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). I grew up in Belleville, IL just outside of St. Louis, MO, in a dynamic United Methodist congregation. After high school, I attended nearby Greenville College, a Christian liberal arts school affiliated with the Free Methodists, graduating in 1996 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in pastoral ministry and liberal arts. While at Greenville, I was a youth camp counselor at Somerset Beach Campground and did my pastoral internship there. After Greenville, I attended Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky, serving as a youth and associate pastor at Bethany United Methodist in Ohio part time. At Asbury I found I disagreed with the theological understanding of communion in the United Methodist church, and decided to take a break and be a cowboy in Montana. However, a few months later I was serving as a youth director in northwest Montana at Calvary Lutheran Church. I moved to Colorado in 2004 to serve at First Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs. I served along side Pastor Paul Peel, former pastor of Augustana in the 1960’s. In 2008, I finished my Master of Arts degree at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs in Curriculum and Instruction, receiving my Elementary Teaching License from the Colorado Department of Education. I taught in Colorado Springs and Denver Public Schools while serving part time at Episcopal churches in Denver and Pueblo. Contact Cary (mathis@augustanadenver.org or 303-388-4678 ext. 107).  Cindy Lindeen-Martin
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. 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). Parish Nurse Sheryl Stenseth, MSN, FNP received her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing from the University of North Dakota in 1977. Most of her nursing career has been spent in the hospital setting, working in Intensive Care and Ambulatory Surgery. She has also served as a clinical instructor at the Community College of Denver. She has received nursing excellence awards from Humana Hospital and Rose Medical Center and was nominated for the Florence Nightingale award in 2001. Sheryl fulfilled a dream in August of 2002 when she completed the Masters and Family Nurse Practitioner program at Regis University. This is where she became interested in Parish Nursing and spent time with Sandy Kuka, the former parish nurse at Augustana, while completing her Masters Project on Health Ministry. Sheryl's special interests include care of the elderly, women's healthcare issues, health education, health promotion, and preventive care. Contact Sheryl (303-388-4678 ext. 122 or stenseth@augustana denver.org). 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. 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). Publications Manager Lyn Goodrum has been creating and printing bulletins, newsletters, websites, and other documents at Augustana since 1992. She claims she has the best job at Augustana. In 2002, Lyn received her Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from Platt College in Aurora, Colorado. A life-long Lutheran, Lyn and husband Nathan (the most wonderful husband in the whole world) live in Bennett, Colorado and are members of Saron Lutheran Church in Strasburg. Lyn is a huge Jane Austen fan, a Stephen Minister, and enjoys yoga, reading, walking, photography, baking, party planning, and family get-togethers—especially with her sisters’ children. Contact Lyn (goodrum@augustanadenver.org or 303-388-4678 ext. 114). Mary Ann Shippey is the Administrator of Volunteer Ministries and Building Use for Augustana. She also works as the church receptionist and secretary. She enjoys working with the members of the congregation and getting to know them better. Mary Ann and her husband Dan are members of Lord of the Hills Lutheran Church in Aurora. They have two grown children, one living in New Zealand and the other right here in Denver. They also have one dog and two cats. Mary Ann loves to cook, weave, read, and travel. Contact Mary Ann (shippey@augustanadenver.org or 303-388-4678). 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). With an MA in Music Education and additional graduate work in school administration, Paula taught music and art for many years. She was principal at two elementary schools in Mississippi and Colorado before coming to Augustana. Now she is delighted to work with younger children and the talented staff at Augustana Early Learning Center. Contact Paula (keller@augustanadenver.org or 303-388-7012). |
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Lisa Smith
