Meet Tony Hansen, Pastor, St. Paul's (Roscoe) and St. John's (Bowdle) Ev. Lutheran Churches!
Pastor Hansen was called to serve at St. Paul's and St. John's, not once, but twice in the year 2021. It was after the second Divine Call, issued in November of 2021, that Pastor Hansen accepted to serve. He was installed as pastor in July of 2022.
Pastor Hansen grew up in the upper midwest. During his lifetime, Pastor Hansen's father was a salesman for Fering Equipment and John Deere Road Equipment. His family was relocated multiple times in Minnesota and Wisconsin. His mother was employed by District One Technical Institute in Eau Claire and then by the Eau Claire County Veterans' Service Office. Pastor says he and his family moved seven times by the time he entered high school, but calls Eau Claire, WI, his hometown spending the majority of his growing up years there.
Pastor attended public and parochial school for his elementary schooling. He spent his high school years at Martin Luther Preparatory School, Prairie du Chien, WI, graduating in 1984. He went to Northwestern College, Watertown, WI, from 1984 to 1988, and then attended Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, WI, from 1988 to 1992. He holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts Degree from Northwestern and a Masters of Divinity Degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.
After his years at the Seminary, Pastor was assigned to be the pastor at Zion, Akaska, and St. James, Tolstoy, SD. Within 18 months, Pastor was called and accepted the call to serve a third church, St. Paul's, Mound City, SD. In 1997, Pastor accepted the Call to serve Goodview Trinity, Goodview (Winona), MN. In 2013, Pastor accepted the Call to serve as Dean of Students at Great Plains Lutheran High School, Watertown, SD. As was mentioned above, in December of 2021, Pastor accepted the Call to serve our dual parish, but remained at GPLHS until the end of the school year. In July of 2022, Pastor was installed as our pastor.
Pastor is married to Cynthia (Cindy). They are blessed with six children, three children-in-law, and nine grandchildren. Pastor and Cindy love hanging out with their children and grandchildren doing "whatever" but especially playing games and being outside. Pastor enjoys hunting, fishing, outdoor games, golf, football, softball, making food on the grill, a good camp fire, traveling, camping and gardening. He also loves to do work in his "woodshop." Along with Cindy, he also loves being involved with our community and being part of clubs and groups.
Pastor is honored and blessed to serve in the parish and appreciates the time to get to know our members. "One of the greatest joys of ministry," according to Pastor, "is being able to share and to reflect God's love in Christ to everyone so they know they are loved and forgiven, unconditionally."
One of his favorite passages is: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10).
May our Lord bless Pastor Hansen's work among us. May he be a blessing to us as we might be a blessing to him. To God be the glory.
Pastor Hansen was called to serve at St. Paul's and St. John's, not once, but twice in the year 2021. It was after the second Divine Call, issued in November of 2021, that Pastor Hansen accepted to serve. He was installed as pastor in July of 2022.
Pastor Hansen grew up in the upper midwest. During his lifetime, Pastor Hansen's father was a salesman for Fering Equipment and John Deere Road Equipment. His family was relocated multiple times in Minnesota and Wisconsin. His mother was employed by District One Technical Institute in Eau Claire and then by the Eau Claire County Veterans' Service Office. Pastor says he and his family moved seven times by the time he entered high school, but calls Eau Claire, WI, his hometown spending the majority of his growing up years there.
Pastor attended public and parochial school for his elementary schooling. He spent his high school years at Martin Luther Preparatory School, Prairie du Chien, WI, graduating in 1984. He went to Northwestern College, Watertown, WI, from 1984 to 1988, and then attended Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, WI, from 1988 to 1992. He holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts Degree from Northwestern and a Masters of Divinity Degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary.
After his years at the Seminary, Pastor was assigned to be the pastor at Zion, Akaska, and St. James, Tolstoy, SD. Within 18 months, Pastor was called and accepted the call to serve a third church, St. Paul's, Mound City, SD. In 1997, Pastor accepted the Call to serve Goodview Trinity, Goodview (Winona), MN. In 2013, Pastor accepted the Call to serve as Dean of Students at Great Plains Lutheran High School, Watertown, SD. As was mentioned above, in December of 2021, Pastor accepted the Call to serve our dual parish, but remained at GPLHS until the end of the school year. In July of 2022, Pastor was installed as our pastor.
Pastor is married to Cynthia (Cindy). They are blessed with six children, three children-in-law, and nine grandchildren. Pastor and Cindy love hanging out with their children and grandchildren doing "whatever" but especially playing games and being outside. Pastor enjoys hunting, fishing, outdoor games, golf, football, softball, making food on the grill, a good camp fire, traveling, camping and gardening. He also loves to do work in his "woodshop." Along with Cindy, he also loves being involved with our community and being part of clubs and groups.
Pastor is honored and blessed to serve in the parish and appreciates the time to get to know our members. "One of the greatest joys of ministry," according to Pastor, "is being able to share and to reflect God's love in Christ to everyone so they know they are loved and forgiven, unconditionally."
One of his favorite passages is: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:8-10).
May our Lord bless Pastor Hansen's work among us. May he be a blessing to us as we might be a blessing to him. To God be the glory.