Bios

Find out a little more about our contributing bloggers:

Brian A.F. Beckstrom

Blog: http://brian-beckstrom.blogspot.com
Twitter: @brianbeckstrom

Brian A.F. Beckstrom has two middle names because his parents are indecisive, a trait that may be genetic because he dropped out of seminary twice before becoming a pastor.

Currently he serves as campus pastor at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. His wife, Josie, is a hospice nurse; they have two children, Soren and Linnea, both of whom have just one middle name.

Kristin Berkey-Abbott

Blog: http://liberationtheologylutheran.blogspot.com
 

Kristin Berkey-Abbott is a lifelong Lutheran, a poet, a scholar, an administrator, a wanna-be mystic — always wrestling with the temptation to run away to join an intentional community — but would it be contemplative? social justice oriented? creative? in the mountains? in the inner city? — may as well stay planted and wrestle with these tensions and contradictions here, at the edge of America.

Fern Lee Hagedorn

Fern Lee Hagedorn is the Friday morning voice of WJFF, public radio in Northeastern PA and the Catskills in NY. 

Playing the same 10 chords on the guitar for decades, Fern leads singing in her Sunday school and congregation, St. Paul’s in Narrowsburg, NY. 

A writer, filmmaker, and advocate of the Bible for the post-literate, she spearheaded a project to translate the Scriptures into new media.

She (still) enjoys being Mom to her above-average sons, and spends quality time with her loving husband in rural Pennsylvania, where there are no sidewalks.

Terri Mork Speirs

Blog: naturalbornbleedingheart.blogspot.com
Twitter: @terrimorkspeirs

Terri Mork Speirs is a writer, mother and lover of too much. She is the communications manager at the Des Moines Area Religious Council where her average day ranges from editing an interfaith newsletter to exterminating ants. Happily settled in Des Moines, Iowa, Terri has lived in the Twin Cities, Baltimore, New York City and at least seven — yes, seven! — different towns in South Dakota. She lives with two incredible children, one amazing husband and lots of unanswered questions.

She recently completed a master of fine arts degree in creative writing at Antioch University in Los Angeles and is writing a book about liver regeneration. Terri has written for The Lutheran magazine, Lutheran Woman Today and Good magazine. She gives a big shout out to all her friends at St. John’s Lutheran Church in downtown Des Moines.

Ever restless, Terri has it all and still wants more.

Megan M. Rohrer

Blog: http://www.meganrohrer.com
Twitter: @mmrohrer

Megan M. Rohreris an ELCA pastor called by five congregations who serves as a missionary to the homeless in San Francisco. As the executive director of Welcome, a communal response to poverty, Megan is the MacGyver of hunger issues and has created six community gardens at congregations that produce 12,000-plus pounds of produce a year.

Originally from South Dakota, Megan brings the pioneer spirit to city living. In high school, Megan and her father built his home with no training other than watching do-it-yourself home repair shows. Also a wire sculptor, a black belt in tae kwon do and a reiki master, Megan takes regular retreats to sleep on the streets to feel in her bones what it feels like to be homeless and to bring attention to poverty issues.

Ken Wheeler

 

Ken Wheeler is a retired pastor. He most recently was blessed and privileged to serve as pastor of Cross Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, where he is now the director of the Bread of Healing Empowerment Ministry.

He senses that his role is to equip people to be powerful and the only way to do that is by helping them to tap into the power available in Jesus Christ.

As he grows stronger in his own faith and relationship with Jesus, he is eager to share it with others through teaching, preaching and outreach.

Ken has a Bachelor of Arts in Religion from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn. and a Master of Divinity from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. He served 18 years as an assistant to the bishop of the Greater Milwaukee Synod.

His partner in life and ministry for 34 years is his wife, Cloria. They are the parents of three sons and two very awesome grandchildren.

Erma Wolf

 

Erma Wolf is short in stature, no longer qualifies as a “young Lutheran” (my day is made when told I could pass for 45!), and confesses to being part of the traditional-orthodox camp in the ELCA.

Don’t call me a “dissenter” (the ELCA doesn’t have those) or a conservative (my brother laughs hysterically at that!).

Instead, see me as one of the many players contributing to the 21st century Lutheran cantata and fugue, even if I dance to the beat of a different drummer.

Otherwise, I grew up in Tennessee, moved to New York City, met my Wisconsinite husband in Connecticut, got married in Indiana, was ordained in Illinois, my children were born in Nebraska, and I now live in South Dakota but supply preach in Iowa.

In addition to being geographically diverse, I am currently working part-time for a fine retail establishment, concentrating on my writing (published in the now defunct Lutheran Partners, the Forum Letter, and online in Lutheran Forum online), blog at satisest.blogspot.com, am adjunct faculty for the Institute of Lutheran Theology, and am seeking call to an ELCA parish.

Putting up with me at home includes my pastor-husband, two young adult children, and one spoiled Yorkshire terrier. Oh, and I’ve spent the past five years as vice chair of the Lutheran CORE steering committee. Just your typical “saved by God’s grace through faith alone” style sister in Christ!