Age: 30

Occupation: Pastor.

Time in current job: Three and a half years.

Family: I am the oldest of three boys. My parents and brothers live in Salt Lake City where I was born. I am engaged to be married to Victoria Seyler. We will be married in September.

What’s been your career path since you started working? After college I attended the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina. I attained my master’s of divinity degree there and then was assigned to the Montana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Soon after that the members of Our Redeemer’s Lutheran Church called me to serve as their associate pastor.

Community service: My job is community service, I hope! I’ve spent much of my time working with young people, especially middle school and high school students. I’ve helped lead a mission trip to an orphanage in Mexico. This past fall I teamed up with two other churches and their youth groups for “Hang out for Hunger.” We had an all night lock-in where we learned about the issue of hunger in Helena and around the world, collected food for Food Share and then went bowling, swimming and closed the night with worship.

Hobbies: I enjoy playing soccer with the Helena Adult Soccer Association. I also spend quite a bit of time playing disc golf in the Scratchgravel Hills. Besides that I spend every morning at Morning Light Coffee reading scripture and books on theology.

Education: I graduated with a bachelor of science in history with a minor in philosophy from Utah State Univeristy in 1999. I graduated the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in 2003 with a master’s of divinity degree.

What do you enjoy about your work? I enjoy the privelege of sharing God’s good news with people in the midst of their joys and struggles. I love helping people understand how much God loves them. I enjoy teaching people about Jesus and the new identity He gives to all who believe in Him.

What do you like best about Helena? Summer! I love it when the weather warms and people begin jogging, biking, hiking and spending time outside. I love the community here. Whenever you meet someone for the first time, you will see them around again and have the opportunity for deepened friendship.

Something that would make Helena a better place to live and work: Helena could improve by being more accepting of those who are new to the state. As Helena grows, it will become increasingly important for the people to find ways to extend our community to others.

What do you do to beat stress? Jogging along Le Grande Cannon helps me deal with stress.

What are the biggest challenges facing our community? The biggest challenge facing our community is growth. The city will get bigger, and some may not welcome that because it challenges the sense of community that we so enjoy. However, I think it is our responsibility (and certainly the Christian church’s) to welcome people and let them know there is a place for them here. As our society becomes more and more transient, institutions need to become more adept at welcoming and including people, even if they are only here for a couple of years.

The two most influential people in your lifetime and why: I’m changing this question to answer one I think is better. What are the two most important communities in your lifetime and why? The first community that shaped me was Good Shepherd Lutheran church in Sandy, Utah. I learned there to believe in Jesus and share Him with others. The second most important community was my Seminary community in Columbia, S.C. It was there that my faith was challenged and deepened and I was given friendships that continue to nurture not only my faith, but my life in all aspects.

One word to describe yourself: Christian.

Book you’ve read that had a positive influence on you: The gospel of John; “Simply Christian” by N.T. Wright; “Velvet Elvis” by Rob Bell; “God and Human Suffering” by Douglas John Hall.

If you weren’t in your current job, you would be: A teacher.