This page is for call committees, so you can have some idea about me before contacting me.
  I served as Pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Esterhazy and New Stockholm Lutheran Church in Stockholm, SK, from October 1, 1996 to August 31, 2003. Despite all attempts, I have still gotten 7 years older, and decided at the close of 2001 that I would begin looking for a new call .  On December 17, 2003 I became a Canadian citizen, an exciting time for me.
  I have 3 daughters, living in Seattle, Washington; and Clovis and Fresno, California. Lisa, my daughter in Clovis, has a daughter Emma, 3, and son Ian, (almost 2).  Cindy, my daughter in Fresno, has a son Christopher, 16, and daughter Christina, 18.  I was in Fresno last in June 2004 for the funeral of Cindy's son Jacob, 14.  Katie, my daughter in Seattle, is 15 and has a while to go before giving me grandchildren.
  I have numerous interests, and have tried to keep them alive here. There is a little theater group in Esterhazy to which I have belonged since it began the year I arrived, and I have had a great time appearing in plays like Arsenic and Old Lace. My interest in theater began when I was in college, and I later worked some with my father-in-law, who was a scenery designer/constructor.
  As may be obvious from this being on a website, I am also interested in the computer, and what can be done with it. I use it as a source for study material in preparing my sermons, in keeping up with what is happening in the church, and in keeping in contact with my daughters as well as a number of high school friends. I have been following the development in the ELCIC of the RASMUS program for the work of the church. I think that it has a great potential for making communication in the church more effective, but it may be a bit expensive for a small church.
  I was on the Communications Committee of the Saskatchewan Synod for over 5 years until the committee became a victim of budget cuts in the Synod.   I served on the Board of Directors of the St. Paul Lutheran Home in Melville until this summer, when my 2 terms were up.  Both of those groups had meetings at times when I did not have to take time off from the work of the parish.   
  I also love to write. I have been writing poetry for myself which I have shared with friends, and each of the last 3 issues in the Canada Lutheran in 2000 contained one of my poems.  I have also had one article printed there about the disappearance of the grain elevators from the prairies, and one other poem printed in the Saskatchewan Synod section of the magazine in summer 2001. As well I  have been writing articles in the local newspaper, where our ministerial has a column which all the pastors share in writing.
  I hope that these pages and the photos on them will give you an idea of who I am. I look forward to hearing from you on the phone, and meeting your call committee in person. I will not put my telephone number on this page, just to keep a bit of privacy because one never knows who will be looking at the page. My telephone numbers will be on the information that the Bishop gives to the committee. Here is a link to my email address, in case you wish to write. If you would like to see a sample sermon, there are links below.  You may find on the sermon pages a few more photos, including a  photo or two of my daughters, and my newest grandchildren

May God be with you in your search for a Pastor to lead you and walk with you into the future.

September 16, 2001
I chose this one because it felt right, and deals with both the Gospel and the happenings in the world, at that time the terrorist attacks in the US, in a way that is pretty much the way that I normally preach. Of course, there were things added in the pulpit, which are not added here.
May 26, 2002--Trinity Sunday
I have included this sermon because it shows how I approach preaching at normal times.
September 1, 2002 Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
I include this sermon because it deals a lot with forgiveness, and I have found that forgiveness seems to be strangely lacking in much of the church.
January 5, 2003 Second Sunday after Christmas
I have included this sermon mainly because I like it. There are a lot of things to deal with after Christmas, and I tried to deal with the end of the season, and the continuing work of the church.
April 6, 2003  Fifth Sunday in Lent
Rules, rules--is it all about rules?  Sometimes we forget about forgiveness, and love, when we so strongly insist on "following the rules."  I tried to deal with that a bit in this sermon.
August 31, 2003
This was my last sermon at the Cross & Spire Lutheran Parish as Pastor.  I have included it because it shows something of my feelings toward the congregation, and of my ideas.  I pray that I will be able to find a call to another congregation which will share in the dream of Christ.
August 8, 2004
At a time when we are battered with warnings about terror, and fear seems to have become a way of communication, we hear the words of Jesus:  "Fear not, little flock,.."
Prayer of the Church Series
The link above will lead you to the index of a collection I am beginning of Prayers of the Church over the last 6 or so years while I was serving the parish in Esterhazy/Stockholm.   The collection is not yet complete but I am adding to it as I have time on my days off.

Revised August 12, 2004