Kris Madsen
Biographical Information
I originate from the Santa Ynez Valley which is located just over the mountain from Santa Barbara, CA. I graduated from Santa Ynez Valley Union High School in 1999 where I was an active member of the music department in which I lettered in vocal performance and also sang with the Santa Ynez Valley Choral. I was ordained in February of 2009 and then in July I married my wife Jennifer (Gast) who now teaches preschool at Saint Peter’s Lutheran in Fort Wayne. I currently serve as pastor of Antioch Lutheran Church, Hoagland, IN.
Education
California Lutheran University (‘04): BA Religion, department assistant
Services: University Choir, Campus Ministry Church Council
Luther Seminary (‘08): Masters of Divinity
Services: Study trip in Wittenberg, German studying the life of Luther and Christian life in the German Democratic Republic Clinical Pastoral Education at Lutheran Hospital, Ft. Wayne, IN Vicarage (internship) at Immanuel-Trinity Lutheran Church, Fond du Lac, WI
Information
I grew up in a very patriotic family – the eldest grandson of German and Swiss immigrants. My maternal grandmother was nine years old and living in Poland when Hitler unleashed the blitzkrieg on Poland; stories of her childhood during the war years are obviously quite dark. But one of her fondest memories from the war years was the Army flying over and dropping hard candies and bubblegum from the airplanes; it was a very small thing in scheme of the chaos that was all around her, but that small thing brought some sense of happiness and peace even if just for a few passing moments.
I am most pleased to be serving on the Board of Directors for Lutheran Military Veterans and Families Ministries because I support the work they do for our country. I admire the hearts and the commitment of our nation’s soldiers to get the hard work which is given to them done and to still show acts of love and compassion for those whom they are serving to protect just as they did for my grandma in the early 40s. I believe that it should be both our duty AND OUR JOY to serve those who serve and protect us so well.