Lenten greetings to all of you. I thought I would take a few minutes of your time and better introduce myself and family to you. As most of you already know I’m Pastor Steve Frentz. I was born and raised in Chicago, IL. So yes, that does mean that I am a Bears, Bulls, Cubs and Blackhawks fan, I also cheer for the Fighting Illini. It is my prayer that we’ll all see beyond this little difference and get along just fine 😊. My parents Norm and Pat, and brother Paul still live in Chicago. Dad is retired from AT&T and Mom stopped working when I was born and went back to work about ten years ago as their church’s secretary.
All of my schooling was in the greater Chicago area including Concordia University, River Forest (excuse me, Chicago). For five years I worked at the Northern Illinois District as the Promotion Director for Lutheran Church Extension Fund and at times the district itself. In 2006 we left for Saint Louis, MO so I could attend Concordia Seminary. It was quite an experience as Matthew wasn’t even 2 months old at the time of the move. During my time at the Seminary I went on a cross-cultural trip to Latvia, participated in the student government first as editor of the school newspaper and then as comptroller. During my third year I vicared at Emmaus Lutheran Church in rural Dorsey, IL.
In August 2010 I was installed as Pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church in Howard City, MI. While there I became a member of the Howard City Fire Department. I like to joke that there probably aren’t but a handful of LCMS pastors who are trained as full firefighters (Level 2), certified in vehicle extrication and stabilization, HAZMAT Operations level trained, and can control a landing zone for helicopter emergencies. In 2015 I was elected Circuit Visitor for my circuit.
Outside of church I enjoy playing video games, taking pictures of ships, trains, and planes and reading about military history. Before going to the seminary, I bowled in 2 different leagues.
On October 12, 2002 I married Vickie McKinnon of Southern Illinois. At the time she was working for Lutheran Bible Translators as their Chief Financial Officer. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri and a CPA. Her parents live in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. Her dad, Rex is a retired engineer for the US Air Force and her mother, Peg, is a retired Lutheran school teacher. When we moved to Saint Louis Vickie took a position with KSDK, the local NBC affiliate where she served as Accounting Manager and temporary Business Manager. In 2011 she became Financial Analyst for Nestle Waters in their Midwest Region, a job she is currently doing to this day. Outside of work she enjoys traveling, biking, and her Mizzou Tigers.
Matthew came into our lives in May 2006. He is currently attending St. Johns School in Lake City. Prior to the move he was a student at St. Peter’s in Big Rapids, MI. He enjoys video games, basketball, learning to play the trumpet and piano, and probably, most importantly, Star Wars. We look forward to getting to know all of you better in the years to come.