OUR PASTOR
Rev. Roger Black, Interim Pastor

My life began in north central Illinois on a farm near Pontiac, Illinois. I am the middle of three sons, born to Wes and Arlene Black, who are still living on the home farm near Flanagan. Following graduation from Flanagan High School in 1970 I attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, one of our ELCA colleges, majoring in history. During my sophomore year I discerned that I had some gifts for ministry, such as listening and encouragement, and decided to go into the ministry. After three years of “going together” during college, I married Pamela Ann Johnson, also a history major from Illinois (Glen Ellyn) in June of 1974.

I attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul, during which I interned in Seattle, Washington. In May, 1978, our first daughter, Christy, was born. In July I began serving as associate pastor at Abiding Savior in Milwaukee (Brown Deer), where I served from until September, 1984. During that time our younger daughter, Kari was born and my wife, Pam, previously a high school social studies teacher, completed a masters in special education at Cardinal Stritch. In September, 1984 we moved to Stoughton, WI where I served ten years as pastor of West Koshkonong Lutheran Church. My daughters attended and graduated from the schools in Stoughton and then Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Christy married Douglas Keele, a classmate at Luther, in 2000.  They are living in St. Louis, Missouri where he is completing an orthopedic residency and she is practicing social purpose law. They have two children, Nora, 3, and Colin, born on May 14 this year.  Our daughter, Kari, married Andy Hirvela in April, 2007 and they have two children as well, Julia, born in February, 2008 and Brynn, born June 8 this year. Kari is a clinical teacher in nursing at U-W Madison and Andy is a linesman with Wisconsin Power and Light in Sun Prairie where they live.

Pam and I moved to Antioch, Illinois, in March, 2000, for my serving as the regular pastor of St. Stephen Lutheran Church, a position I left for interim ministry during the summer of 2006. Pam serves as the coordinator of special education in the Kenosha Unified District at the present time. We still live in Antioch.