Meet the editorial staff—uncut: Prange

Ever ask yourself, “Who are these people who write for Forward in Christ?” Through this series you can find out.

Simply titled “Devotion,” every issue of Forward in Christ includes a meditation on a Scripture passage penned by a contributing editor. The newest writer for this series is Peter Prange, pastor at Bethany, Kenosha, Wis.

Prange was born in Janesville, Wis., on April 18, 1972, to Pastor Victor and Ana Prange. He became God’s child through Baptism on April 30. He spent his grade school years in local public schools and attended Northwestern Preparatory School and Northwestern College in Watertown, Wis. He completed his training for the public ministry at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wis. His vicar year was spent at three New Orleans area congregations. In May 1998, he graduated and was assigned to Good Shepherd, Jacksonville, Fla. In addition to his time in Florida, Prange also served at Jerusalem Lutheran Church and School, Morton Grove, Ill., and Living Word, Johnson City, Tenn.

Why did he become a pastor? Prange comes from a long line of pastors on both sides of his family. “It’s kind of in the blood, though I was never pushed into pastoral ministry,” he says. “Good models, good teachers, and, most of all, a gracious Savior led me to pastoral ministry. Any competency I have comes from him alone (2 Corinthians 3:5).”

Prange met his wife, Tarren, when he was in Florida, and the couple was married in December 2003. Tarren works in the Infant Special Care Unit at the Evanston Hospital in Illinois. She is currently pursuing her license to become a nurse practitioner. The Pranges are blessed with two children, Lucas, 12, and Grace, 10.

Prange uses his free time for “family, theological reading, listening to various kinds of music, and cheering his family’s beloved Chicago Cubs.” A special interest is family and church history. He’s not new to writing either, co-authoring Jars of Clay: A History of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (1863-2013) for the seminary’s 150th anniversary. He also was a member of the committee that produced Christian Worship: Supplement.

Prange currently serves on the WELS Commission on Inter-Church Relations, which represents the synod in doctrinal discussions with US and worldwide Lutheran church bodies. “In recent years there has also been increasing coordination with the WELS Board for World Missions and Board for Ministerial Education as we work together to encourage and, when appropriate, carefully shepherd burgeoning confessional Lutheran churches and communities around the world, especially in second and third world countries,” he says. “This development in the last ten years has been really astonishing to see.”

Prange’s devotions will appear several times throughout the year. “My prayer is that these devotions will highlight the profound gift of grace our Savior so freely gives to broken people like us and that his grace is a dramatic reflection of the fact that his thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are our ways his ways.”

He closes, “Simply . . . I’m privileged to serve our Savior and his people.”

Ann Ponath

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Author: Ann Ponath
Volume 104, Number 5
Issue: May 2017

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