John R. Pederson, Senior Pastor Pastor Pederson began his education as a chemistry major. He finally saw the light, switched majors, and graduated cum laude from St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota, with departmental honors in philosophy. Not yet ready to choose, his first year of graduate study was divided between studying philosophy at Harvard University and theology at Andover Newton Theological School. Finally settling on theology he obtained his M.Div. from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Recently, Pastor Pederson completed a sabbatical experience as a registered graduate student at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He has been invited to Oxford University three times in the last ten years where he read his paper on religion and the state in 2006. An avid reader of almost anything he especially enjoys the fiction and essays of Flannery O’Connor, Saul Bellow, Richard Ford, and Cynthia Ozick. After serving congregations in Minnesota and Fort Collins, Colorado, Pastor John was installed as senior pastor of Augustana in March of 1999. Pastor John is married to Ruth who is Executive Director of Colorado Aids Project. They have two adult children. Kirsten and Marc are parents of Olivia Rose (2004) and Siri May (2007) Anderson. Son Aaron works for a Lehman Brothers loan servicing company and is newly wedded to Jen. All of these extended family live in the Denver-Boulder area. Pastor Pederson is convinced he is called to Augustana to help with a faithful transition to new generations of the Augustana community. He claims to be having more fun in ministry than almost every other Lutheran clergy-type he knows. Contact Pastor Pederson (pederson@augustanadenver.org or 303-388-4678 ext. 105). Pastor John W. Bengston, born in Joliet, Illinois, a graduate of Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois and of seminary in Rock Island. His wife is Kay A. Lundeen, also of Joliet, Illinois and an Augustana College graduate; they were married in 1963. John also earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 1983. Ordained on May 20, 1964, Pastor John and Kay moved to Aurora, Colorado, in August of 1964 where he began serving a call from the Rocky Mountain Synod of the Lutheran Church in America as a Mission Developer. He was the founding pastor of Christ the Savior Lutheran Church, Aurora. In 1965 their first child, Carlene was born and in 1967 their son, Loren was born. Carlene unexpectedly died on April 2, 2008 of a pulmonary embolism. Loren lives in Parker, CO. Pastor Bengston was called to St. Luke Lutheran Church, Richmond, Virginia in 1989, then to St. Luke Lutheran Church, Silver Spring, Maryland in 1997 where he served until 2001. His next place of service was Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Falls Church, VA as Interim Pastor and in June of 2002 became Interim Pastor of All Saints, Lutheran Church, Bowie, MD, from which place he retired in 2005. Kay and John returned to Colorado in 2005 upon both retiring, Kay as Director of Domestic Policy Advocacy for the Lutheran Office of Governmental Affairs in Washington DC. Pastor Bengston began his service with Augustana Lutheran Church, Denver, as part time pastoral staff in December 2005. He is a long-time jogger who had to give up that practice after a knee injury and surgery in 2008. Both Kay and John enjoy seeing the world and have taken annual trips since their retirements. Malise de Bree, Evangelist Specializing in Senior Ministry, oversees the senior and pastoral ministry programs, including Stephen Ministry, teaches adults, coordinates the evangelism/new member efforts and serves as a spiritual director. Previously she has not only worked in Lutheran churches in New Jersey, but also was on the staff of St. John's Episcopal Cathedral here in Denver. She is an Education for Ministry (EFM) mentor, retreat leader, and serves on the bioethics board of Rose Medical Center. Malise, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, graduated from Vassar College and received her Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. She also did graduate work at American University in International Relations. In a former life she was a Staff Assistant at the White House and worked for the Under Secretary of State. When not involved in ministry, she delights in reading, traveling the world, walking, and enjoying the company of her four grown children. Contact Malise (debree@augustanadenver.org or 303-388-4678 ext. 122). Although Cary Mathis, Augustana’s Children’s and Family Minister, started at Augustana just over a year ago, he has 17 years experience in his field. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Greenville College, IL in Pastoral Ministry and psychology, and his Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado. Cary has served on several synod boards including Montana Synod’s Board Chairman and Youth Advisor to the Montana Lutheran Youth Organization 1999–2003 and the Safe Haven Task Force of the Rocky Mountain Synod 2010–2011. But to Cary, success is seeing people’s eyes light up in joy and/or wonder at the love of Christ and seeing that love shared with Christ’s children. Contact Cary (mathis@augustanadenver.org or 303-388-4678 ext. 107). Cindy Lindeen-Martin
In demand as a performer, lecturer, and adjudicator, she has concertized throughout Germany, France, and the United States, has presented workshops and adjudicated competitions, and is the founder and competition coordinator for the Augustana Arts/Reuter National Undergraduate Organ Competition. She earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Eastman School of Music and earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Colorado State University. Studies also took her to France for two years working with the reknowned Marie-Claire Alain where she earned the prestigious Prix d'Excellence. Her non-musical interests include entertaining, cooking, traveling, reading and especially spending time with her husband, Ken, an architect, and her two children. Contact Cindy (lindeen-martin@augustanadenver.org or 303-388-4678 ext. 117). Sheryl Stenseth has been the Parish Nurse at Augustana since April 2006. Prior to this she worked as a Nurse Practitioner in Adult Internal Medicine at the Care Group with Dr. Gerard Guillory. Sheryl received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from the University of North Dakota in 1977 and spent most of her career in the hospital setting, working in Intensive Care, Ambulatory Surgery, and Nursing Education. In 2002 she graduated with honors from the Masters and Family Nurse Practitioner program at Regis University. She became interested in Parish Nursing when she was working on her Masters Thesis on Health Ministry and spent time with Sandy Kuka, the former Parish Nurse at Augustana. Sheryl’s healthcare interests include care of the elderly, women’s healthcare issues, health education and promotion, and preventative care. Sheryl was born in Williston, North Dakota and that is where she met her husband Dwight. They moved to Colorado in 1978 and have three daughters Jenny, Jessica, and Carly. She is the happy grandmother to Jackson and Madison, children of Jenny and Bobby Kurpinsky. In her spare time, Sheryl likes to read, play Scrabble, ride bike, hike and practice yoga. Contact Sheryl (303-388-4678 ext. 106 or stenseth@augustana denver.org).
