Weekly Updates

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. 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 most recently 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, having served as campus pastor at Northern Illinois University and at the University of Northern Iowa.

Diane’s greatest joy is delighting in her Guatemalan-American family. Most recently she and her husband, Esturado, cheered on their son, Brian, as he graduated from the Unviersity of Illinois-Champaign/Urbana and began an exciting engineering career with Boeing. Estuardo and Diane also celebrate their daughter’s work in Peace Studies at DePaul and as she serves as a Vaccination Ambassador, encouraging peers to get COVID-19 vaccinations. The Dardón family enjoys travel and especially leading mission and immersion trips to Estuardo’s home in Guatemala where they have worked with hundreds of students in building or supporting schools, houses, libraries, orphanages and senior care centers.

Pastor - Rev. Michael Brecke

Michael Brecke was born in Ashland, Wisconsin, in 1946. He grew up in Mellen, Wisconsin, 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).

His education also included the jobs he held at: 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 has served churches in Georgia, Kansas, and Wisconsin. Over the years he has written for newspapers and a variety of local and regional publications.

Pastor - Rev. Michael Brecke

Michael Brecke was born in Ashland, Wisconsin, in 1946. He grew up in Mellen, Wisconsin, 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).

His education also included the jobs he held at: 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 has served churches in Georgia, Kansas, and Wisconsin. Over the years he has written for newspapers and a variety of local and regional publications.

Pastor - Rev. Emily Tveite

Rev. Emily Tveite has served as the Campus Pastor and Director at Lutheran Campus Ministry in Madison, Wisconsin since 2015. She was born and raised in Austin, Texas and earned her undergraduate degree at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. She completed her seminary studies at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. She served as intern at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Vancouver, Washington. 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. Pastor Emily is married to Paul, a software engineer at Google. They are parents to four-year-old Eleanor and almost-two-year-old Vera. The Tveites enjoy cooking and baking, reading, playing board games, and going for family bike rides.

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 25 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. 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. Presently he serves as the Interim Pastor at Atonement Lutheran in Green Bay.

Pastor Ellisen and his wife Cathy have 4 children and 8 grandchildren. They enjoy traveling, golfing, and watching the grandchildren participate in a myriad of middle school and high school sporting events. They also enjoy quiet sunsets at their cottage on the bay outside of Dycksville.

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. Presently he serves as the Interim Pastor at Atonement Lutheran in Green Bay.

Pastor Ellisen and his wife Cathy have 4 children and 8 grandchildren. They enjoy traveling, golfing, and watching the grandchildren participate in a myriad of middle school and high school sporting events. They also enjoy quiet sunsets at their cottage on the bay outside of Dycksville.

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 47 years. They have three grown children and six grandchildren ages 6-13. 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. 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 25 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.