Our Staff

 

 

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Pastor Ricky P. Schroeder

Reverend Ricky P. Schroeder was born in Wausau, WI, on July 1, 1959, the son of Roland and Patricia Schroeder.

Pastor Schroeder is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) and Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana. He received a Bachelor of Science (majoring in Psychology) in 1981 and a Masters of Divinity 1986, respectively. In December 2000, Pastor Schroeder received his Masters of Education from Concordia University Wisconsin. He was ordained into the Holy Ministry in June 1986 at his home congregation, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Stevens Point, WI.

From October 1982 until March 1984, Pastor Schroeder was an exchange student at our sister Seminary in Oberursel, Germany. His year of vicarage (internship) was served at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Fremont, CA. He has served as Associate Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Rock Island, IL (June 1986-November 1989); Associate Pastor at Salem Lutheran Church, Jacksonville, IL (June 1992-December 1995); and Associate Pastor at St. Peter-Immanuel Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (January 1996-October 1, 1998). In October of 1998, Pastor Schroeder was called as an Intentional Interim Pastor to Mission of Christ, Milwaukee, WI. He completed the Basic Training Course for Intentional Interim Ministry in July of 1998. He has also served St. John’s Lutheran Church, Plymouth, WI (April 2000-May 2001) and Shepherd of the Ridge Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (June 2001-January 2003) as Intentional Interim Pastor. In February 2003, he was installed as resident pastor of Divine Savior Lutheran Church, Hartford, WI where he served through October 15, 2010.

Pastor Schroeder has served on various community boards and committees. In service to the church at large, he has served on various district and circuit committees, as circuit counselor, as vacancy pastor, and as pastoral advisor to zone Lutheran Laymen’s League (LLL) and Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML), and as SWD Coordinator of Intentional Interim Pastors. He served as pastoral advisor to the Wisconsin Federation of Lutheran Altar Guilds (WFLAG).

His wife, Lynne (nee Borkenhagen) calls Green Bay, WI her home, and is also a graduate of UWSP. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree (majoring in business administration and German) in 1982. She completed her MBA (emphasis in Management Information Systems) at Concordia University Wisconsin in May 2004. They have three children: Stefan, Ryan (Cortney), and Hannah. They also have four grandchildren: Samuel, Preston and Noah and Josiah.

“Vision of a Dying World”, ”I Love to Tell the Story”, and “Onward, Christian Soldiers” are hallmark hymns defining Pastor Schroeder’s ministry. The Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) compels pastor and congregation to make disciples.

Pastor Josiah Fitch

Josiah was born in Denver, Colorado, on       July 11th, 1985. 

A lifelong Lutheran and son of a 26+ year DCE, Josiah was steeped in Lutheran theology long before he entered the Seminary.  Josiah began life in Denver, but has lived in Grand Rapids & Allendale, MI, Wild Rose & Menasha, WI, Plymouth & Rochester, IN, the St. Louis area while attending Concordia Seminary, and in Aberdeen, SD.  Most of his formative years were spent in Plymouth Indiana, where he attended Jr High and High school, before pursuing his undergraduate degree in Theatre: Lighting & Scenic Design at Indiana University South Bend.  Josiah began his seminary career a year after finishing undergrad, beginning in the summer of 2012.

Ashley was born on May 4th, 1988, in the suburbs of Chicago, IL.  Her family eventually moved to Plymouth, IN, where she spent her formative years, and where she would eventually become friends with Josiah.  After 11 years of friendship, Josiah and Ashley began a romance that would continue through Josiah’s 1st year of Seminary, culminating in their marriage on August 24th, 2013, just before Josiah began his 2nd year. 

The Fitchs spent Vicarage at St. Mark’s Lutheran of Elberta, AL, with the wonderful congregation there. They returned to the Seminary for Josiah’s fourth year and were blessed to see the birth of their 1st  child, their beautiful daughter Kessidy, on August 15th, 2015.

Josiah received his 1st Call out of the Seminary upon receiving his Certification for Ordination and his Masters of Divinity from Concordia Seminary on May 20th, 2016, to serve the loving people of St. Paul’s Lutheran of Aberdeen, SD. During their time at St. Paul’s Aberdeen, He and Ashley were blessed to welcome their 2nd Daughter, Eliana, on June 30th, 2017, and their 1st Boy, Benjamin, on February 10th, 2019, 2nd they welcomed their 4th born child and 2nd boy, Japheth on July 4th, 2020.

The Fitch's have been in Neenah since June 2020, when Josiah took up the Divine Call to the Congregation of Peace Lutheran Church of Neenah, WI. 

 

 

 

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