I grew up in Upper Michigan and Northern Wisconsin. We now live in North Minneapolis. I went to Augsburg University in Minneapolis for my Bachelor of Arts and Luther Seminary in St. Paul, where I earned a Master of Divinity.
I have been a busser of tables, a florist, a grocery store clerk, a research assistant, a tour guide, a summer-school teacher, a liturgical dance choreographer, an archival assistant, a writer, a disaster relief coordinator, and a pastor. I have worked at Central since May of 2013.
I am married to Larye, and we have two kids. Myles/Evy is almost 18 and will be studying at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon in the fall of 2024. Lauryn is our youngest, and she is going to be a first-year student at St. Louis Park High School. Both kids love making and being in the midst of art. Myles/Evy is proud to be autistic, and Lauryn is a great basketball player. We also have two little dogs: Mouse and Kiba.
We love to travel and eat good food. We were in India in early 2024 for a wedding for one of Larye’s friends from work. It was amazing to have the kids with us to experience a culture, climate, and people very different from the U.S. and get to see the beauty of that place and the people of northern India.
I am the oldest child and an xennial. I am also a three on the Enneagram. All of that means I could babysit my brothers from an early age, and no one makes Kraft Mac and Cheese from a box better. All of who I am goes into making me the pastor that I am.
As a pastor, I love all the people I get to walk with and the ways they invite us pastors into their lives for the hardest moments and the most joyful moments. I love that the Holy Spirit has already been in these places with our folks, and my job is to just point out what she is up to in our lives.
I deeply believe that God created us in good and for good. We are loved more than we can possibly imagine. That same God wants to see us thrive, so our basic needs as human beings shouldn’t depend on our socio-economic status or our geographical location as to whether those needs are met. Housing is a human right. Water is a human right. Dignity is a human right. I spend a great deal of my life securing these things for all of God’s people. All people are God’s people.