WELS | Nebraska District

The very serious responsibility of electing a new district president has begun to replace Pastor Joel Frank who will be retiring from full time ministry and finishing his 20 years of serving the Nebraska district as our president.  The men who have been nominated will then consider the calls that they currently hold and the calling that this body will be issuing.  The men who have been nominated are listed below in alphabetical order along with a short biography of each.

NAME: Rev. Philip Hirsch
2) Biographical:

• Wife’s name and current occupation: Kristi, part-time early learning center director
• City/State: Manhattan, KS
• Your Age: 50 Seven children. Ages: 18, 16, 15, 12, 12, 10, 10 years old

3) Service:

• Currently serving (congregation) Hope – Manhattan, KS
• Past full time service to congregations, schools, WELS etc.
• 1986-1988: NWC Tutor
• 1988-1992: Pastor, Peace Lutheran Church, Boulder, CO
• 1992-1998: NWC / MLC: Recruitment director / professor
• 1998-present: Pastor, Hope, Manhattan, KS

4) Synodical and District Positions (past and present)

• District Worship Coordinator: 1991-1992;
• District Evangelism Committee member / coordinator: 2002-2010;
• Synod Board for Ministerial Education Chairman (Synodical Council position): 2009-present

NAME: Rev. Tom Jeske
2) Biographical:

• Wife’s name and current occupation: Liz; University of Nebraska, Agronomy lab worker and Grad student
• City/State: Omaha, Nebraska
• Your Age: 54 Four children. Ages: 11, 13, 17, 19

3) Service:

• Currently serving (congregation) Living Hope, Omaha; vacancy pastor at Peace, Shenandoah, IA
• Past full time service to congregations, schools, WELS etc.
• 1984-1986: Tutor, Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Saginaw, Michigan
• 1986-1995: Pastor, Abiding Word, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
• 1995-present: Pastor, Living Hope, Omaha, Nebraska

4) Synodical and District Positions (past and present)

• Circuit Pastor, 1998 – present
• Commission on Inter-Church Relations ? - present

NAME: Rev. Earle Treptow
2) Biographical:

• Wife’s name and current occupation: Jeanne (ad set supervisor, Kohl’s Department Store)
• City/State: Denver, Colorado
• Age: 42 Three children, ages: 16, 14, 5

3) Service:

• Currently serving (congregation) Zion, Denver
• Past full time service to congregations, schools, WELS etc.
• 1993-1997: Exploratory, Langley, British Columbia, Canada
• 1997-2002: Director of Admissions and Recruitment, Studies in Pastoral Ministry: Martin Luther College, New Ulm, MN
• 2002-present: Pastor, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Denver, CO
• 2004-2005: Principal, Zion Evangelical Lutheran School, Denver, CO
• 2005-2007: Instructor (part-time), Rocky Mountain Lutheran High School, Northglenn, CO
• 2008-2009: Principal, Zion Evangelical Lutheran School, Denver, CO
• 2009-2010: Instructor (part-time), Rocky Mountain Lutheran High School, Northglenn, CO

4) Synodical and District Positions (past and present)

• 1995-1997: Pacific Northwest District Youth Discipleship Commission member
• 2003-2007: WELS Commission on Parish Schools member
• 2007-present: Synodical Council, pastor-at-large
• 2007-present: Circuit pastor, Southern Circuit of Colorado Conference

NAME: Rev. Mark Voss
2) Biographical:

• Wife’s name and current occupation: Marie, Registered Nurse
• City/State: Aurora, Co
• Your Age: 53 Four children. Ages: 26, 24, 19, 16 years old

3) Service:

• Currently serving (congregation) Christ Our Redeemer, Aurora, CO
• Past full time service to congregations, schools, WELS etc.
• 1984-1996: Pastor, Mt. Olive, Lincoln, Nebraska
• 1996-present: Pastor, Christ Our Redeemer, Aurora, Colorado

4) Synodical and District Positions (past and present)

• Nebraska District 2nd Vice President, 2003 to present
• Parish Services Chairman, 1998-2004
• Southern Conference Chairman, 1986-1996
• Board for Parish Schools
• Nebraska District Board of Appeals
• Nebraska District Nominating Committee
• Nebraska Lutheran High School Board of Control