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| The Website of Faith Lutheran Church, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin |
Member, Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod . |
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Rev. Bill Plautz was born in Wausau, WI, on June 21, 1955. He attended Lutheran elementary schools for eight years. Telling his parents at the age of six that he wanted to be a pastor, he entered Concordia College High School in Milwaukee. Upon graduation in 1973, he attended Concordia Junior College, graduating in 1975. He enrolled at Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, IN, earning a Bachelors in Psychology in 1977. That same year he entered Concordia Seminary which had relocated to the Senior College campus, graduating in 1981 with a Masters of Divinity. Rev. Plautz married Rosemary Bernhardt at Trinity Lutheran Church, Freistadt, WI in 1977. They have two children. Daughter, Allison, lives in Rock Falls, WI, with her husband Joe and son Brecken. Their son Chris is currently a senior at Ferris State Univ. in Big Rapids, MI, studying Professional Golf Management. He will be married the summer of 2008 to Julie Kushion. His favorite pastimes include golf and bow hunting. His favorite work passion is preaching the good news of what God has done for this world in Jesus. A Pivotal Point in His Ministry: "For some years the congregation was feeling a space pinch. In 1991, we established a steering committee to explore the prospect of expanding the facilities. We entered the capital fund campaign in 1995, but held construction to bolster support. With the majority of the needed funds on hand, the Building Committee determined to break ground in 1999. Construction was completed and the addition dedicated in 2000. Our excitement now is the restructuring of the congregation to be more flexible in meeting the spiritual and physical needs of those in our community and beyond.”
Rev. Mathews married Eunice Labbus of Antigo in 1978. They have three boys, Aaron who is a middle school teacher in Houston, TX. Joel, who teaches high school, and lives with his wife Michelle in Kansas City, and Caleb who is presently attending the University of NE in Lincoln. Favorite
pastime activities include working out at the YMCA, mountain biking
and running. A Pivotal
Point in his Spiritual Growth: "Throughout my DCE ministry,
people had always told me that I should be a pastor. In the
mid to late 1990’s, the congregation I was serving was going through
a period of transition and I felt it was God nudging me to go to the
seminary and be trained to preach. The experience at the
seminary was helpful for me spiritually in many ways. In
addition, I presently am excited about the dreaming and planning
that is beginning to happen in order to shape the future of ministry
here at Faith Lutheran." |
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Rev.
Craig Mathews was born in Topeka, KS, on February 17,
1954. After graduating from Topeka High School, he
attended St. John Lutheran College in Winfield, KS and earned an
Associate in Arts degree in 1974. He then transferred to
Concordia College (Univ.) in St. Paul, MN. and in 1977,
received a Bachelor of Arts degree. He was originally trained
and certified as a Lutheran elementary classroom teacher as well as
a Director of Christian Education. In 1987 he received a
Master’s of Parish Education degree from Concordia College
(University) in Seward, NE and in 1998 he enrolled at Concordia
Seminary in St. Louis and in 2000 earned an Alternate Route
Certificate.