Weekly Updates

Pastor - Rev. Larry Pinnow

Pastor Larry Pinnow grew up on a farm south of Brodhead, WI. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Luther College, Bachelor of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, a Master of Sacred Theology and a Doctor of Ministry from Wartburg Seminary.

Larry served congregations in Racine, Monroe and Madison. Since retirement he has served 12 congregations as an Interim.

Larry has been married to Mary for 26 years. He has three children with his first wife who died of cancer, eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

He loves to read history, travel and enjoy their house on the north side of Madison.

Pastor - Rev. John Rollefson

John Rollefson, a native of Oconomowoc is a farm boy brought up in a little Norwegian congregation that was founded in 1844. He is a graduate of Luther College and Yale Divinity School and has served urban and campus congregations in San Francisco, Milwaukee, Ann Arbor and Los Angeles with interims in Solvang and London. He is married to Ruth Gordon, a retired public school vocal music teacher and church musician, with whom he recently celebrated his 50th anniversary of marriage. They live in retirement in San Luis Obispo, CA where they enjoy tennis, golf, hiking, travel, wine tasting and concert–going. They are the parents of two sons: Griff, a professor of musicology who with his wife Mary and two children, Augie and Zadie, live in Cork, Ireland where he and Mary teach at University College, Cork; and Jake, a sales executive with Pandora/Sirius, who with his wife Julianne and two children George and Andrew, live in Shorewood, WI.

Pastor - Rev. John Rollefson

John Rollefson, a native of Oconomowoc is a farm boy brought up in a little Norwegian congregation that was founded in 1844. He is a graduate of Luther College and Yale Divinity School and has served urban and campus congregations in San Francisco, Milwaukee, Ann Arbor and Los Angeles with interims in Solvang and London. He is married to Ruth Gordon, a retired public school vocal music teacher and church musician, with whom he recently celebrated his 50th anniversary of marriage. They live in retirement in San Luis Obispo, CA where they enjoy tennis, golf, hiking, travel, wine tasting and concert–going. They are the parents of two sons: Griff, a professor of musicology who with his wife Mary and two children, Augie and Zadie, live in Cork, Ireland where he and Mary teach at University College, Cork; and Jake, a sales executive with Pandora/Sirius, who with his wife Julianne and two children George and Andrew, live in Shorewood, WI.

Pastor - Rev. Clare Cheney Sedlacek

Pastor Clare Cheney Sedlacek is the pastor at Dr. Martin Luther Church in Oconomowoc. She is a graduate of Oconomowoc High School and the University of Wisconsin- LaCrosse. She has previously been a high school teacher and coach, and also worked in the television industry. She received a Master of Arts degree in Children, Youth and Family Ministry from Luther Seminary in 2010, and served as the Children’s Ministry Director at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Wisconsin for eleven years. Pastor Clare graduated from Luther Seminary in May of 2020. Prior to being ordained, 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 - Rev. Clare Cheney Sedlacek

Pastor Clare Cheney Sedlacek is the pastor at Dr. Martin Luther Church in Oconomowoc. She is a graduate of Oconomowoc High School and the University of Wisconsin- LaCrosse. She has previously been a high school teacher and coach, and also worked in the television industry. She received a Master of Arts degree in Children, Youth and Family Ministry from Luther Seminary in 2010, and served as the Children’s Ministry Director at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Plymouth, Wisconsin for eleven years. Pastor Clare graduated from Luther Seminary in May of 2020. Prior to being ordained, 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 - Rev. Gerald Mansholt

Pastor Gerald Mansholt and his wife Anita spent the past year exploring the richly diverse life and culture of Southeast Louisiana, including alligators, Cajun food, crawfish boils, and hurricane survival while Jerry served as Interim Pastor of Hosanna Lutheran Church in Mandeville. Early in his ministry Jerry served as parish pastor in Oklahoma, St. Louis, and Wichita, Kansas. Later he served as bishop, first in the ELCA Central States Synod (Missouri/Kansas) and then in the ELCA East Central Synod of Wisconsin. This past March Jerry and Anita led a group of 16 people on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, including visits to ministries of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Jordan and the Holy Land. Pastor Jerry and Anita live in Appleton, Wisconsin where they are getting reacquainted with their neighbors after a 15-month absence.

Pastor - Rev. Norman Wahl

Pastor Norman Wahl retired in October 2020 after 41 years as a pastor of the ELCA. His last 24 years were as Executive Pastor at Bethel Lutheran in Rochester, Minnesota. He also served in St. Charles, Minnesota; rural Alden, Minnesota; Viborg, South Dakota (church name–Bethany!); and on the staff of Augsburg College, both as Director of Church Relations and an adjunct professor of Religion. His internship was in Tomah, Wisconsin!

Kathy and Norm, high school sweethearts, have been married 48 years. They have three grown children and seven grandchildren ages 9 months to 14 years. They have done some traveling, including two week-long trips in Door County with family. “We are thankful to the people of Bethany for your kindnesses, and for sharing the great good news we have in Christ.”

Pastor - Rev. Harold Usgaard

The Rev. Harold “Huck” Usgaard is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He retired in 2018 after most recently serving as Assistant to the President for Church Relations at Portico Benefit Services, a ministry of the ELCA.

Huck is Bishop Emeritus of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, having served two six-year terms between 2001 and 2013. Prior to that, he had served as a pastor at Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester, MN; at Mt. Hope Lutheran Church in West Allis, WI; and at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Austin, MN. He holds degrees from Luther College and Luther Seminary, and was ordained a pastor in 1973.

Huck and his wife, Lynette, live in Rosemount, MN. They are proud parents to three grown children and two grandsons. This means that much of their time is spent attending their grandsons’ basketball games, soccer matches, and concerts… as well as providing dog sitting services for the family. And they couldn’t be happier.

July 16, 2022 - Rockenstein Wedding

Pastor - Rev. Harold Usgaard

The Rev. Harold “Huck” Usgaard is a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He retired in 2018 after most recently serving as Assistant to the President for Church Relations at Portico Benefit Services, a ministry of the ELCA.

Huck is Bishop Emeritus of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod, having served two six-year terms between 2001 and 2013. Prior to that, he had served as a pastor at Zumbro Lutheran Church in Rochester, MN; at Mt. Hope Lutheran Church in West Allis, WI; and at St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Austin, MN. He holds degrees from Luther College and Luther Seminary, and was ordained a pastor in 1973.

Huck and his wife, Lynette, live in Rosemount, MN. They are proud parents to three grown children and two grandsons. This means that much of their time is spent attending their grandsons’ basketball games, soccer matches, and concerts… as well as providing dog sitting services for the family. And they couldn’t be happier.