St. Peter co-pastor inspired to lead people through journey with Jesus
Associate Pastor Kyle Svennungsen started with St. Peter Lutheran Church in March 2015. (Photo by Correne Martin)
By Correne Martin
After just one year as associate pastor of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Prairie du Chien, Kyle Svennungsen is very much a leader in the parish and the community. But, he and his young family are also dedicated members of both entities, and they’re thankful for the opportunity.
“I was called here because the congregation was starting to get some younger families and my skills are geared toward educating young people,” said Pastor Kyle, who along with Pastor Joe Irvin, shares leadership duties over worship services, funerals, weddings, baptisms and other fellowship activities.
Kyle grew up in Kalispell, Mont., near Glacier National Park. He’s one of seven siblings. Church has been a central part of his family his entire life. In high school, he also participated heavily in sports, played the cello and guitar and loved to sing. He attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., on a music scholarship.
“I planned a degree in political science with the goal of going to law school,” he recalled. “But then I connected with ministry stuff and it helped me realize what I really wanted to do.”
Kyle worked as a youth director in Moorhead and went to seminary at the largest seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. There, he obtained his Master of Divinity, which he finished while undergoing a one-year internship in Bratislava, the capital city of Slovakia.
“I taught religion at a bilingual high school and my wife, Anna, taught English literature and British social studies,” he noted. “It was a great year and we loved it. It was a good experience.”
Upon their return to the United States, Kyle was placed by the ELCA in the La Crosse area synod. He started seeking out churches that were looking for a pastor. It wasn’t long before Prairie du Chien and St. Peter became their new home. He started his position on March 15, 2015, they purchased a house, and Anna found a job as a family nurse practitioner at Cornerstone Family Practice in Guttenberg, Iowa.
“We’re really grateful to have taken this next journey in our lives and to have such a supportive community,” Kyle said, noting that the church was so caring and concerned when their young son, Odin, born last July, had complications at birth. Now, Odin is a healthy 9-month-old, who, Kyle said, enjoys being lovingly passed around from parishioner to parishioner every Sunday.
He also remarked, “It’s such an aesthetically beautiful area too. My wife and I are very active people and we like to be outdoors. I got my deer in the fall. I also like to fish, ride motorcycle, exercise and I love to golf. It’s like a second religion in my family.”
In his role as associate pastor, Kyle and Joe appreciate being able to share responsibilities. They alternate preaching on Sundays, which Kyle said “is really nice to be able to share the load that comes with that, because it means so much to us to teach God’s plan.”
In addition, Kyle plans confirmation lessons, connects with parents and individuals who help teach confirmation classes, plans and attends Junior Lutheran outings once a month, completes clerical work, manages events such as Theology on Tap, attends meetings with church staff and other community pastors, and integrates social media promotion into St. Peter’s routine.
“Young people were already coming to our church before I arrived. It inspires me to think people are yearning for the good word of Jesus,” Kyle added. “By believing in a God like we believe in, I’m able to take His ministry and His love outside these walls into the lives of the congregation. Jesus’ love is for everybody. There’s a lot here apart from what Joe and I do; we just nurture it.”
