	Current call	New call	Date accepted
Prof em James Pope	Retired	St Mark LC Leesburg FL Pastor; Retirement Call, Part-Time seasonal pastor November 22 to April 2023	9/2/2022
Rev Clinton Kreuziger	Crown of Life LC Marietta OH	St Andrew LC Middleton WI Associate Pastor; Service & Outreach	9/4/2022
Teachers	Current call	New call	Date accepted
Mrs Linda Ebeling	St John LS Milwaukee WI	St John LS Milwaukee WI Teacher; Less-Than-Half Time, Retirement Call, Upper Grades	8/10/2022
Staff Ministers	Current call	New call	Date accepted
Mr Philip Boileau	Mt Olive LC Suamico WI	Mt Olive LC Suamico WI Congregation Staff Minister; Less-Than-Half Time, Retirement Call	9/1/2022

CALLS DECLINED

Pastors	Current call	New call	Date declined
Rev Joshua Sternhagen	Living Hope LC Commerce City CO	Salem LC Woodbury MN Pastor	8/30/2022
Rev Jeffrey Schmidt	Emanuel LC Flint MI	Our Redeemer’s LC Martin SD Rock of Ages LC Gordon NE Pastor	9/1/2022
Rev Dennis Klatt	Holy Trinity LC New Hope MN	Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Mequon WI Professor; PSI Director	9/2/2022
Rev Eric Roecker	Commission on Evangelism	Resurrection LC Aurora IL Associate Pastor	9/2/2022
Rev Brett Krause	Zion LC Denver CO	Good Shepherd LC Holmen WI Pastor	9/2/2022
Rev Andrew Schroer	Redeemer LC Edna TX	New Mission Start Collinsville IL Pastor	9/3/2022
Rev Nathan Fager	St Paul LC Monroe MI	Grace LC Manitowoc WI Pastor	9/3/2022
Pastor John Raasch Sr	Bethel LC Menasha WI	Pan de Vida LC Garden Grove CA Pastor	9/3/2022
Rev Joshua Odell	Christ LC Eagle River WI	Christ Our Rock LC Rochester MN Pastor	9/3/2022
Rev Matthew Reis	Trinity LC Bangor MI	St John LC Sturgeon Bay WI Pastor	9/3/2022
Rev James Backus	St Mark’s LC Watertown WI	St Paul’s LC Rapid City SD Associate Pastor	9/4/2022
Rev Matthew Pfeifer	Lincoln Heights LC Des Moines IA	St John LC Kendall WI St Matthew LC Ontario WI Pastor	9/5/2022

CALLED TO ETERNAL GLORY

Teachers	Home church	Death date
Mrs Cleo Walling	St John LC Westland MI	8/30/2022

RETIREMENT

Pastors	Current call	Date retired
Rev Lee Kuhns	Peace LC Kissimmee FL	8/25/2022
Teachers	Current call	Date retired
Mrs Betty Bethke	St John LS Hemlock MI	6/30/2022