Weekly Updates

Pastor - Rev. Harold Usgaard

Rev. Harold “Huck” is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He holds degrees from Luther College and Luther Seminary, and was ordained a pastor in 1973.

He served as a pastor at Zumbro Lutheran in Rochester, MN; Mt. Hope Lutheran in West Allis, WI; and St. Olaf Lutheran in Austin, MN. Between 2001 and 2013, Huck was elected to two terms as Bishop of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod. Prior to retirement in 2018, he served as Assistant to the President for Church Relations at Portico Benefit Services, a ministry of the ELCA.

Huck and his wife, Lynette, live in Rosemount, MN, with their three adult children and three grandsons living close by (but expecting the birth of their first grand daughter soon)… perfect for attending games, concerts, family gatherings, and dog sitting.

Bethany Lutheran and Door County have been a valued summer experience for the whole family over a number of years. Activities shared and relationships renewed have been a blessing.

Pastor - Rev. Harold Usgaard

Rev. Harold “Huck” is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He holds degrees from Luther College and Luther Seminary, and was ordained a pastor in 1973.

He served as a pastor at Zumbro Lutheran in Rochester, MN; Mt. Hope Lutheran in West Allis, WI; and St. Olaf Lutheran in Austin, MN. Between 2001 and 2013, Huck was elected to two terms as Bishop of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod. Prior to retirement in 2018, he served as Assistant to the President for Church Relations at Portico Benefit Services, a ministry of the ELCA.

Huck and his wife, Lynette, live in Rosemount, MN, with their three adult children and three grandsons living close by (but expecting the birth of their first grand daughter soon)… perfect for attending games, concerts, family gatherings, and dog sitting.

Bethany Lutheran and Door County have been a valued summer experience for the whole family over a number of years. Activities shared and relationships renewed have been a blessing.

Pastor - Rev. Vicki Simon

Pastor Vicki Simon has been serving at Immanuel Lutheran Church in downtown Cedarburg, WI for the past 11 years. Vicki is so excited to return to Bethany and see her Bethany family this year!

This year on July 9th Pastor Vicki celebrated her 25th ordination anniversary of being a Lutheran pastor.

Pastor - Bishop Ann Edison Albright

The Rev. Anne Edison-Albright serves as bishop of the East Central Synod of Wisconsin. She previously served as Director of College Ministries and College Pastor at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and as pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

She's been a regular writer and curriculum editor for Augsburg Fortress and Sparkhouse since 2008. Bishop Anne loves opportunities to connect her current ministry with experiences from teaching high school English; her time as a short term missionary in China and Slovakia; and a year of residency as a hospital chaplain.

The Edison-Albrights--Anne, Sean, Walter (13) and Sally (11)-live in Appleton, Wisconsin and are members of Christus Lutheran Church in Greenville.

Pastor - Rev. Diane Dardon

Rev. Dr. Diane Dardón is the Director of Religious Diversity and Pastoral Care at DePaul University in Chicago where she also serves as the university’s Protestant Chaplain. Diane received her Doctorate of Ministry Degree in Ecumenism from Catholic Theological Union (Chicago) and is a graduate in the Masters of Divinity program from Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Prior to taking on responsibilities at DePaul, she served for several years as parish pastor, but her true ministry passion is within the academic setting. Diane is also faculty at Emmanuel Lutheran Global Seminary in Naples, FL, and is certified in spiritual direction.

Diane and her husband, Estuardo, have two children: Brian who is currently in LA, working as an engineer in the aerospace field at Boeing and Cathryn who just graduated from DePaul University and is preparing for grad school. The Dardón family enjoys travel and tries to spend time each year with Estuardo’s family in Guatemala.

Pastor - Rev. Clare Cheney Sedlacek

Pastor Clare Cheney Sedlacek is a graduate of Oconomowoc High School and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Pastor Clare previously worked as a high school teacher and coach, as well as in the television industry. In 2010, she earned a Master of Arts degree in Children, Youth, and Family Ministry from Luther Seminary. Following this, she served for eleven years at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Wisconsin, as their Children's Ministry Director.

In May 2020, Pastor Clare completed her Master of Divinity at Luther Seminary. Before her ordination, she served as Bridge Pastor for Living Hope Lutheran and Christ the King Lutheran in Ozaukee County. She was ordained and installed at Dr. Martin Luther Church in Oconomowoc on May 22, 2021.

Pastor Clare resides in Oconomowoc with her husband, Jim, an elementary physical education teacher with Milwaukee Public Schools. Their daughter, Anne, a 2023 graduate of Luther College, is currently pursuing a Master's of Music in Vocal Performance at Georgia State University in Atlanta.

