

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.
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 (Univ.) in Seward, NE., and in 1998 he enrolled at
Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and in 2000 earned an Alternate
Route Certificate.
Rev. Mathews
married Eunice Labbus of Antigo, WI., in 1978. They have three
boys. Aaron is a middle school Social Studies teacher in Houston,
TX. He and his wife Jen have 2 children, Carli and Chance. Joel,
who is a high school Social Studies teacher, lives with his wife
Michelle in Kansas City. They have 1 daughter, Reagan. Caleb is
working for a student loan company in Lincoln, NE. He and his
fiancé, Emily, are planning a summer wedding in 2010.
Favorite pastime
activities include working out at the YMCA, mountain biking and
running. His ministry passion is teaching and leading Bible study.
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 as DCE 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. Presently my current
involvement with the Pastoral Leadership Institute
is helping me to refocus and shape the ministry here
at Faith Lutheran so that together we can help people both within
and outside the congregation make a connection to Jesus.
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