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SENIOR PASTOR - Pastor Beth Marie Halvorsen
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Pastor Beth Marie Halvorsen, Senior Pastor, grew up in Northbrook, Illinois where she lived with her parents and two older brothers. Raised in the United Church of Christ and Methodist traditions, she was given a foundation of love and a call to service. A Lutheran perspective was shaped as a student at St. Olaf College and Luther Seminary in Minnesota. She served as pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Galveston (1984-1989) and associate pastor at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Austin (1990-2005). Pastor Beth began her current call at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in September, 2005.
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She married Russell in 1987. Russell, a graduate of Texas A&M, has served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps and as a major crimes detective with Travis County. Presently he is enjoying woodworking. Sarah, their daughter who was born in 1993, enjoys school, church, sports, family, friends, and pets.
Presently Pastor Beth is finishing her final project in the Doctor of Ministry program at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Her project is based on the “Model of Centered Flexibility” that she developed. Pastor Beth also has worked a great deal with people preparing for or beginning to serve in pastoral ministry. She has written a pamphlet, “Doing Faith: Basic Practices for Growing Christians” for the ELCA and an article on transformation for Lutheran Woman Today. Through the years, Pastor Beth also has participated in various global studies, travels, and mission trips (Europe, Middle East, Central America, China, South America). Pastor Beth also serves on the Board of Trustees for Augsburg Fortress.
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INTERIM ASSOCIATE PASTOR
Pastor Steve Quill
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Pastor Steve came to Lord of Life on June 1, 2007, to serve part-time as our associate pastor until the call committee brings a recommendation for a full time associate pastor.
Following his graduation from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, the Quills moved to Texas to begin his ministry. Pastor Steve served three congregations in Texas over a 35 year period. Most recently, he was the senior pastor for 26 years at New Hope Lutheran Church in Missouri City, Texas, on the southwest side of Houston. Before that he served Peace Lutheran in Austin and Hope Lutheran in San Antonio.
Pastor Steve will help lead the Witness and Stewardship ministries at Lord of Life. He is usually at LOL on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and three Sundays each month. He assists at worship and preaches once a month.
Pastor Steve also serves as the mission development coordinator for the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest (LSPS). LSPS is located in Austin and is a program of Wartburg Theological Seminary and the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.
Pastor Steve is married to Eileen, a teacher in the Fort Bend Independent School District. They have three married children and five grandchildren.
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PASTOR EMERITUS - Reverend Charles Kindsvatter
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The Reverend Charles Kindsvatter, "Pastor Chuck" as he prefers to be called, served as Senior Pastor of Lord of Life from August 26, 1990 until his retirement on November 28, 2004.
Pastor Chuck describes this congregation in the following manner: "Lord of Life is a safe place of God's unconditional love. We welcome all people in Christ's name and together we are a lively people, led by God's gracious Spirit. We trust that God's Spirit will continue to invite us to be a mission people as we gather to hear God's Good News in Jesus Christ and are sent to serve and share that news to our community."
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Pastor Chuck has 36 years of experience in the ordained ministry. Born in East Liverpool, Ohio, he was raised in Wooster, Ohio, the son of a Lutheran pastor and a schoolteacher. He has one sister, Beth, and a twin brother, John, who is also an ordained Lutheran pastor. Pastor Chuck received his Bachelor of Science Degree in American History at Wittenberg University; he received a Masters of Divinity Degree from the Lutheran School of Theology in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In 1968, he was ordained by his father at Zion Lutheran Church in Wooster.
Pastor Chuck received the Doctor of Ministry Degree from the Austin Presbyterian Seminary in 1987 and in 1999 received his certification as a spiritual director from The Cenacle Retreat Center in Houston. He has served parishes in Baltimore, Maryland; Dallas, Texas and Austin, Texas.
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Pastor Chuck and his wife Barbara reside in The Woodlands. Barbara is a dental chair assistant at The Woodlands Dental Group. They have been married 32 years. Matthew graduated from Texas Lutheran University in 1999 and is now the Program Director for Crosswise Ministries at Camp Lutherhill in LaGrange, Texas. Amy graduated from the University of Texas in Austin in 1999. She is an educational resource person for The Children's Museum of Houston and focuses her work in the bilingual programs. Amy is married to Todd Lawson who works for Accenture Consulting in Houston.
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