Leadership at Our Lord's Lutheran Church in Maryville, IL

Leadership

Our Lord's Lutheran Church has a dynamic structure that helps us to organize the work we do in Jesus' name and support members as they utilize their gifts for ministry. We have a Council (church board), a Ministry Support Team (formerly known as the Steering Team), and a fluid configuration of Ministry Teams.

The Church Council sets policy and processes, exercises financial and property oversight, and works to develop and communicate the mission and vision of Our Lord's. The Ministry Support Team organizes the implementation of ministries in five areas of congregational life: worship, education, fellowship, service, and IT (technology). The Council appoints the members of the Ministry Support Team. Ministry Teams are task oriented groups of three or more people who engage in doing specific work within an area of congregational life. All participants in the life of the congregation have the opportunity to be a part of a ministry team.

When a participant in this faith community hears God's call to engage in a new ministry, he/she is to seek out at least two other people who will work together to start this ministry. They then present their idea to the Ministry Support Team member for that area of congregational life. If the new ministry idea is in line with the mission, vision, and values of Our Lord's, and if it is self-funding, the Ministry Support Team will give the go ahead for the new ministry team to begin and will assist in discerning the timing of the work. The Ministry Support Team exists to equip members for doing the work of ministry and developing their own leadership abilities. If at any time a member of the congregation is unsure of which area of ministry their idea falls in, they should not hesitate to contact Pastor Kratzer for guidance. She will be happy to shepherd you through this fluid and flexible process.

Pastor

Pastor Mauricio Vieira at Our Lord's Lutheran Church

Pastor Mauricio Vieira will be serving as Interim Pastor for OLLC beginning August 1. Pastor Mauricio was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and became an American citizen after living sixteen years in the U.S. He is a former life scientist with a Ph.D. in Cell Biology and Parasitology. He considers himself "born" to the gospel at St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church in Urbana, IL, while working at the University of Illinois as a post-graduate research assistant.

He obtained his Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and has been serving as a pastor in our synod for the last 11 years. He is the former chair of the Synod’s Global Mission Committee and the current convener of the Synod’s Bridges to Belonging Working Group. Furthermore, Pastor Mauricio also serves as Dean of the Crossways’s Confirmation Camp, which takes place yearly at Augustana College and hosts congregations from our Synod and nearby ELCA faith communities.

Pastor Mauricio now lives in Belleville, or Shiloh, depending on who you ask. Besides teaching and practicing the Good News of God’s Word, Pastor Mauricio is addicted to coffee, enjoys cooking, Indian, Thai, and Mediterranean restaurants, a good barbecue, movies, Brazilian soccer, the University of Illinois Fighting Illini, the Chicago Bears, and is a very casual Cubs fan.

Ministry Leaders

Church Council

Back row - Alan Kramer, Pastor Darla Ann Kratzer, Max Eakin; Front row - Kathy Hoelscher, Tom Steinmann, Jaime Henderson

Mnistry Support Team

Back row - Ed Foppe, Alan Kramer, Erick Larson, Tim Nyland, Randy Kampwerth; Front row - Laura Foppe, Karen Cummings-Larson, Pastor Kratzer, Lyn Kampwerth, Jan Vinson