Pastor Tim Bartels has served Saved by Grace Lutheran since October 1998. He was born in Madison, WI. As the son of a pastor, he lived in several states, including Wisconsin, Iowa, and Pennsylvania.
In the fall of 1976, he attended Bethany Lutheran Junior College, Mankato, MN. After earning his associate degree, he studied Classical Greek and Biblical Hebrew at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI.
While studying the Biblical languages, he met his beautiful bride-to-be, Dawn. On June 14, 1980, they were united in marriage at his wife’s home church, Lola Park Lutheran Church, Redford, MI. They relocated to Mankato, MN. Before he entered the seminary, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Open Studies at Mankato State University. Upon receiving his diploma, he began his studies at Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary, Mankato, MN, and earned a Master of Divinity in 1985.
The first parish Pastor Bartels served was Pinehurst Lutheran Church, Eau Claire, WI. During the nine years he served at Pinehurst, Pastor and Dawn were blessed with three children-Jessica, Jeremy, and Jaimie. In February of 1994, Pastor Bartels accepted a call to serve in the Chilean mission of the Evangelical Lutheran Synods for World Outreach. Upon returning from the Chilean mission in 1998, he accepted a call to serve Saved By Grace Lutheran Church, Gresham, OR. He also currently serves on the South America Committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Synods for World Outreach.
Pastor enjoys keeping up on Spanish and recreational bicycling when he has time. He also enjoys playing games, sports, or watching a movie with his wife and grandchildren, and cheering on his boyhood teams from Pittsburgh, PA.
Pastor Bartels considers it an honor to serve God’s People at Saved By Grace and to reach out to others in the community.