Rev. Martin D. Wells
Bishop
martin.wells@ewaidsynod.org
Rev. Martin Wells was born in Greeley, CO in 1949, the son of Les and Edith Wells, both teachers and public school administrators. The family moved to Anchorage, AK in 1960 and joined Hope Lutheran Church. Martin graduated from West Anchorage High in 1967 and attended the University of Denver where, in 1971, he was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. After a two-year hiatus, Martin enrolled in the University of Puget Sound Law School where he was awarded a Juris Doctor degree in 1976. He passed the bar exam in Alaska that summer.
Having sensed a call to ministry, Martin enrolled at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, CA. His internship was served at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton, WA. In 1979 Martin married Susan Briehl (M.Div, PLTS, 1981) and, after a year working at Pacific Lutheran University, completed seminary in 1981. He was ordained into The American Lutheran Church (ALC) in November 1981.
Susan and Martin shared one full time call to Our Saviour's Lutheran Church, Bellingham, WA, from 1982-1986. Their two daughters, Mary Emily (24) and Magdalena (21), were born in Bellingham. From 1986-1994 Martin and Susan served with Pr. Dan Erlander as University Pastors at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA. In 1994 Martin and Susan were called to the position of Executive Director, Holden Village, with partner Janet Grant. Martin was elected Bishop of the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod, ELCA, in June 1999. Martin and Susan reside in Spokane, WA, where Martin's interests include cooking, reading, bonsai trees, and the Great Lake Missoula Ice-Age Floods. |
Rev. Mark J. Nelson
Assistant to the Bishop
mark.nelson@ewaidsynod.org
Pastor Mark Nelson was born in Spokane, WA and raised in Spokane and Seattle. He attended Pacific Lutheran University, graduating with double majors in Religion and Psychology. Mark attended Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, IA. Coursework at the Aquinas Institute (Dominican), Clinical Pastoral Education in New Jersey, Internship in Michigan, and an urban ministry specialty in Denver rounded out his seminary education. He was ordained in 1980 at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Seattle, WA. Mark’s first call was to the congregations of the Goodstem Cluster in Lind, Sprague, and Ritzville, WA. After seven year there he accepted a call to Grace Lutheran Church in Cashmere, WA. He was called to serve as Assistant to Bishop Robert Keller in October, 1991 and as Assistant to Bishop Martin Wells in January, 2000. Mark has had significant continuing education in conflict management, family systems, domestic violence prevention and professional boundaries. He serves the Synod in areas of vocations and candidacy, call process, and conflict management, along with leadership and support to a variety of Synod ministries.
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Cathy Steiner
Administrative Assistant
office@ewaidsynod.org
Cathy has served in the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod office as one of the Administrative Assistants for seven years. Cathy provides staff support in the areas of financial management, candidacy, and travel.
Cathy enjoys participating with and serving on the board of the Lutheran Staff Association. She is married to Mark Steiner and has two grown sons, Mitchell and Michael.
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Laurel Eschenbacher
Administrative Assistant
office@ewaidsynod.org
Laurel has served in the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod office since March 2000. Many of her current duties fall under the headings of 'Communication & Technology.' These duties include editing the synod’s monthly newsletter, the annual synod directory, developing brochures and other publicity, maintaining this Web site, maintaining the Synod’s data bases for mailings and roster management, and maintaining the computer network in the office. Laurel and her husband Alan, pastor at Emmanuel, Spokane are the parents of three grown children, Sarah, Bryce & Bekah. |
Karla Olson
Assembly Manager
assembly@nctv.com
Karla Olson is the Synod Assembly Manager for the Eastern Washington-Idaho Synod. She has served in this position since June of 2004, working with the local Synod Assembly Planning Committee to plan the current year’s assembly and negotiating contracts with hotels and convention centers for future assemblies. Since receiving her BA in Religion from PLU, she has worked in church administration for Lutherhaven Ministries/Lutheran Community Services Northwest, First Presbyterian Church, The American Lutheran Church, Agnus Dei Lutheran Church and Lutheran Institute for Theological Education. Karla and her husband, David, pastor at First, Sandpoint are the parents of 4 children.
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Rev. Darius Larsen
EOCM Deployed Staff for Stewardship & Outreach
dariuslarsen@msn.com
Darius has been called by the ELCA to serve the Montana and Eastern Washington-Idaho Synods in the areas of Stewardship and Outreach, and is already on the scene. A graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College and Northwestern Seminary, he has served parishes in Colorado and Minnesota , and campus ministries in Minnesota and New Mexico . An activist and a reader, Darius also collects stamps, skis and golfs. He has taught at Holden Village , worked with community groups, started a house church. Darius is married to Cindy, a teacher, whose family homesteaded in the Gallatin Valley. They are parents of 2 young adult children. |
Margie Fiedler
Associate Vice President, Marketing
ELCA Foundation/Mission Investment Fund
margie.fiedler@elca.org
Margie Fiedler is the regional representative for the ELCA Mission Investment Fund, and was previously with the ELCA Foundation in Spokane, Washington. She has also previously been the Development Director for a Lutheran Retirement Facility, and two outdoor ministry corporations. Margie is married and a parent of two. She is noted as having “high energy, and for caring deeply about church ministry.” |
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