If you have questions, please contact Tara Koosmann in the church office and she will direct you to the appropriate person. For more information on the process of calling a new pastor, visit the Minneapolis Area Synod’s resources for congregations on their website.

Join us as we welcome and bless Pastor Jacob at the 9:00am service, followed by an informational meeting led by the Minneapolis Area Synod at 10:00am in Steiner Hall.

 

 

Greetings! My name is Jacob Burkman and I will begin my service as Interim Associate Pastor at Faith Lutheran on October 26, 2025. This will be my fifth interim position. As we like saying in the interim world, the process of interim will take how long it takes–we want to do it right, not fast! I’ll spend more time expanding on the interim process at a later time, but, for now, a little introduction of myself.

 

I grew up in Park Rapids, MN, as the only child of two teachers. After graduating from St. Olaf College in 2002 with a B.A. in Theatre and Mathematics, I began a teaching career: student teaching in Hong Kong and teaching high school math in Adrian, MN.

 

I moved to Honolulu in 2004 to begin the Ph.D. program in Mathematics at the University of Hawaii; I completed a M.A. instead because I discerned a call to seminary. I returned to Minnesota to attend Luther Seminary, graduating with a Master of Divinity in 2011. Following seminary, I spent a year residency as a hospital chaplain in Yuma, AZ, and my first call was at Hope Lutheran Church in Riverside, CA. I was ordained on 3/14/2013 (extra points for those who see the mathematics connection) at my internship congregation, Zion Lutheran Church in rural Pelican Rapids, MN. I was at Hope Lutheran for a little over three years, and then served at First Lutheran Church in Pine River, MN, for six years.

 

My wife, Sarah, and I got married in May 2022 and moved to the metro area. Sarah is an infectious disease doctor at the University of Minnesota. Since January of 2023, after spending some time on-leave from call, I began doing intentional interim ministry, serving rural congregations in Sandstone, Braham, and Mora, MN.

 

A bible passage that I find becoming ever more fitting to my ministry (especially interim ministry) is Exodus 18.

 

When I’m not doing churchy stuff, I get dragged around by our 19-month old daughter, Hannah, and our 18-month old Goldendoodle, Alma. I also have a passion for cooking when there is time and energy for it.

 

I look forward to walking in this time of transition together!

 

– Pastor Jacob

 

 

Dear Friends of Faith Lutheran,

 

 

As you already know, Pastor Katie will be serving as our Interim Senior Pastor during this time of discernment and transition. We are deeply grateful for her steady leadership and commitment to our congregation.

 

Today, I’m pleased to share that we have hired an Interim Associate Pastor to join our ministry team and support our congregation and programs. Pastor Jacob Burkman will officially begin his work with Faith on Sunday, October 26, and we look forward to formally welcoming him during worship in early November. More details about that service will be shared soon.

 

Pastor Jacob is an experienced interim pastor with a strong background in guiding congregations through seasons of change. His ministry over the last several years has focused on helping faith communities navigate the transition and call process with grace, clarity, and faithful listening to God’s mission for the church. We believe his presence and leadership will be a great blessing to Faith.

 

Please keep Pastor Jacob in your prayers as he prepares to join us, and continue to hold our pastors, staff, and entire congregation in prayer as we walk together through this important chapter in our church’s life.

 

 

As the transition process continues, we will provide regular updates to the congregation via email and newsletter, but we will also be establishing a Transition page on the website where you can go at any time for the lastest news and information on the process.

 

In Christ,

Jessica Hartmann – Council President

 

 

Dear Members of Faith Lutheran,

 

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

As you read in the letter from Pastor Adam, he has accepted a new call to serve another congregation. While we are saddened to see him go, we are grateful for the many ways God has worked through his ministry among us. We will have opportunities in the coming weeks to celebrate his time with us and to send him forth with our love and blessing.

 

As a congregation, we now enter a time of transition — a sacred space where we trust God is already at work preparing the way ahead. The Church Council, in partnership with the Minneapolis Area Synod, has already begun discerning our next steps.

 

Here is what we want you to know about the path forward:

• Interim Leadership: The Church Council has appointed Pastor Katie to serve as Interim Senior Pastor during this time of transition. We are grateful for her steady leadership and deep care for our congregation.
• Pastoral Internship: Our pastoral intern, Shane Marcus, will continue his internship through the end of February 2026 as originally planned.
• Interim Associate Pastor: To help meet the needs of our congregation during this time — including support for programs like confirmation — we will engage an interim associate pastor. The Synod is helping to identify a candidate that best matches our needs in this position.
• Call Process: We are working closely with the Minneapolis Area Synod to determine the appropriate call process for our next senior pastor. This includes updating our Ministry Site Profile, which is used by the Synod to match pastoral candidates with congregations.
• Timeline and Communication: While the timeline for a search can vary, we will continue to communicate regularly with you as the process unfolds. Our goal is to be thoughtful and prayerful as we discern the pastoral leadership God is calling to this place.

 

We ask for your prayers during this time of transition — for our church community, for Pastor Adam and his family as they prepare for this new call, and for the leadership of this congregation as we take faithful steps forward.

 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, or simply to share what’s on your heart. God is with us in this journey, and we walk it together, rooted in hope and guided by grace.

 

In Christ,

 

Jessica Hartmann – Church Council President

Pastor Katie Jorgensen – Interim Senior Pastor