Native American Missions
The Apache mission in Arizona celebrated 125 years of Godās blessings in 2018 as the first world mission of WELS. Today, WELS’ Native American mission serves nine churches and two elementary schools, and it provides theological education through the Apache Christian Training School (ACTS) on the White Mountain and San Carlos Apache reservations in Arizona. New Native American outreach is also occurring in the Four Corners area of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado through the Native Christians Network.
Fast facts
- Baptized members: 2,459
- Congregations/preaching stations: 9
- K-8 schools: 2
- Missionaries: 7 (1 Apache)
- Teachers:Ā 17 (5 Apache)
- Apache Christian Training School students: 60
WELS’ Native American mission is partnering with the Native Strength Network, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that seeks to address the mental health crisis in Native American communities by re-establishing peer recovery groups that offer culturally relevant support and foster community resilience.
Meet the missionaries
Rev. Dave Bostedt
Missionary Dave Bostedt currently serves as pastor at Canyon Day and East Fork Lutheran Churches on the White Mountain Apache Reservation. There are about 600 souls in these churches. Along with his pastoral duties at the two congregations, he teaches catechism to seventh and eighth graders who attend East Fork Lutheran School. He also assists with the teaching of Apache Christian Training School (ACTS) classes, which prepare Apache students for future service as pastors, teachers, evangelists, deaconesses, etc.
During his 35 years of ministry. Bostedt has served varied and diverse congregations: a mission start in Colorado, tent ministry in Nebraska, a rural congregation in Wisconsin, a retirement-centric church in Florida, and a multi-cultural ministry in Los Angeles. He, along with his wife Jo, live on the historic East Fork mission campus.
Download and read more biographies at wels.net/missionarybios.
Rev. Joseph Dietrich
Missionary Joseph Dietrich has served Our Saviorās Lutheran Church in Bylas, Ariz., since 2017. Our Saviorās is located on the San Carlos Apache Reservation and has been a congregation since 1920. For many years it had a school of its own, but they now partner with Peridot-Our Savior Lutheran School in Peridot. Dietrichās goal as a pastor is to strengthen the congregation in faith and in works of service to be a self-supporting, vibrant congregation proclaiming the Word of Christ to the world.
Dietrich graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1985 and has served at several locations: Ascension in Plymouth, Minn. (1985-1990); Ndola and Lusaka, Zambia (1991-1997); Michigan State Campus Ministry in Lansing, Mich. (1997-2004); Trinity in Abita Springs, La. (2004-20080; and St. Andrew and St. Peter near Medford, Wis. (2010-2016).
He and his wife Debbie were married in 2014. Debbie has taught kindergarten at Peridot-Our Savior Lutheran School since 2022. She previously taught music from 2018-2019 and first grade from 2019-2022. They each have four children and a combined nine grandchildren.
Download and read more biographies at wels.net/missionarybios.
Rev. John Holtz
Missionary John Holtz serves as a Native Christians Counselor for the Native Christians team. He leads the Discipleship arm of the Native Christians Network and is training Apache WELS members for service and outreach through the Apache Christian Training School (ACTS).
Missionary Holtz graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1989. He first served Mt. Olive in Iron Mountain, Mich., from 1989-1997. He then joined WELSā world mission field in Zambia, Africa, from 1997-2008, serving as a supervising pastor to congregations in the rural areas of the Eastern Province. From 2008-2022 they moved to Malawi, Africa, where Holtz served on the One Africa Team until joining the Native Christians team.
Holtz and his wife Mindy live in East Fork on the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Arizona. They have two adult daughters, Rachel (Christopher) and Heather, and one grandchild.
Download and read more biographies at wels.net/missionarybios.
Dr. Erik Landwehr
Dr. Erik Landwehr is the Youth and Family Minister at Peridot Our Savior’s Lutheran School, Peridot Lutheran Church, and Grace Lutheran Church on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. His main ministry responsibilities center around two goals: 1) connecting the families of Peridot-Our Saviorās Lutheran School with the Lutheran church and 2) preparing church members and providing opportunities for ministry. Prior to his current ministry position, Dr. Landwehr was a high school theology teacher at Divine Savior Academy in Doral, Fla. (2016-2023) and staff minister at Trinity Lutheran Church on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia (1997-2016).
Dr. Landwehr and his wife, Staci, have been blessed with three sons: Jonas (Molly), Jaxson, and Ethan. Staci is the reading specialist at Peridot Our Savior’s Lutheran School.
Download and read more biographies at wels.net/missionarybios.
Rev. Gary Lupe
Missionary Gary Lupe is an Apache native and currently serves as a pastor for two churches on the White Mountain Apache Reservation in Arizona: Shepherd of the Mountain in Cedar Creek and Gethsemane in Cibecue. Lupe has also been working with the Native America mission team to get more Apache lay people involved in mission work. He graduated from the Apache Christian Training School (ACTS) in 2011 and became the first Apache to be fully trained as a pastor through ACTS in conjunction with the Pastoral Studies Institute.
Lupe is married to Berlita Mae, and they have been blessed with six children, two of whom were adopted.
Download and read more biographies at wels.net/missionarybios.
Rev. Dan Rautenberg
Missionary Dan Rautenberg serves as team leader for Native American Missions and pastor at Peridot and Grace Lutheran Churches on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. The team has been reorganized and reinvigorated under the banner of Native Christians and is eager to reach out to other Native American tribes with the gospel. Rautenberg coordinates ministries and mentors the staff on the existing Apache mission field and oversees evangelism efforts with Native missionaries in training.
Rautenberg has served in Native American Missions on Apache reservations for more than 20 years in various roles, including missionary pastor, director of the Apache Christian Training School (ACTS), field coordinator, and now team leader.
Rautenberg is married to Katie, who teaches 3rd grade at Peridot-Our Saviorās Lutheran School. They have been blessed with four children: Emma, Allyana, Josiah, and Samuel.
Download and read more biographies at wels.net/missionarybios.
Rev. Nathan Wagenknecht
Missionary Nathan Wagenknecht accepted the call to serve as Outreach Counselor on the Native Christians team in 2024. He coordinates outreach to the Native American tribes in the Four Corners area of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado, working closely with Native members who want to reach out to other Natives with the pure gospel message. He is also leading the expansion of digital outreach and ministry training efforts for the Native Christians Network.
Prior to joining the Native Christians team, Wagenknecht served as a missionary in Latin America from 2000 to 2015, with Multi-Language Productions from 2015 to 2018, and as an associate pastor for English and Spanish ministries at Faith in Anchorage, Alaska, from 2018 to 2024.
The Wagenknecht family calls Farmington, N.M., home. He met his wife Julie in the Dominican Republic when she was serving as a Kingdom Workers volunteer. They were married in 2009 and have been blessed with two children: Mateo and Natalia.
Download and read more biographies at wels.net/missionarybios.
Red: Congregations
Blue: Exploratory Mission Work
Yellow: Schools
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Originally appears in the Native American Missions (NAM) Newsā¦
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