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As a congregation who pride ourselves in a faith that is curious, I am delighted to introduce a new ministry to you all.

Beginning in 2023, Messiah will host a Theologian-in-Residence.  A Theologian-in-Residence is a trained theologian who works to bridge the gap between the academy and the local church. They bring an attentiveness to the intersections of academic, activist, and ecclesial (church) engagement. They also serve to bridge the forefront of religious scholarship and to bring a passion for re-imagining our ordinary, common, messy life as the site of divine encounter and revelation. In other words, they help us think about God and wrestle with big questions. 

Messiah Lutheran Church is proud to announce that Katie Deaver is our inaugural Theologian-in-Residence.

Katie M. Deaver, Ph.D. is a native of Viroqua, WI. She holds a BA in Music and Religion from Luther College in Decorah, IA, as well as MATS, THM, and PHD degrees in Systematic Theology and Ethics from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Katie's primary research interest focuses on understanding theologies of atonement within the contexts of power and violence in present day society. While she considers herself a scholar, it is her personal faith in God and God's people which inspires her to approach theology in ways that are accessible for the people in the pews on Sunday morning.

Since moving to the UP in 2018 Katie has enjoyed camping and hiking in the summer and snowshoeing and NMU hockey in the winter. She currently works as the Associate General Manager for ONE LICENSE, a sacred music licensing service.

Katie is teaching a class on "God, Violence, and Power" during Lent and will teach again later this year. You will also have the opportunity to hear her preach several times (first on February 25/26). I am delighted that our Council has extended this opportunity to our community and that Katie will serve in this role!

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I hope that you will introduce yourselves to Katie and take advantage of her classes and presence in our midst!

 – Pr. Andrew