Our Pastor
Pastor Matthew Hanel has served as St Matthew Lutheran pastor since April 2005. He began his public ministry as Pastor at Prince of Peace Lutheran in Hecla, South Dakota on July 6, 2003. While serving as fulltime pastor at Prince of Peace he traveled to Mapleton, North Dakota and ministered the saving Word of Christ to Gift of God Lutheran.Matthew graduated from Immanuel Lutheran High School in Mankato, Minnesota in 1995. He went on to receive a Bachelors of Science degree from Immanuel Lutheran College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in the spring of 2000 and in 2003 he graduated from Seminary. Matthew was married to Julie (Schaller) in January of 2005. They have two children—a daughter, born in 2008, and a son, born in 2012.
Christians need a church family. Roses do not bloom in the desert all by themselves. The Bible encourages "the assembling of ourselves together.
- For Worship: Together, they honor their great and gracious God, uniting their voices in praise and thanksgiving.
- For Witness: Together, they serve as the Lord's witness to the world, confessing Christ before the world for which He died.
- For Growth: Together, they help each other grow in faith, sharing with each other the spiritual gifts they have received.
- For Service: Together, they exercise the ministries to which they are suited, serving the Lord as they serve others.
- For Fellowship: Together, they show a very special kind of affection, loving one another "as Christ has loved them."
As a Christian, you surely know these needs. If they are not being satisfied, and you are looking for a church home, there is good news for you! By God's grace we are heirs of a very special kind of church life. It has proved to be most satisfying.
