Graduating from Concordia College (Moorhead) in 1967 and Luther Seminary in 1972 (Masters of Divinity and Masters of Theology), I took a call to Pontiac, Michigan, where I served Sylvan Lake Lutheran Church for almost nine years. In 1980 my family and I moved to Apple Valley, Minnesota, to begin a new mission congregation. Worship began in January of 1981 at Rosemount Elementary School. Land was purchased in 1983 with our first sanctuary completed in December, 1984. Since then we have seen five more building programs, a growing congregation of well over 9,000 members, a salaried staff of about 70 persons, and hundreds of different kinds of ministries involving music, education, witness, fellowship, worship and service to others. And there is still more to be done. We thank God for all the ways in which we have been blessed in the past and we continue to look to him for wisdom, strength and guidance as we enter the next phase of our ministry. Soli Deo Gloria (To God alone the glory).

In addition to my responsibilities here at the church, I have also served on the Board of Trustees for Gustavus Adolphus College and am currently serving on the board of the Crossways International Bible study series, the Metro Lutheran newspaper board, and the governing board of the Apple Valley Health Care Center.

In December 2007, a long time colleague and good friend of mine, Pastor Chris Smith, took over as lead pastor of SOTV.  I now work about half time with the title of Pastor Emeritus.  I believe all would agree that this has been a very smooth transition for me, Pastor Chris, and the entire congregation.  

On a personal note, my wife Margaret retired several years ago after 23 years as a school teacher. She now spends her time enjoying our five grandchildren, singing with the Senior Choir at church, working with stained glass, gardening, and arranging flowers. She also recently concluded five years on the national board of the Lutheran Volunteer Corp.

Our son Mat and his wife, Stephanie, live in Seattle with their three children. They are both attorneys at law. Daughter Annika and her family live near Kalispel, Montana, where she works as a social worker. Her husband Jedd is Site Director of Flathead Lake Lutheran Bible Camp. They have two daughters. And our youngest daughter, Becca, and here husband Rory live in Omaha, Nebraska. Becca is assistant program director for Nebraska Lutheran Outdoor Ministries which oversees three large camps in Nebraska. Rory is a software developer specializing in weather forecasting. His latest product is called Weather Defender and can be found online.

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Pastor Chris Smith
Senior Pastor
(952) 985-7305
chris.smith@sotv.org

I have been serving at Shepherd of the Valley since early 1997. As we say in the church office, there is never a dull moment in the ministry at SOTV and there hasn’t been for me, either. I began my ministry here in congregational life ministries, which included a combination of children’s and family ministries, singles ministries, social concerns, men’s ministries, couples ministries, pastoral care programs, and other areas, along with the general pastoral duties of preaching, teaching, and pastoral care. Over the years, my work came to include management of the congregation – human resources, finance, facility, office. Over time, as we have added to our pastoral staff, my role has further shifted and developed. In 2007 with the careful guidance of the church council and Saint Paul Area Synod, I received a new pastoral call from Shepherd of the Valley as Senior Pastor. I continue to give thanks to God for all the congregational support for this transition and for a good partnership with Pastor Paul Harrington.

Prior to coming to Shepherd of the Valley, I served for four years as a solo pastor in Braham, Minnesota. On the education side, I received my Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul. Earlier I received degrees from Saint Olaf College and Harvard University. Most recently I earned a doctorate in biblical preaching from Luther Seminary. I have assured my family that that is enough degrees (but you never know – I love learning!).

I love to spend time with my family, to hike, read, write, travel, learn, and to spend time understanding the natural world (paleontology, astronomy, and the like). There are still some people at the Shepherd of the Valley family who do not know that Pastor Mary Lund and I are married. We have two children, Miles (age 14) and Joy (age 13) and we always learn a great deal from our children and enjoy growing with them.

Read Pastor Chris Smith's Blog

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Pastor Duane Paetznick
Education
(952) 985-7304
duane.paetznick@sotv.org

I have been a pastor at Shepherd of the Valley since 1993. Before that I worked one year at SOTV as a lay person – Director of Christian Education. On my route getting to this church, I graduated from St. Cloud Sate University in 1976. Worked on the staff at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi for 13 years. Then, later, in 1993 I graduated from Luther Seminary in St. Paul with an M.Div. degree (that’s what you need to become an ordained pastor).

