Grace Lutheran Church - Tripoli, Iowa / Meet Our Pastors

After graduating from Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Miles attended Mankato State College (now Minnesota State University - Mankato) from 1969-73, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and English. After graduation from college, Miles worked as a manager of a wholesale tire warehouse for a year. In 1974 Miles began his theological studies at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. From 1976-77 Miles was an intern pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas.

After graduating from seminary in 1978 Miles accepted his first call to Peace Lutheran Church in Plevna, Montana. (Plevna is in the southeast corner of Montana near North Dakota and South Dakota.)

In 1981 Miles was called to Mindoro and Lewis Valley Lutheran churches, a two-point parish near La Crosse, Wisconsin. While at Mindoro-Lewis Valley Miles met his wife, Judy. (They met at a Bread For the World meeting in La Crosse.) Miles and Judy have been married since 1985.

In 1987 Miles was called as the associate pastor of Central Lutheran Church in Edgerton, Wisconsin.

In 1989 Miles was called to Grace Lutheran Church in Elroy, Wisconsin. (Elroy is the hometown of Governor Tommy Thompson and the home of the Elroy-Sparta Bike Trail, the first rails-to-trails project in the country.) While serving Grace Lutheran Church in Elroy, WI, Miles began his post-graduate work at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. In 1997 he received his Doctor of Ministry degree from LSTC. His thesis was titled "20/20 Mission: An Antidote For Myopic Ministry."

In 1997 Miles was called as co-pastor (serving as administrative pastor) to Grace and St. John (Crane Creek) Lutheran churches in Tripoli, Iowa. This call to Tripoli, Iowa is the fulfillment of a dream to return to the state in which his great-great-grandfather, Andreas Evenson Renaas, settled when he immigrated to America from Norway in the 19th century. "It's good to be home."

Besides the day to day activities of a pastor, Miles he likes to work on his computer, collect Ole and Lena stories, and run road races. He has completed 11 marathons plus countless ½ marathons and 10-K road races. Miles' approach to running is the same as living the Christian life – "You need to put one foot in the right direction, then repeat as often as necessary!"

Pastor Amy Strydom was born in 1975 in Cambridge, MN. Amy grew up in Cambridge with her parents, Dave and Dawn Severson, and her younger sister, Sarah. She attended school in Cambridge and was baptized, confirmed, married, and ordained at Cambridge Evangelical Lutheran Church.

After graduation from High School, Amy attended the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, pursuing a liberal arts degree in Art history and music. (Originally, she wanted to be a veterinarian, but chemistry cured her

of that false dream). During the summer months, Amy worked as staff at Luther Point Bible Camp in Grantsburg, WI. It is there among the mosquitoes and campfires that she heard the call into ministry.

Before her junior year, Amy transferred her studies to Wartburg College in Waverly, IA to start a Youth Ministry degree program. She finished college in 1997 with a BA in Religion from Wartburg College.

Amy spent one year as a volunteer community member at the ARC Ecumenical Retreat Center in Stanchfield, MN. She lived with three other women and they were responsible for running and maintaining the retreat center for the guests who came to stay. Amy’s favorite parts of the job were planning and leading worship, cooking meals, and tending the garden. Amy lived there with her 3-foot long iguana named Hildegard (who has since found another lovely place to live).

While working at the ARC, Amy was planning for a trip to Africa. Having been a long term dream of hers to travel to Africa, the opportunity came mid-year of 1999. From August of 1998 to June of 1999, Amy worked at Einstein-Noah’s Bagels and taught piano lessons to raise money for her trip to Tanzania. In July, following her sister’s wedding, Amy’s parents dropped her off at the Chicago O’Hare Airport with a one-way ticket and a bunch of luggage. Amy arrived in Tanzania and was warmly welcomed by Mama Margareth Tesha, founder and principal of St. Margaret’s Academy Nursery and Primary schools. Amy volunteered at the schools helping with reading and filling in when other teachers were absent. She stayed through January 2000, and returned to America in early February.

Amy went to work again at Einstein Bagels until her decision to enroll at Luther Seminary in the fall of 2001. Her plan was to expand on her BA with a Masters in Youth and Family Ministry…that was, of course, until the Holy Spirit made it known that ordained ministry was the path of choice. After much discernment, Amy enrolled in the candidacy process the fall of 2002 and graduated with her Masters of Divinity degree in August of 2006.

Amy was called as co-pastor to Grace and St. John Crane Creek Lutheran Churches in September 2006. Amy believes that the Holy Spirit was at work in this process to bring them together in God’s ministry. Amy lives in rural Tripoli with her husband, Mike, and they are expecting their first child in early August.