Our Pastoral and Office Staff

  • Becky Loftus

    parish Administrator

    Becky is a graduate of Chetek High School, having moved from Lake Holcombe while in Junior High. Interestingly, her family bought the farm where Rev. Sparby’s grandparents and late uncle, Dennis Sparby, lived just as he was retiring. 

     

    She worked in Daycare administration before having two children of her own with her husband, Jerry.  Later, held a Paraoptometric career for former Springer Eyecare later transitioned to Herman Advanced Family Eyecare in Chetek and Bloomer, WI.

     

    Baptized as a young adult, her minister confirmed her faith and commented at the time that "she’d someday serve the church in a capacity under God’s calling."  Palm Sunday 2003 she triumphantly marched with New Hope Lutheran Church serving as Parish Administrator.

     

    “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. Whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it nor anything taken from it; God has done this, so that all should stand in awe before him.  That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already is; and God seeks out what has gone by.”                                                                                                                                                                                                               - Ecclesiastes 3: 1-16

  • Rev. Dr. Michael D. Sparby

    Pastor

    Michael grew up on a dairy farm north of Sand Creek, attended Sand Creek Elementary, and graduated from Chetek High School. In August 2018 he returned to Wisconsin to serve this congregation through which he was baptized, confirmed, and ordained.


    He is a graduate of Augsburg University, Minneapolis with a B.A. in Religion; received his Master of Divinity from Luther Theological Seminary, St. Paul, and a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA.


    Early ministry experience included developing a singles ministry at Oak Grove Lutheran Church, Richfield, MN; working as a chaplain at St. John’s hospital, St. Paul, MN; and serving as Director of Crossroad Ministries, an inner-city ministry through Augustana Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.


    In 1985 he was called as associate pastor to Hosanna Lutheran Church, Forest Lake, MN, and in 1988 was called to be the church’s senior pastor and served there until April 2010. In June 2010 he began his call to Edison Park Lutheran Church in Chicago, where he served as senior pastor through July 2018. 


    Among other things, Michael enjoys gardening, ancestry, the Packers, and experiencing the world and people through travel, having visited over forty countries and five continents. He has two sons, Nick and Erik, who live in St. Paul, MN.

  • Sand Creek Site Custodian

    Michael Olson serves our Sand Creek site.

  • Pine Creek Site Custodian

    Diana Chistopherson serves our Pine Creek site.

  • Lead musician

    David Anderson began as our lead musician for worship at both sites in 2019. He is a native of the Sand Creek area, was baptized and confirmed in this congregation. His great-grandparents, Gregers and Helen Anderson became members in the 1870s.