Weekly Updates

Pastor – Rev. Emily Tveite

Pastor Emily Tveite began her work at Lutheran Campus Ministry in August 2015. She was born and raised in Austin, Texas and earned her undergraduate degree in Religion from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. She completed her seminary studies at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. During that time, she served as Intern at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Vancouver, WA.

The experience of working in the Pacific Northwest inspired her passion for journeying with those new to the Christian faith and equipped her for working in a climate of declining religiosity. More recently, Pastor Emily served as Associate Pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Oregon, WI, where her work focused on faith formation for all ages.

Her husband, Paul Tveite, is a Software Engineer. They are parents to toddler Eleanor. Emily enjoys cooking and eating, playing board games, and reading. She loves to travel and especially visiting America’s National Parks.

Off-Season Livestream

While Bethany is closed for the winter season, we direct viewers to Emmanuel Lutheran in Naples, Florida. Their services are streamed Sunday at 8:30 am Central Time (9:30 am Eastern Time).
 
Bethany services will resume on Sunday, May 26, 2019.

Pastor – Rev. Dennis Tollefson

Pastor Dennis Tollefson is currently retired and lives with his wife Mary in Minnetonka, MN. He has served parishes in Vermillion and Wakonda, SD; Fargo, ND; Madison, WI; Cambridge, MN and Ham Lake, MN.

Dennis graduated from St. Olaf College and served three years as an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. He attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. Dennis and Mary have three married daughters and eight grandchildren. Last fall Dennis officiated at the wedding of his oldest grandson Alex Wolsky to Bethany Winkels.

He recently taught a 2-hour class at Westwood Lutheran Church in St. Louis Park, MN on Bread for the World.

Dennis and Mary have been serving at Bethany for 25 years since coming for the first time in 1993.

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.