On August 16, 2022, the Western North Dakota Synod Council voted unanimously to extend a call to the Rev. Bradley Lars Dokken. Pr. Dokken will serve as Associate with the Bishop for Leadership, Candidacy, and Call. Welcome, Pr. Dokken to the Western North Dakota Synod staff team!!
Pr. Dokken is a western North Dakota native, growing up in the Crosby area. His previous calls include Director of Youth and Family Ministries for the Watford City Area Lutheran Parish and First Lutheran Church in Williston. He has served three congregations as pastor; St John’s in Marion WI, Peace Lutheran Church in Oshkosh WI and is currently serving as an intentional interim for English Lutheran in Hazen. Camping ministry is also an important part of his call to ministry, having spent several summers working at Upper Missouri Ministries in Epping. Pr. Dokken is a 2012 Wartburg Seminary graduate and was ordained to the ministry of word and sacrament on August 4, 2012. His spouse, the Rev. Stephanie Lorenz, is also a rostered minister in the ELCA and is currently serving as a chaplain at Sanford Health in Bismarck. They are proud dog parents to Gus, an 18-month-old Goldendoodle.
Pr. Dokken’s philosophy when it comes to ministry is to remind people that God loves them and meets them where they are at. He loves to hear people’s stories and help them see how we are all connected. We live in a world that desperately wants to know that they matter and belong; it is our calling as God’s beloved to help others know how deeply God loves them.
He is an avid baseball and football fan, cheering on The Minnesota Twins and Vikings, along with being a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan. He is also active in community theater productions, loves a good mystery novel, and is constantly in search of the best piece of bread pudding. He and his wife love going to Walt Disney World any chance they get and can be found enjoying local restaurants when possible.
Western North Dakota Synod Vice-President Bruce Carlson said, “We welcome Pr. Dokken to the synod staff team and are excited to see how God will work through him in our shared mission and ministry to encourage and equip the ministries of our synod.”
“I am deeply humbled to be called to this ministry,” Pr. Dokken offers, “and to have the opportunity to walk alongside people as they are discovering what God is up to in their lives. I am grateful to Deacon Anderson and the ministry she has provided and will continue to provide for our synod. I am thrilled to join the staff of the Western North Dakota Synod as we look at how we can do ministry in diverse settings to best serve God’s people.”
Reflecting on this change within our synod’s staff team, Bishop Craig Schweitzer said, “I am overwhelmed by the Spirit’s work across this church as we have engaged in a season of celebration for the ministry of Deacon Beth Anderson, listened for what God might be calling us into next, and embraced holy conversations with candidates who imagined a call to synod ministry as an exciting new opportunity. I give thanks for Deacon Anderson’s fourteen years of service to our synod and I’m excited to begin serving with Pr. Dokken. His wealth of knowledge of congregational systems and leadership challenges, deep love for the landscape and people of western North Dakota, and unending passion for sharing the love of Jesus will be a great asset for our synod’s future mission and ministry.”
Pr. Dokken’s call to the synod begins on September 1, 2022.
