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 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. Josef Aalbue

I was born on D-Day. My father, a pastor, and my mother served Central Lutheran in Eugene, OR. We moved to Hope Lutheran in Tacoma, WA where I graduated from Pacific Lutheran University. After earning my MDiv from Luther Seminary in 1970, I served congregations in Texas, South Dakota, and Washington State. I am married to Sally Schlachtenhaufen (sister of Joel Schlachtenhaufen who served at Bethany for many summers).

After my 1st retirement I served local congregations in need of pastoral care. I recently retired for the 5th time— hopefully for the last time—after 51 years of ministry. Sally and I garden, read, and host regular gatherings for retired pastors and spouses, widows, and seminary students. I am trying to switch from reading mysteries to non-fiction books.

Pastor - Rev. Josef Aalbue

I was born on D-Day. My father, a pastor, and my mother served Central Lutheran in Eugene, OR. We moved to Hope Lutheran in Tacoma, WA where I graduated from Pacific Lutheran University. After earning my MDiv from Luther Seminary in 1970, I served congregations in Texas, South Dakota, and Washington State. I am married to Sally Schlachtenhaufen (sister of Joel Schlachtenhaufen who served at Bethany for many summers).

After my 1st retirement I served local congregations in need of pastoral care. I recently retired for the 5th time— hopefully for the last time—after 51 years of ministry. Sally and I garden, read, and host regular gatherings for retired pastors and spouses, widows, and seminary students. I am trying to switch from reading mysteries to non-fiction books.

Service of Remembrance and Commendation for Rev. Donald Ray Just

November 23, 1939 – April 27, 2020

Bethany Lutheran Church
Ephraim, Wisconsin
Aug. 30, 2021
10:00 AM CST

Pastor - Rev. John Rollefson

John Rollefson, a native of Oconomowoc, Is a retired ELCA pastor having served urban and campus congregations in San Francisco, Milwaukee, Ann Arbor and Los Angeles with interims in Solvang and London. His schooling has taken him from Decorah to New Haven to Edinburgh, and from London to Berkeley, with stops along the way at Collegeville and Cambridge, Mass.

He lives in San Luis Obispo on California’s central coast with his wife Ruth, a retired vocal music teacher and church musician. They have two grown sons who live with their families in Cork, Ireland and Shorewood, WI. They are expecting their fourth grandchild in October.

John is the author of a trilogy of books, Postils for Preaching: Commentaries on the Revised Common Lectionary, Years A, B & C and reviews books for the journal Currents in Theology and Mission.

Pastor - Rev. Ken Smith

Pastor Ken Smith and his wife, Judy, live in Madison, Wisconsin. He is retired and continues to be active in ministry as the visitation pastor at Midvale Community Lutheran Church which he also served in the 1980’s as a young associate pastor. Over the years he has served congregations in Madison, Janesville, and Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and has been the Associate Director for Christian Education at the churchwide office in Chicago during the 1990’s.

His current focus is elder fellowship in congregational life and facilitating Midvale’s Adult Bible School. This summer’s theme is Life in God’s Garden. He and Judy spend time visiting family in Chicago and Peoria, taking care of their places in Egg Harbor and Madison, and walking their active goldendoodle, Annie. Judy is currently the chaplain at Central Wisconsin Center, one of three state centers offering services to assist people living with intellectual disabilities.

Pastor - Rev. John Rollefson

John Rollefson, a native of Oconomowoc, Is a retired ELCA pastor having served urban and campus congregations in San Francisco, Milwaukee, Ann Arbor and Los Angeles with interims in Solvang and London. His schooling has taken him from Decorah to New Haven to Edinburgh, and from London to Berkeley, with stops along the way at Collegeville and Cambridge, Mass.

He lives in San Luis Obispo on California’s central coast with his wife Ruth, a retired vocal music teacher and church musician. They have two grown sons who live with their families in Cork, Ireland and Shorewood, WI. They are expecting their fourth grandchild in October.

John is the author of a trilogy of books, Postils for Preaching: Commentaries on the Revised Common Lectionary, Years A, B & C and reviews books for the journal Currents in Theology and Mission.

Pastor - Rev. Gisele Berninghaus

Pastor Gisele Berninghaus served Faith Lutheran in Marshfield, WI until her recent retirement at the beginning of this year. She worked for 13 years with Hands of Christ 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 served 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 DesMoines, IA.

Tim Van Eyck met Gisele on a confusing mission trip to New Orleans after hurricane Katrina and they have happily been sharing life’s challenges and blessings ever since.

Pastor - Rev. Gisele Berninghaus

Pastor Gisele Berninghaus served Faith Lutheran in Marshfield, WI until her recent retirement at the beginning of this year. She worked for 13 years with Hands of Christ 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 served 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 DesMoines, IA. Tim Van Eyck met Gisele on a confusing mission trip to New Orleans after hurricane Katrina and they have happily been sharing life’s challenges and blessings ever since.

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.