St. Peter Lutheran Church, Greene, Iowa
Principal gifts officer, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.
St. Peter has a long history with my wife’s family. Her parents grew up in Greene, and her grandfather was pastor there from the 1940s to the 1960s. Her father and uncle both became Lutheran pastors too. That’s the long story, but the short one is that we built a cabin in Greene in 2010 and started spending weekends there in summers and attending services at St. Peter. In 2020, when we downsized from our house in Decorah [Iowa] and our cabin in Greene to one home, we added onto the cabin to make it our smaller home—and also moved her pottery business (Prairie Patterns) to a building downtown. It was only natural to transfer membership to St. Peter, and we have enjoyed it and been engaged there since.
I’m involved in both church council and the stewardship and finance committee at St. Peter, plus regular roles on Sunday as lector, communion assistant, opening and closing the church, etc. In addition, we have represented our church at the Northeastern Iowa Synod assemblies over the past several years. During our transition time (two years, three months without a full-time pastor), I was involved with recruiting supply pastors plus often stepping in as a lay leader for services, sermons and helping another local pastor with Advent and Lenten midweek services. I believe we all need to step forward to share our time, talents and treasures, so I do what I can to assist but also be a leader by example to others.
There’s lots of history for us going to St. Peter, so it’s fun to have people and families who knew that rich history for my wife’s family here. We were welcomed with open arms and accepted quickly into this tight-knit community.
My start in development came in 1986 as a planned gift officer—think giving from estates—at Luther College [Decorah] after early training and background in sales, insurance and investments. That was the beginning of what is now a 40-year career in development. Then I spent 22 years in leadership roles at both Luther and Augustana University in Sioux Falls [S.D.]. Ten years ago, I left higher education and transitioned to Mayo Clinic. In my role as principal gifts officer, I’m privileged to work with grateful patients and generous benefactors who invest their philanthropic support for patient care, research and education priorities at the premiere medical institution in our country.
There are two simple rules I follow, not only in my vocation but life in general: 1. Listen. 2. You have to ask.
It’s a privilege and honor to build relationships with generous benefactors at Mayo Clinic, and with donors to the colleges prior to that, who are literally transforming the world through their generous support. I feel called to this work, and I love this quote from Henri J. M. Nouwen in his book A Spirituality of Fundraising: “Fundraising is, first and foremost, a form of ministry. … Fundraising is proclaiming what we believe in such a way that we offer other people an opportunity to participate with us in our vision and mission.” I think this should be our approach for giving to our churches and to the nonprofit organizations we’re involved with—such as our colleges and institutions like Mayo Clinic. Can you tell I love what I do?
There are two simple rules I follow, not only in my vocation but life in general: 1. Listen. Truly listening to someone is a great gift and will lead to a relationship for long-term success in this work and world. Respect yourself and others—another key to relationships. (As Jesus would say, love thy neighbor as yourself—yes, that neighbor!) 2. You have to ask. Everything is ultimately “sales,” and you need to ask to get the order—whether it’s a generous philanthropic gift, selling a product or service or even inviting someone to come to your church.
The ELCA Foundation is a great separately incorporated ministry (SIM) of the ELCA. (It has a short history as a SIM, but I think it’s important to note.) It was an honor to be invited into the role as a Foundation board member several years ago, and surrounded by some talented, caring fellow board members—and staff—in our work to promote planned gift opportunities for the church. It is the work of all the church’s ministries, small and large, that we provide services and investment management for.
While serving on the ELCA Foundation board, we have witnessed tremendous growth in the assets we manage for hundreds of ministries, as well as the churchwide organization. That’s great to see and to have been a part of, but I know the potential for who we can serve, and how we can impact the church and all ministries, is just beginning to grow. We need more people to understand the opportunities they have for making plans and continuing their impact on the church, now and in the future.
Luther College was where I got my start in development but also in life. My faith journey; marrying my wife, Dawn; having our family; meeting colleagues, lifelong friends and teammates; and the core of who I am today grew out of attending an ELCA college. Dawn was an inspiration to me in growing my faith, from involvement in our daily chapel attendance in college to making the choice of joining a church together and raising our family in those congregations. These all led to my choices, paths and blessings in my life.
The core of who I am today grew out of attending an ELCA college.
I pray for our family, friends and both the local and greater church, and for helping understand my own calling and role in helping others. “God’s work. Our hands.” is a great theme for the ELCA: sometimes we don’t understand what we need to do to make a difference in this world, and sometimes we ignore the calls for being involved. My biggest prayer is that we all do what we can to care for this world and for God’s people: civility, love and care for the world and resources that God has provided to us.
For me, my wife is the key witness for how one can follow a calling and make a difference through work and involvement. She is an inspiration through her Prayer Pebbles pottery and everyone who’s been touched by that ministry. Her father, Pastor John Deines, was another inspiration of love and deep care of others; what an impact he made as a Lutheran campus minister, and in his simple acceptance and love of all people, over the years.
Grace is the undeserved and yet generous gift from God of his son, who died for us so we too can have the gift of eternal life. We can never earn that; it is freely given to us as children of God.
I’m a Lutheran because I was born into the Lutheran church as a baby, baptized and confirmed there, went to a Lutheran college and married a fellow lifelong Lutheran, so we continued our journey together. It was just one puzzle piece after another that kept me on this consistent path—and I’ve loved the whole journey!
If you’d like to nominate someone for “I’m a Lutheran,” email livinglutheran@elca.org.
