You have heard the caution, “Be careful what you pray for!” After years of asking that God show me God’s plan for my life, the result was not what I wanted nor expected! And yet what a blessing it has been! I am a third-career pastor, after classroom teaching and tutoring, then full-time church work as a Christian Education Director at Prince of Peace in Burnsville, MN. I received a BA from the University of Minnesota, an MA from the University of St. Thomas, and then an M.Div degree from Luther Seminary. In 2000, I received my D.Min from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA.
After ordination in 1987, my first call was in the Chicago area; next, Tucson; then two calls in Southern California. Each place blessed me in different ways and offered opportunities for growth and travel. After returning to Minnesota in 2007, I began as Chaplain at Heritage of Edina, where I served for 14 years. I joined Central as a Visitation Pastor in 2009, although I had been preaching at the Sunday evening service from 2008 on.
I have two adult daughters and two granddaughters: Sarah lives in Minnetonka with her girls, Bailey and Kate; Elizabeth and her husband, JP, are currently living in Washington, DC. And after too many years and too many multiples of cats and dogs, I only have one dog, Tootsie, rescued during the pandemic and doing her best to keep me on a firm daily schedule of walks and playing fetch. But she is very sweet!
Besides reading and watching old black and white movies, I love to travel and have led 13 international tours with church people, as well as doing lots of personal travel on my own, including Pakistan, Tajikistan, Russia, and all the usual places, too.
God continues to bless me as I visit Central’s dear people and work with this great staff! My plan was not God’s, but you know whose was the better!