Pr. Jim was Called to
serve as Pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in late April of 2009. He graduated
from the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee with a bachelor degree in
American history and then attended the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago,
graduating in May 1983, with a Masters of Theology. He was ordained at Nativity
Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa, WI, on January 13, 1985. Congregations served:
- 1985-1989: Assistant Pastor, First Congregation English Lutheran Church, LaCrosse,
WI. - 1989-1992: Associate Pastor, Our Savior Lutheran Church,
West Bend, WI - 1992-1994: Interim Pastor
- 1994-2009: Pastor,
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Lebanon, WI - 2009-Present: Pastor, St. John Lutheran Church, Grafton,
WI
In serving as Pastor of
St. John Lutheran Church, he is committed to the ministries of Bible Study and
Healing. Pr. Jim is an enthusiast and avid reader of Civil War history, Abraham
Lincoln, Native American history, creation spirituality and Harry Potter. He is
married to Debbi O’Reilly-Christensen and has an adult daughter, Mackenzie.
Pr. Jim: “St. John
Lutheran Church is a strongly supportive
family community. We worship with openness
to God’s Spirit and a heart for
prayer and healing. Part of our spiritual understanding is that worship and
faith are not “all about you” but “all about God”. We hope you will decide to
join us – you will be welcomed as
family, whoever you are.”
How to Join
We encourage you to join us for worship one Sunday to experience St. John Grafton! We welcome your questions before or after visiting. We are also happy to arrange a private visit/tour of our church building to get familiar with our space and ask questions. Feel free to contact us at st.johnsecretary@hotmail.com or 262.377.0410 with questions, to request a follow-up via email or phone, or to set up an appointment with Pr. Jim.