At a special congregational meeting held Sunday, January 29, 2023, Messiah Lutheran Church, Madison (MLC) voted to welcome Reverend Kristine Schroeder as its new pastor, an invitation Schroeder formally accepted on February 2 with a start date of April 1. Pastor Kris Schroeder (pronounced “shray-der”) becomes MLC’s second permanently called pastor in its thirty-three-year history as an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) congregation.
Pastor Schroeder has a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech Communication with minors in Music & Psychology. She graduated from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1997 and was ordained shortly after. She has served in both large and small congregations as a part of pastoral staff, solo pastor and interim. The first half of her ordained ministry she served as a Youth & Family, Faith Formation Pastor. She also served as Chaplain & Living Donor Advocate at Mayo Clinic in Arizona for 8 years. This provided the opportunity to enhance her abilities in conflict resolution, pastoral care and teaching adults.
Through interviews and discussions, MLC’s Call Committee and Congregation Council quickly recognized Pastor Kris’ exceptional gifts for ministry and how perfectly they aligned with the congregation’s Ministry Site Profile (MSP). The MSP is an ELCA document prepared by the congregation during the call process used to describe the congregation and its ministry priorities for the future. For MLC these priorities include:
- Being “God’s People, Reaching Out” MLC actively supports 67 active outreach programs locally, nationally, and globally to serve those in need.
- Being a worshiping congregation centered on God’s Word and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Nurturing young disciples and providing opportunities for them to learn, serve, grow, and become confident, fully participating members of their faith community.
- Exceptional music and music ministries, not only for worship, but as music outreach. MLC’s annual Music Camp, and Music at Messiah Classical Concert Series are two examples.
Pastor Kris has a strong passion for collaborative and relational ministry that integrates all ages and places an emphasis on the discovery and utilization of our God-given gifts. She is very excited for the opportunities at MLC; especially the continued efforts integrating children, youth and families into the life of the congregation as well as the many outreach projects and possibilities available to the congregation and community. She is also an author, who published her autobiography near the end of 2015 speaking to the hope and miracles of Jesus in her life. As a child of God, it was one avenue to share with the world who Jesus is and what Jesus can do. She and her husband of nearly 28 years, Bill (who is a retired ELCA pastor) are relocating to the Madison area from Ohio. Pastor Kris loves music as it provides energy, direction, and inspiration.
Messiah Lutheran Church is an ELCA Congregation founded on May 20, 1990. Services at Messiah Lutheran Church are held Sundays at 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. Midweek services during Lent and Advent are at Noon and 7:00 p.m. For more information about Pastor Kris or Messiah Lutheran Church, please visit its official website www.mlutheran.org For information on the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America visit www.elca.org.
Installation announcement to follow.