Rural Ministries

Your West River Ambassador

Pastor Laura has been a pastor in the South Dakota Synod since 2022 and currently serves a rural congregation. Before becoming a pastor, she worked for many non-profit organizations, including a local museum, Girl Scouts, and served a 4-H Program Advisor for two counties with SDSU Extension. Growing up in central Nebraska, she attended a country school which regularly boasted grades of only one student. She was one of those students. Rural has been a way of life for her from as early as she can remember, and she has lived in various communities throughout the upper Midwest. In her spare time she enjoys gathering local history and stories, researching and collecting examples of pottery and stoneware from Midwestern manufacturers, and documenting the stories others leave behind. She is especially looking forward to learning more about and supporting rural and small town congregations in her area. She can be reached at lbeall@sdsynod.org.

Your West River Ambassador Duo

Joel and Linda, both born and raised in South Dakota, have been part of the Rapid City community for the past dozen years with Atonement Lutheran Church being their current home parish.  Prior to relocating to Rapid, they spent over twenty years in St. Paul where they raised their two children.  Those children and their spouses along with five grandchildren continue to live in Twin Cities area so Joel and Linda find themselves back in Minnesota with great frequency!  

Linda grew up on a farm outside of Colton before the family moved to Sioux Falls when she was in middle school.  A graduate of Dakota Wesleyan University, she spent ten years working in early childhood education as a teacher and director before attending United Theological Seminary (UTS) in New Brighton, MN.  Following graduation from UTS, Linda accepted a call as Director of Children and Family Ministries at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Roseville, MN.  After moving to Rapid City, she served as Director of Pastoral Care at South Canyon Lutheran Church up until her retirement in September 2023.

Joel is a native of Mitchell, living in that community until he graduated from Dakota Wesleyan University.  With an M.B.A. in Finance from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota and an Estate Planning Certificate from the Graduate Tax Program at Boston University School of Law in hand, Joel has spent his entire career in financial services.  He currently serves as President and CEO of First Trust Company, LLC.  His involvement with the SD Synod stretches from serving as vice president of Luther League in the 1970s to time on the Candidacy Committee and as a delegate to the Churchwide Assembly.  At the parish level, he’s been involved in teaching Sunday School, leading worship as a musician, serving on church council, leading stewardship efforts, and more.

Your South Central Ambassador

Pastor Tom has been serving as a Lutheran parish pastor for 30 years and has recently retired to begin part-time interim ministry and work as a rural ambassador.  He is currently serving as interim pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Bridgewater and Immanuel Lutheran Church south of Canova.  Previously serving in the communities of Pierre/Fort Pierre, Hayes, Custer, and Tea, South Dakota as well as Milan, Minnesota, Pastor Tom values the rootedness, hard work, resiliency, and creativity that grows in small town and rural places.  He graduated from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa and taught high school English in central Iowa for several years before moving to Dubuque to attend Wartburg Theological Seminary.  Pastor Tom and his wife Gail live in Tea and have two grown children and one grandchild.  Living on an acre, Pastor Tom has planted and currently tends about forty fruit trees and thirty hills of rhubarb which he turns into tasty wines. You can reach Pastor Tom at topoien@sdsynod.org.

Your Watertown Area Ambassador

Jack Holmquest is a life-long Lutheran. He came to SD 52 years ago, intending to be here just one year, so he admits to being a failure at leaving this place and its wonderful people. For most of his life Jack has been a teacher and coach in Huron and Watertown, for the past 27 years at Lake Area Tech, from where he has retired three times. Jack has two adult children and serves as a lay-preacher for Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, as well as rural churches within a 65 mile radius of Watertown. He loves reading, playing cards with friends and golf. He can be reached at jholmquest@sdsynod.org or jholmquest@wat.midco.net.

Your Northeast Ambassador

Pastor Nancy has been a pastor in the South Dakota Synod since 2010 and currently serves a rural/small town congregation in the most north-east corner of South Dakota. Before seminary and ordination, she lived and worked in various positions to support, teach, and care for people. She is married, has two grown children, and a son-in-law. Her interests include cooking, baking, knitting, crocheting, reading, tending garden, house plants, and relaxing or playing with her three dogs. She is an ELCA life coach and in the process of complete certification to be an interim minister. Her passion is listening to where and how God is working in the lives of people and congregations in rural and small towns. You can reach Pastor Nancy at nquatier@sdsynod.org.

Your Eastern Ambassador

Reid Christopherson provides active lay pulpit supply throughout southeastern South Dakota. He retired in 2014 following a 40 year career in the U.S. Air Force and the South Dakota Air National Guard. This was followed by his next career as the Executive Director of the South Dakota Wheat Commission. Reid earned BS and MS degrees from South Dakota State University in Animal Science. He was trained as a Livestock Nutritionist and enjoyed this as an early career until the ag economy crisis, in the late 1980’s, redirected his life. Reid and his wife Ruth live on a small farm near Garretson SD. They were charter members of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls and are now members of Zion Lutheran in Garretson. Reid is a Past President of both Gloria Dei and Zion. He later served as a member of the South Dakota Synod Council and then as a member of the Churchwide Council and Executive Committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He also had the wonderful opportunity to develop friends within the St. Dysmas of South Dakota congregations where he served as the Outside President. Reid is also an extremely active member of Scouting America (BSA) and Lions International. When time permits he enjoys projects in the restoration of antique tractors and trucks, along with a developing interest in blacksmithing. Reid and Ruth have two adult children and one granddaughter. You can reach Reid at rchristopherson@sdsynod.org.

Pastor Becky has concluded her work as a Rural Ministry Ambassador and continues to minister in South Dakota. Please reach out to any of our other Ambassadors for help in your area. 

Jill Munger has concluded her work as a Rural Ministry Ambassador and continues to minister in South Dakota. Please reach out to any of our other Ambassadors for help in your area.