Pastor Mary Lund
Teaching
(952) 985-7303
mary.lund@sotv.org

I am a graduate of St. Olaf College and Harvard Divinity School. Prior to serving at Shepherd of the Valley I served parishes in Woburn, MA and East Bethel, MN. I also served as Assistant to the Bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA in the area of candidacy for six years. I am married to Chris Smith, also a pastor at SOTV. We have two children, Miles and Joy. My ministry at Shepherd of the Valley focuses primarily in the area of teaching. My husband and I were called to Shepherd of the Valley in 1997. I believe that hospitality in the name of Jesus is central to our ministry at Shepherd of the Valley. Even though we are a large congregation, the gift of hospitality makes us family.

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Pastor Randy Brandt
Interim Executive Pastor
Youth Ministry; The Table
(952) 985-7302
randy.brandt@sotv.org

I have been part of the SOTV pastoral staff since 2002 and focus my time in youth and confirmation, couples ministry and coordinating The Table worship in the Great Hall, as well as sharing general pastoral responsibilities.

What a great journey I've been on: twelve years in youth and family ministry as a pastor in Rochester, MN, as a director of youth ministry in Fridley, MN, and as a member of an Youth Encounter team to New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, and seven years teaching third grade just before coming to SOTV. My education background includes degrees from Luther College,  Winona State University, Luther Seminary, and the University of Minnesota.

Marsha and I have two fabulous children, Katie and Juliana. Our family loves nearly anything with music, a really good book, and getting outside on bikes, inline skates, running, or at parks - refreshed from being outside.

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Pastor Diane Sponheim
Social Concerns; Women's Ministries
(952) 985-7307
diane.sponheim@sotv.org

I joined the staff of Shepherd of the Valley in June 2007. Prior to my call at SOTV, I served at Westwood Lutheran Church in St Louis Park, MN and Lutheran Church of the Cross in Altoona, IA. I have a degree in Music Therapy, which I practiced for ten years before pursuing my Master of Divinity at Luther Seminary in St. Paul. After college, I traveled with Lutheran Youth Encounter music ministry teams in the U.S., Australia, and The Philippines. After my travels, I worked for Youth Encounter for several years.

I will be managing Pastoral Care, Social Concerns, and Women’s ministry at SOTV. As pastor for social concerns, I will equip leaders in our congregation who are taking action to address poverty, suffering, and injustice. Major efforts include the partnership with Tanzania, Habitat for Humanity, Heifer Project, ISAIAH, children in need garage sale, and many partnerships in the community. Women’s ministry at SOTV includes retreats and many annual events where women gather for learning, spiritual development and fun!

I am married to Eric, an attorney who works for Thomson West in Eagan. We have two young sons, Micah and Luke. We enjoy family times together, the outdoors, music and watching our kids grow!

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Pastor Chris Steubing
Children's Ministries
(952) 985-7306
chris.steubing@sotv.org

I was born in San Antonio, TX and grew up in a rural area of south central Texas, near San Antonio. A formative aspect of my faith and discovery of my gifts for ministry was singing in the choir of our small country church with my mother.

I went to Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, TX and spent a year abroad in Finland while an undergraduate.  After college, I participated in the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Program in South Korea for a year, living with a host family and teaching English in a boys’ high school. Upon my return from Korea, I started work as a youth and family minister in Brenham, TX.

My wife Amy is from Aberdeen, S.D.  She now works at Capella University in Minneapolis as a New Learner Experience Coordinator. When we met while she was working as a teacher in Texas, Amy was wearing a Minnesota Vikings T-shirt (quite possibly a sign from God). We were married and moved to the Twin Cities where I began serving as Director of Youth & Family Ministry at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Stillwater. I continued to work in youth ministry for my first two years of seminary and then completed my pastoral internship at Diamond Lake Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. I spent a couple years directing the praise band at North Presbyterian Church in North St. Paul before coming to Shepherd of the Valley.

We have a daughter named Ameya (pronounced Ah-May-Ah).  I am passionate about passing on faith in Jesus Christ and bridging cross-generational and cross-cultural gaps between God’s beloved children. Amy and I enjoy running and all things in the beautiful Minnesota outdoors.

Follow Pastor Chris' blog "Sermon Matters."

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