Weekly Updates

Pastor – Rev. John Rollefson

John Rollefson, a native of Oconomowoc and graduate of Luther College, currently resides in retirement in San Luis Obispo on California’s central coast, having served as pastor of urban and campus congregations in San Francisco, Milwaukee, Ann Arbor and Los Angeles as well as interims in Solvang and London. His wife of 46 years, Ruth, is a church musician and vocal music teacher who last week served as guest musician at Holden Village. They have two sons, Griff and Jake, and two grandchildren Augie and Zadie. John’s most recent accomplishment was the publication of a trilogy of books entitled “Postils for Preaching: Commentaries on the Revised Common Lectionary, Years A, B and C.

Pastor – Rev. Phil Haslanger

Rev. Phil Haslanger retired in June of 2017 as the pastor of Memorial United Church of Christ in Fitchburg, WI. Ministry was his second career. For 34 years, he was a journalist in a variety of roles for the Capital Times in Madison. He thinks of retirement as more like redeployment. In addition to doing supply preaching at a number of congregations in the Madison area, he is chairman of the advisory board of the Center for Journalism Ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; a member of the board of the Madison-area Urban Ministry; part of the Leadership Circle of Dane County’s Domestic Violence Coordinated Community Response and works as a volunteer with Domestic Abuse Intervention Services.

He enjoys reading, music, walking, traveling and having time to just hang out with his wife, Ellen Reuter. Phil and Ellen are delighted to have the chance to return to Bethany.

Pastor – Rev. Fran Odden

Rev. Fran Odden Lives in Milwaukee, WI and spends some wintertime in Arizona. He is a graduate of Luther College and Luther Seminary. Pr. Odden served parishes in Sandusky, Ohio, Minneapolis, MN and Milwaukee, WI. He also served as Interim Campus Pastor at Luther College and Interim on the Greater Milwaukee Synod Staff.

When Pr. Odden has some free time you may find him on a golf course.

Pastor – Rev. Joel Schlachtenhaufen

Pastor Joel Schlachtenhaufen graduated from Wartburg Seminary after interning in Brazil. He served the National Indian Lutheran Board, International Volunteer Services, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Arizona Indian Ministry, St. Olaf’s Milwaukee Urban Semester, Wilderness Lutheran Church of the Stockbridge Mohican Community and St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Neenah. In retirement he has been involved in interfaith relations, ESTHER justice ministry and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Romania.

Ask Pr. Joel and Susan about “Friends of Transylvania” an effort by Lutherans in Romania to connect with ELCA individuals, congregations, and institutions. They were there in May and June. Their email address is sjschlach.gmail.com. Or ask them about their L.A. Sons Steffen (Melissa and Felix) and Andy.

Pastor – Rev. Joel Schlachtenhaufen

Pastor Joel Schlachtenhaufen graduated from Wartburg Seminary after interning in Brazil. He served the National Indian Lutheran Board, International Volunteer Services, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Arizona Indian Ministry, St. Olaf’s Milwaukee Urban Semester, Wilderness Lutheran Church of the Stockbridge Mohican Community and St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Neenah. In retirement he has been involved in interfaith relations, ESTHER justice ministry and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Romania.

Ask Pr. Joel and Susan about “Friends of Transylvania” an effort by Lutherans in Romania to connect with ELCA individuals, congregations, and institutions. They were there in May and June. Their email address is sjschlach.gmail.com. Or ask them about their L.A. Sons Steffen (Melissa and Felix) and Andy.

Pastor – Rev. Dr. Stan Olson

Testament Professor, synod bishop, churchwide executive and seminary president. His writing includes co-authorship of Opening the Book of Faith. He and his wife Nancy have two daughters and four grand children. Being part of the young ones’ lives is his prime vocation now, along with some volunteer roles in their Minneapolis congregation and beyond.

We welcome Rev. Dr. Stan Olson and his wife, Nancy to Bethany.

Pastor – Bishop Gerald Mansholt

Bishop Mansholt is the current bishop of the East Central Synod of the ELCA. He is married to Anita, a retired middle school math teacher. They have two married daughters, Christa and Monica along with five grandchildren.

This past year Bishop Mansholt has been working with congregations in a Spirit-led journey called Re-imagining Church. Re-imagining Church invites congregational leaders into a process of listening, discerning, experimenting and reflecting as they ponder the Good News of God and the challenges facing congregations. It is some of the most energizing work with which he is engaged. Both lay and pastoral leaders learn to speak of God’s Promised Future in Jesus Christ and open themselves to the leading of the Spirit.

Pastor – Rev. Gisele Berninghaus

Pastor Gisele Berninghaus is Lead Pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Marshfield, WI. She worked for 13 years with Hands of Deaf Ministry, an ecumenical ministry supported by ELCA, Episcopal, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ and Methodist churches. Her daughter Anastasia was born in Kankakee, Il where Gisele served American Lutheran Church and her son Nathaniel was born while she was serving congregations in Caribou and Stockholm, Maine. Gisele graduated from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD and Lutheran Seminary in Gettysburg, PA. She interned in Baltimore MD, and was a teacher with the deaf in Des Moines, IA. Tim Van Eyck met Gisele on a confusing mission trip to New Orleans after hurricane Katrina and they have happily been attempting to sort things out ever since.

Pastor – Rev. Victoria Simon

Pastor Vicki is serving Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cedarburg, WI. She enjoys meditating, and studies with Lama Surya Das, practicing yoga, reading, writing and savoring Wisconsin summers. Pastor Vickie is delighted to be back with her Bethany family!

Pastor – Rev. Diane Dardon

Rev. Dardon did her undergraduate work at University of Wisconsin-Stout and received her Master of Divinity from Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Currently, Rev. Dardon is the DePaul University Protestant Chaplain.

She is married to Estuardo who is from Guatemala and they reside in Prospect Heights, IL. They have two children, a son Brian in college and an adopted daughter (from Guatemala) Cathryn, in high school. The family likes to travel, especially to visit family and work on the School of the Saints in Guatemala. They also travel extensively throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.