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Pastor Joy Ekstedt
Pastor Joy Ekstedt
Pastor Joy began serving in July of 2023 as associate pastor of First Lutheran Church in St. James. She graduated from Luther Seminary in St. Paul in 1996 and has served at Hawk Creek Lutheran Church (Sacred Heart, Minnesota) as a “solo” pastor for 3 years, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (Redwood Falls, Minnesota) as a co-pastor for 15 years, and at Trinity Lutheran Church (St. Peter, Minnesota) as a lead pastor for 8 plus years. She is grateful for the opportunity to return to First Lutheran Church where she was baptized, confirmed, and ordained!
Deacon Erin Kuehl
Deacon Erin Kuehl
Erin has been in St. James and at First Lutheran since 2011. She is a Deacon that works with youth and education ministries and technology. Prior to moving to St. James she served for 10 years as an Associate in Ministry in Youth and Family at West Middleton Lutheran Church in Verona, Wisconsin. Erin is originally from Racine, Wisconsin and graduated from Winona State University.
Karla Beck
Karla Beck
Karla Johnson Beck began her career in church music ministry the week after her Confirmation at Kansas Lake Lutheran Church (rural Butterfield MN) in May of 1975. She graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 1984 and served as organist and choir director at St. James Lutheran in Burnsville MN for two years. In October of 1986, she began as the organist/pianist at First Lutheran. Karla started the Handbell Choir in the early 1990s and leads the Praise Singers.
Julie Newberg
Julie Newberg
Administrative Assistant
Joseph Samstad
Joseph Samstad
Custodian
Joseph started working in at First Lutheran in 2021.
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