Pastor - Rev. Michael Brecke

Michael Brecke was born in Ashland, Wisconsin, in 1946. He grew up in Mellen, Wisconsin, and graduated from high school in 1964. Received his B.S. degree from Wisconsin State University River Falls (1968), a Master’s of Divinity from Yale University Divinity School (1971), a Master’s of Sacred Theology from Concordia Seminary (1972), St. Louis and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago (1993). He is currently retired and doing some supply preaching, working on two children’s books, a book of memories, and a biography. He looks forward to working with Write On Door again and preaching at Bethany.

His parallel education was received from the Penokee Veneer Mill, Allis Chalmers Foundry, Mellen Weekly Record, Mellen Country Club (where he dug ditches), and numerous other jobs to make enough money to support his habit of education. He entered ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church Missiouri Synod in 1973. Became a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 1989.

He lost his wife Elizabeth “Betsy” Titterington in 2018. He has two children, Matthew and Anna.

Over the years he has written for several publications including community newspapers in Albany, Georgia; Kansas City, Missouri; Overland Park, Kansas, and Door County, Wisconsin. He is a frequent contributor to The Echo a publication effort in conjunction with Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. The Echo is devoted to telling the stories of our past.

He has served as a transitional minister in the Central States Synod, ELCA. He also started a homeless ministry called The Listening Post in 2016. Currently he still does some of his homeless ministry in the River Market Area of Kansas City, Missouri. He is also involved in Write On Door County and annually teaches a class on writing.

Pastor - Rev. Michael Brecke

Michael Brecke was born in Ashland, Wisconsin, in 1946. He grew up in Mellen, Wisconsin, and graduated from high school in 1964. Received his B.S. degree from Wisconsin State University River Falls (1968), a Master’s of Divinity from Yale University Divinity School (1971), a Master’s of Sacred Theology from Concordia Seminary (1972), St. Louis and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago (1993). He is currently retired and doing some supply preaching, working on two children’s books, a book of memories, and a biography. He looks forward to working with Write On Door again and preaching at Bethany.

His parallel education was received from the Penokee Veneer Mill, Allis Chalmers Foundry, Mellen Weekly Record, Mellen Country Club (where he dug ditches), and numerous other jobs to make enough money to support his habit of education. He entered ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church Missiouri Synod in 1973. Became a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 1989.

He lost his wife Elizabeth “Betsy” Titterington in 2018. He has two children, Matthew and Anna.

Over the years he has written for several publications including community newspapers in Albany, Georgia; Kansas City, Missouri; Overland Park, Kansas, and Door County, Wisconsin. He is a frequent contributor to The Echo a publication effort in conjunction with Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin. The Echo is devoted to telling the stories of our past.

He has served as a transitional minister in the Central States Synod, ELCA. He also started a homeless ministry called The Listening Post in 2016. Currently he still does some of his homeless ministry in the River Market Area of Kansas City, Missouri. He is also involved in Write On Door County and annually teaches a class on writing.

Pastor - Jerry Tews

Pastor Jerry was born and raised on a farm 20 miles west of Appleton, Wisconsin. The home, originally built by his grandfather, remains in the family, giving ample opportunity for trips “down memory lane.”

His first call was to a congregation in Nipigon, Ontario, Canada followed by one in Ashland, Wisconsin for two years. He joined the ELCA after 10 years in ministry serving as a parish pastor, hospital chaplain, and the Pastoral Director of a Wholistic Health Center. Most of his parish ministry took place in northern Illinois with stops in Mendota, Elgin, and Glenview before moving to Stoughton, Wisconsin in 2008.

Pastor Jerry has served as an interim pastor since coming to the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin. He has assisted congregations of the synod address anxiety and/or conflict in their setting. He now serves as a part time Pastor of Congregational Care at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Evansville, Wisconsin.

He and his wife Lynn have four sons along with four daughters-in-laws and seven grandchildren. They enjoy time together with their families. Hobbies have included wood turning, bee keeping, traveling, reading, as well as following selected sports teams.

Pastor - Rev. Dennis Ellisen

A native New Yorker, Pastor Ellisen received his college degree at Upsala College in New Jersey. Prior to receiving his Master of Divinity degree at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, he was a social worker in New York City. He served congregations in Rochester, and Albany, N. Y. before accepting a call to Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Appleton, Wisconsin in 1976. During his tenure, Our Saviour’s grew in membership to 2600 members. Pastor Ellisen has served on the executive board of the Large Church Conference of the ELCA. Since retirement in 2008, he has served as an Interim Pastor for the East Central Synod in various congregations. He has recently retired.

Pastor Ellisen and his wife Cathy have 4 children and 8 grandchildren. They enjoy traveling, golfing, and following their grandchildren at various college campuses and schools. They also enjoy quiet sunsets at their cottage on the bay outside of Dycksville.