Staff - Church Workers
Pastor Keith E. Wiens,
First Lutheran's senior pastor, came to the congregation in 1983. He is
married to Carol and they have three sons. He is a native Kansan, born
in Garden City and raised in Pratt.
Pastor Keith was ordained as a pastor in the Lutheran Church on July 21, 1974. He graduated from Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1970 with a B.A. in social-psychology, and from Christ Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1974 with a Master of Divinity degree. While at the seminary he completed field work education at Messiah Lutheran Church and at the St. Louis Juvenile Court. Clinical Pastoral Education was completed at the State Psychiatric Hospital in Topeka, Kansas. A year of internship was served at Christ Lutheran Church in San Pedro, California. In 1994 he received the Doctor of Ministry degree from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.
Prior to coming to First Lutheran, Pastor Keith served three congregations. His first call was to Trinity Lutheran Church in Great Bend, Kansas, where he worked primarily with youth and evangelism. He then served as Pastor/Developer of a mission congregation in St. John, Kansas, and as Pastor of Garfield Lutheran Church in Garfield, Kansas. In 1983 he was called to serve as Associate Pastor of First Lutheran. In 1985 the congregation extended a new call for him to serve as Senior Pastor.
In addition to his work in the congregation Pastor Keith serves as Dean of Area Ministry Four in the Central States Synod of the ELCA and is on the Board of Directors for Bethany Home in Lindsborg, Kansas. He is a member of the Konza Rotary Club and has worked in the community with Shepherd's Crossing, United Way, the Red Cross, the Manhattan food pantries, and Flint Hills Breadbasket. When his sons were younger he coached youth soccer, basketball and baseball teams. He enjoys reading, traveling, working in his yard, and doing home improvement projects.
Pastor Matt Williams,
Pastor Matt began his call here as Associate Pastor in October of 2006.
This is Pastor Matt’s first call after graduating from Luther
Seminary in St. Paul, MN in May of 2006.
Born and raised in Des Moines, IA, Pastor Matt’s call to ministry began with working at bible camp. For five summers he worked at two different bible camps in Iowa and Minnesota. He graduated from Luther College in Decorah, IA in May of 1999 and was originally set to go to law school. He postponed that for a year to work as a youth director at Transfiguration Lutheran Church in the Minneapolis/St Paul, MN area. Before he knew it a year became 2 ½ years as he discerned his call to ordained ministry. During his time in seminary he added a concentration in Youth and Family ministry to his master’s degree and worked 20 hours a week as a junior high youth minister at Lord of Life Lutheran church in a suburb of Minneapolis, MN during his first two years at seminary. Pastor Matt did his pastoral internship at Living Waters Lutheran in Lino Lakes, MN which is a suburb of St. Paul, MN.
In addition to helping with general pastoral duties, Pastor Matt has major responsibilities with youth and family ministry. He has a passion for putting the “family” back into youth and family ministry and believes that we need to set the bar high for our youth and give them the tools to be future leaders of the church. Pastor Matt is married to Shana who is in the process of getting rostered as Deaconess in the ELCA.
Natalie Springer-Barnes,
Executive Assistant
Being committed to God through Christ and to the mission of the church,
Natalie assists the Executive Staff in a ministry of welcome and in
fulfilling the clerical responsibilities of the church office.
Additionally Natalie helps with the upkeep of the Church's website.
Natalie has three wonderful children (two girls and boy). Her children's names are Jasmine, Jozlynn and Jordan.
Agne Eggerth,
Administrative Assistant I / Editor
Agne assists the Executive staff, greets visitors, and does other
clerical tasks in the Church office. Agne will also edit and help to
maintain the Church's website.
Agne is married to Andy Eggerth, who is a track coach for Intercollegiate Athletics at Kansas State University.
Margaret Freshnock,
Administrative Assistant II / Pantry
Margaret's mission at First Lutheran is to greet visitors, answer the
telephone, post the attendance and communion, assist Agne and Natalie,
prepare the Food Pantry for clients and organize the volunteers.
Margaret has served at First Lutheran Church since 1987 and is married to Ed Freshnock who is retired. Both Margaret and Ed have been members of First Lutheran Church for 30 years.
Brenda Mayberry, Director of Lay Ministry
email: layministry@firstlutheranmanhattan.org
Susan James, Financial Recorder
Laura Romig, Organists
Molly Myers, Choir Director
Greg Knittel, Handbell Choir Director
Benjamin Hitzfeld, Youth Leader
"Repent and believe the good news!"