Lisa and her daughter, Dallas, are active members of Augustana, and enjoy participating in many church activities including, but not limited to, handbells, Sunday school, and adult education classes. In addition to Dallas, who was adopted from China in 2006, Lisa has an adult daughter, Diana, and a grandson, Noah. An avid book reader of all kinds, Lisa also enjoys computer technology, sushi, dancing, and movies. Augustana Lutheran Church is Lisa’s second home. The staff and congregation are filled with amazing people and the Holy Spirit is ever-present! "For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move hence to yonder place,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you." Contact Lisa (lisa@augustanadenver.org or 303-388-4678 ext. 103). When Augustana’s Publications Administrator Lyn Goodrum began working at Augustana in 1992, she used WordPerfect 5.1 in DOS to create Augustana’s bulletins, newsletters, and other print media. Twenty years later, Lyn is grateful for the Windows and Apple environments and Adobe’s great publication software. (Although some days she wonders if she’s too old to keep up with the computer world’s ever-changing technology and software!) Lyn does her morning journaling the old fashioned way, however—with a pen and spiral notebook. Her daily practice of recording her thoughts about faith and life eventually segued into a weekly practice of recording Augustana’s Monday Dial-a-Care (303-996-2733). When not at Augustana, Lyn and her cat Sammy can be found in Bennett, where Lyn has lived for the last 12 years, or in Strasburg worshiping and serving at Saron Lutheran Church where she is a member. Lyn has been exploring the path of grief and God’s plan for her since the death of her husband (“the most wonderful husband in the whole world”) in November 2010. Lyn is a Stephen Minister and enjoys reading mysteries, walking, drinking tea, throwing the Frisbee, doing Jumble and Criptoquip puzzles, baking, road trips, and the practice of yoga. Contact Lyn (goodrum@augustanadenver.org or 303-388-4678 ext. 114). Augustana’s Building and Grounds Manager, Asmir (Seki) Hodzic, has been a beloved member of Augustana’s staff since 2000. He and wife Mira (who prepares meals and snacks for Augustana’s Early Learning Center) and daughter Sanja (a student at Metropolitan State College) live in Aurora. Originally from Bosnia, the Hodzics immigrated to the U.S. in 1996 and settled in Denver. When asked what he does on his days off, Seki smiles and says he works. He also enjoys watching CNN and other news channels. Contact Seki (303-388-4678).
Contact Dick (larson@augustanadenver.org or 303-388-4678 ext. 111).
Contact LeEtta (leettachoi@q.com). Susan Davis has a Ph.D. from the University of Denver in Curriculum and Instruction focusing on school leadership. She also has a Master’s in Early Childhood Education from the University of Houston and a B.A. degree in Elementary Education from Mesa State College. She has worked within the field of education for over 20 years including being a classroom teacher, a preschool teacher, a preschool administrator, an educational consultant/curriculum developer, and a school principal. Susan has a very busy family life and, along with her husband, is raising four children ranging in age from 17 to five. Contact Susan (susan@augustanadenver.org 303-388-7012). |
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Cindy Lindeen-Martin was hired in August of 1999 as Organist at Augustana. In November of 2005 she was named Augustana's Minister of Music. Her ministry includes coordinating all aspects of Augustana's music ministry including service planning, playing the organ for all services, and directing a graded handbell program.
Finance Administrator Lisa Smith is a Denver native and received her B.S. Degree in Accounting with a Financial Emphasis from Metropolitan State College of Denver.
