The Rev. John Worzala Dumke

My name is John Worzala Dumke, and yes I have two last names but no hyphen. I grew up in Green Bay, Wis., until I attended UW-Madison for an undergraduate degree in communication arts, with an interest in theatre. My life’s path made stops at a Lutheran bible camp, a few years in Appleton, Wis., as a youth director for Prince of Peace Lutheran Church (ELCA), and then off to the west coast to attend Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in exotic Berkeley, Calif.

While attending seminary I met my wife Kirsten, who is also an ordained ELCA pastor, currently serving as a chaplain.  The Worzala Dumke clan consists of our daughters, Roman (5) and Berkeley (3), and our son Soren (1). We also have two dogs and a few chickens in the backyard to boot.

In the life of the church, I am very interested in classic liturgical worship well and being a part of a liturgy that is transformative and leads us out into the world to serve. I have an interest in equipping others for ministry and especially enjoy working with families and cross-generational groups. I am also particularly interested in theological work. I enjoy reading theological articles and writings that span from orthodox to radical, and engaging with them in conversation with others.

While not engaged in work in the church, you’ll find that I am an avid sports fan. You will come to know my love for the Badgers, the Brewers, and my hometown team. I love to run and try to stay active in working out. I am fan of craft beer and craft spirits. As a fan of the theater I enjoy performing or taking in someone else’s performance. My wife and I enjoy taking in musicals together when we can. I find science fascinating – I don’t understand it all, but I seek to learn especially in this academic field. Lastly I love to read.